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  英語經典晨讀美文：蘇格蘭風情，希望大家喜歡!

　　Scotland is a unique and austere place, laden with history, where you can find aristocrafic palaces and castles, as well as the traditional parades in national costumes. It has some of the most beautiful cities in Europe, a living testimony of a proud and splendid past.

　　蘇格蘭是一個獨特的地方，自然條件雖不算得天獨厚，歷史的厚重感卻隨處可見。豪門望族的府第與城堡歷歷在目，儀仗隊的士兵也還穿著傳統服裝。這里有全歐洲最美的城市，它們訴說著蘇格蘭昔日的榮光。

　　In order to see and discover the true soul of Scotland today, what forged the character of this splendid region, we have to go towards the northern regions, to the Grampian Mountains. Beautiful and unspoiled,it was difficult to farm. The Scots subdued the environment with simple spades and strong arms,

　　想看看真正的蘇格蘭，追尋這里民族精神的源泉，就得去北部的格蘭扁山區。格蘭扁山區景色怡人沒有受到現代文明的污染，這里—度不適合耕作，而倔強的蘇格蘭人，憑著鐵鍬和雙手征服了這片土地，

　　The history of this ancient struggle, and its people"s ancient love affair with the hard land, is enclosed within the walls of the Angus Folk Museum. You are able to get a feel ofthe t3rpical rural atmosphere of times past from the everyday artifacts displayed here,

　　蘇格蘭先民的艱苦勞作與他們自古對這片貧瘠土地的眷戀，在這個安格斯大眾博物館里一覽無余。這里展出的都是平常的物品，營造出往日鄉間的氛圍，使人油然而生懷舊之情。

　　From coastal Aberdeen in towards the interior of the Grampian Mountains there runs the Castle Trail, a road that touches on many fortresses, which are witnesses of continual revolts against the dominion of neighboring England in Scottish history.

　　從沿海的阿伯丁有一條古堡之路，它一直蜿蜒到格蘭扃山區深處。沿途很多昔日的要塞，都是蘇格蘭在歷史上不斷反抗英格蘭統治的見證。

　　Perhaps the most uplifting moment for Scottish autonomy is the experienced inside this ancient abbey ofArbroath, where, in 1320, the Declarahon oflndependence was celebrated, at the instigation of King Bruce. He carried out the plan for autonomy drawn up by the great popular hero William Wallace, to whom cmema has dedicated the wonderful film "Braveheart", the winner offive Oscars.

　　蘇格蘭爭取自治的過程中最大快人心的時刻莫過于1320年在這個阿爾伯羅斯修道院里，布魯斯國王鼓動百姓大肆慶賀獨立宣言的簽訂。布魯斯采納傳奇英雄威廉·華勒斯所獻的計策，完成了自治大業，這個故事后來被改編成電影((勇敢的心》，該片曾摘取了5項奧斯卡獎。

　　This is Glamis Castle. It is often remembered for being the residence of King Macbeth and Queen Elizabeth in her childhood. Among the most assiduous guests here are the inevitable ghosts, which are nourished,ifnot actually created, by ancient popular beliefs, These have been handed down over the centuries by a people inclined to live with mystery , with the forces ofthe supernatural。

　　蘇格蘭的另一大景點是格來米斯城堡，這座城堡之所以名聞遐邇，是因為曾經的兩位主人——蘇格蘭國王麥克白與幼年時的伊麗莎白女王。(4)如今這里最殷勤的客人當數傳說中揮之不去的幽靈，這些傳說即使不是源于世代相傳的民間故事，也大有受其啟發之嫌疑。蘇格蘭人似乎生來就篤信超自然的力量，因此才有了這些傳說。

　　Another attraction here is a legendary monster: the Loch Ness Monster. Is it real or imaginary, this monster, which has been nicknamed Nessie, has collected a good 3000 sightings over the last 50 years? To fuel the debate about the monster, and perhaps also curiosity about the lake, a price of 500,000 pounds sterling has been put on Nessie"s head.

　　這里吸引游人的另一個原因則是尼斯湖的怪獸。真假姑且不論，這個呢稱為Nessie的怪獸在過去的半個世紀中已經吸引了3000余名游客。如今它頭上有50萬英鎊的懸賞，使得學術界的爭論日益激烈，或許這也是為了增強游人的好奇心吧。

　　The true flag of Scotland, tartan, is recognisable, from the brightly coloured plaid pattems which are used to distinguish the various clans. Over the last few decades this fabric has made a comeback and is part of the daily life of this country.

　　蘇格蘭格子呢是蘇格蘭真正的旗幟。它顯著的花格子圖案曾經是區分不同宗族的標志。在過去幾十年里，格子呢在蘇格蘭再度流行，如今則已在日常生活中不可或缺。

　　The trpical Scottish garment, the kilt, is de rigeur when the Scots play the Great Highland bagpipes, especially when they march in parades.

　　蘇格蘭傳統的褶裙按照禮節是應該在演奏高地風笛時穿的，尤其是在列隊前進的時候。

　　Bagpipes and dancing open the competitions oflocal sporting events,which are called Highland Gatherings. The games, which have strange rules, involve a spirit that has more to do with brute force than with athletics.

　　高地風笛與利爾舞揭開了高地運動盛會的序幕。運動會的比賽項目規則奇特，與其說是田徑比賽，不如說是大力士的較量。