时间:2018-11-29 作者:英语课 分类:四级晨读英语美文


英语课

Student Rags


Student rags is a ‵well established practice|associated ‵particularly with older Universities of students|mounting some sort of pageant|and collecting money for charity. From the students’ point of view|it is a ‵festive occasion. They ‵think up themes|and ‵decorate a float|(a truck with a flat loading area)|to represent their concept — perhaps a pirate ship, an operating theatre, a coal mine|or something topical and humorous. Then the group of students| associated with that float|‵dresses up to sustain the impression. The Rag Day is ‵often held in February|when it is ‵still decidedly cold, but this does ‵not seem to deter 1 the girls|from dressing 2 in the flimsiest of garments as mermaids 3 or grass-skirted Nawacan maidens 4, or the lads from turning out as cave men|and the like. There is usually a ‵magazine for the occasion; its contents being ‵mainly humorous|and vulgar, for students feel|that they are given license|for some mild misbehavior.


In this connection|they indulge in ‵certain stunts 5, for example the ‵kidnapping of local personalities|or people of the entertainment world — who ‵rather like the publicity 6 anyway, or climbing public buildings, for example to put a ‵chamber pot on top|of a steeple. The authorities can be vexed 7 with|the ‵more outrageous 8 of the capers 9, for example|painting statues, for it is ‵expensive to clean off the paint, but ‵lesser liberties|such as throwing bags of flour|at policemen are tolerated — ‵only just. So, students ‵let off steam|and ‵enjoy a sense of camaraderie 10, the public is entertained|and contributes by buying magazines|or putting money in collecting boxes. And ‵eventually the cash collected finds its way|into local charitable organizations. The students ‵usually have a Grand Ball|which is often fancy dress ‵too, and this finishes off a strenuous 11 day.


There was a time|when student life was ‵more privileged and leisurely 12, and perhaps the pressures today|give ‵less scope for participation 13. Also many students ‵lack the will|to accept social burdens, so there is ‵always something of a struggle these days|to find volunteers for the work involved. Nevertheless ‵each year sees effort coalescing|so that in the end the ‵familiar procession|winds its way through the streets, the public lines the route, ‵weirdly dressed students thrust collecting boxes|under citizens’ noses|and ‵cajole them to part with some money.

学生破衣节


学生破衣节这种做法早已固定下来,与一些老牌大学特别有关系,学生们准备游行和筹集慈善款。从学生的观点看,这是节日场面。他们构思出各种主题,装饰彩车(一般是平板卡车)来表现自己的想法——也许是海盗船、手术台、煤矿,或是某种反映现实而幽默的东西。然后与那辆彩车有关的一组学生,打扮化装起来,加强效果。破衣节往往在2月间举行,那个时候天气仍十分寒冷,但这似乎阻挡不住姑娘们穿上极薄的衣服,打扮成鱼美人,或身披草裙的纳瓦肯少女,小伙子们也冒着天寒装扮成穴居人之类。节日期间通常会编有一本专门的杂志,内容大都幽默庸俗,学生们感到得到了做些许小出格行为的许可。


在这一点上,他们热衷于某种噱头,例如绑架当地名流,或娱乐界人士——这些人本来就颇喜欢抛头露面嘛,或者攀登公共建筑物,如把夜壶放在教堂尖塔上。当局对那些过分的恶作剧(例如涂抹塑像,清除油漆花费很大)可能大为恼火,但小一点的冒犯(如向警察扔面粉袋)还是能够被忍受的——仅此为止。就这样,学生们拼命地发泄,尽情享受着友情,公众得到了娱乐,通过买杂志或捐款来捧场。筹得的现款最终归于当地的慈善机构。学生们常举行盛大舞会,通常是化妆舞会,以此结束这令人兴奋的一天。


学生生活曾经一度享有特权,颇为悠闲。然而也许是因为如今过大的压力使得学生没有机会过多的参与其中,而且许多学生缺乏接受社会重担的意志,所以近年来寻找有关工作的志愿者总是很费事。然而每年都有人齐心协力,最后那条熟悉的游行队伍总会绕过大街小巷,公众总是夹道欢迎。身穿奇装异服的学生们把募捐箱塞到公民的鼻子底下,哄骗他们慷慨解囊。



1 deter
vt.阻止,使不敢,吓住
  • Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
  • Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。
2 dressing
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
3 mermaids
n.(传说中的)美人鱼( mermaid的名词复数 )
  • The high stern castle was a riot or carved gods, demons, knights, kings, warriors, mermaids, cherubs. 其尾部高耸的船楼上雕满了神仙、妖魔鬼怪、骑士、国王、勇士、美人鱼、天使。 来自辞典例句
  • This is why mermaids should never come on land. 这就是为什么人鱼不应该上岸的原因。 来自电影对白
4 maidens
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球
  • stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
  • Transplantation is not always successful in the matter of flowers or maidens. 花儿移栽往往并不成功,少女们换了环境也是如此。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
5 stunts
n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 );(广告中)引人注目的花招;愚蠢行为;危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长],抑制,妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )
  • He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
  • The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 publicity
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告
  • The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事,只当它是一种宣传手法。
7 vexed
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论
  • The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
  • He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
8 outrageous
adj.无理的,令人不能容忍的
  • Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
  • Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。
9 capers
n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 );刺山柑v.跳跃,雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 )
  • I like to fly about and cut capers. 我喜欢跳跳蹦蹦闹着玩儿。 来自辞典例句
  • He always leads in pranks and capers. 他老是带头胡闹和开玩笑。 来自辞典例句
10 camaraderie
n.同志之爱,友情
  • The camaraderie among fellow employees made the tedious work just bearable.同事之间的情谊使枯燥乏味的工作变得还能忍受。
  • Some bosses are formal and have occasional interactions,while others prefer continual camaraderie.有些老板很刻板,偶尔才和下属互动一下;有些则喜欢和下属打成一片。
11 strenuous
adj.奋发的,使劲的;紧张的;热烈的,狂热的
  • He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
  • You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。
12 leisurely
adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的
  • We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着,看遍所有的橱窗。
  • He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐,高兴的开车去工作。
13 participation
n.参与,参加,分享
  • Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
  • The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。
学英语单词
'prentices
2-methyl-1-phenylpropane
Abelia schumannii
accounting analysis
Ailanthus fordii
ailuromancy
American Business Law Association
amphiclinous progeny
antidep
auro-auric oxide
basophilias
bloviate
branchial musculature
capie-hole
captain's bridge
center wall
child pornographies
citrus flat-headed borer
classwider
composition overall
condition of self-locking
crane barge
crop milk
Cyclopteris
dead-beat stability
degusts
deposit multiplier
diplonychus rusticus
dragged into
El Payo
epiplaem
excuse-me
flat-spring
frearson
from the cradle
gal.s
gallies
gas-lubricated journal bearing
glucofrangulin
greful
growth rate
Henkel process
honeynet
houseys
idiot boards
ilaiah
ion-exchange isolation
isometrically
line information state
LSTC
lung tumours
M. & H.
Mangareva
master glands
mayn't
mckerrow
melomaniacs
mental soundness
mud grouting
nasitis
noise barrier
non-neural
nonbellicose
number of serviceable cars turnround
obtainings
on the plea of
onuca
orientation
Oschiri, R.di
PCM communication system
peritectic point
plastocene
polyphase induction machine
print spooling
pyrolysis analysis
radial-flow-type converter
rapidity of money
re-engaging
refractive index ellipsoid
retinal ischemia
reversible processes
rising steel
Schast'ya, Zaliv
second-cousin
sint-niklaas
skeleton map
Sulfapral
talk-ring key
tariff treaty
through-traffics
transmission band filter
tricyclopentadienyl-californium
two concentric eyes
unaltered rock
unartistic
underdolve
unfilially
unhypothesized
walrusses
wilted grass silage
X inactivation center
zero address format