Tiny monsters of the Highlands

Tiny monsters of the Highlands

Callum: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Callum Robertson and joining me
today for the first time is Finn, hello Finn
Finn: Hello Callum.
Callum: One of my favourite places in the world is the Highlands of Scotland²（苏格兰高地）. Is that a
place you are familiar with Finn?
Finn: Absolutely, very familiar.
Callum: And could you describe: where are the Highlands and what are the Highlands?
Finn: Well the Highlands are a group of mountains in the north west of Scotland. Very
barren³ mountains but an incredibly（难以置信地、非常地） beautiful part of the country and popular with
people who like hill-walking and camping and things like that.
Callum: Well as always in 6 Minute English we start with a question. And today's is about
traditional Highland¹ dress. Where would a Highlander⁴ in traditional dress wear his
sporran? Would it be …
a: on his head?
b: around his waist?
c: on his feet?
Finn, do you know this one?
Finn: I think I have an idea! I would say b: around his waist.
Callum: Well we'll find out if you're right later on.
As we've said the Scottish Highlands is a beautiful place with its mountains and
valleys. We could describe it as having a grandeur⁵ - a 'grandeur'. What does that
mean Finn?
Finn: Well, it's a noun⁶ and it's used for a place that has a particularly impressive(感人的) quality.
Now it's often used to describe natural landscapes – so we could say that the
Scottish Highlands has a breathtaking grandeur.
Callum: That's right. But all is not well in the Highlands. Its grandeur is being spoiled and
has been spoiled for many years. What's causing this problem? Here's BBC
reporter James Cook
James Cook
For thousands of years the grandeur of this landscape has been marred⁷ by the misery⁸ of the midge.
But now they're being trapped by researchers from Edinburgh. Here they are fighting a big battle
with the tiniest of monsters.
Callum: Finn, what's causing the problems in the Highlands?
Finn: Well it’s something called the midge, which is also known as the midgie. The
reporter called it the misery of the midge.
Callum: Yes, he used the phrase that 'the grandeur of the landscape has been marred by the
misery of the midge'.
Finn: 'Marred by the misery of the midge'. Yes, lots of words beginning with 'm' –
'marred by the misery of the midge'. 'Marred by' means 'spoiled by' or 'ruined by' –
and he's referring to the unhappiness or misery caused by the midge. And later in
the report he calls the midge the 'tiniest of monsters'.
Callum: So the midge is called the 'tiniest of monsters' – but what is a midge?
Finn: Well a midge, or a midgie, as I like to call it, are very small flying insects which
bite, and they are all over the Highlands.
Callum: We'll learn a little more about midges shortly but let's listen to the first part of the
report again.
James Cook
For thousands of years the grandeur of this landscape has been marred by the misery of the midge.
But now they're being trapped by researchers from Edinburgh. Here they are fighting a big battle
with the tiniest of monsters.
Callum: BBC reporter James Cook there. So why are the midges so bad? What makes them
monsters? Dr Alison Blackwell is working on ways to control midges. She
describes what they do.
Dr Alison Blackwell
A midge has a set of mouth parts that like shearing⁹ scissors and they cut a hole in your skin and
create a pool of blood and then they put their mouth parts in and suck from that. And that itself
can be very painful. Every tourist you speak to has had a midgie experience and I myself have left
campsites early because the midges have been so bad.
Callum: So Finn, what makes midges so bad?
Finn: Well, Dr Blackwell there describes their mouth parts as like a pair of shearing
scissors. Now, so not just an ordinary pair of scissors, but scissors with a rough
blade¹⁰, like a saw. So when they bite, and they do like to bite, they cut a hole in
your skin and then they drink your blood and that can be very painful.
Callum: And she goes on to say that every tourist has experienced¹¹ them.
Finn: Yes, and she herself has ended her holiday early because they were so bad.
Callum: Let's listen again
Dr Alison Blackwell
A midge has a set of mouth parts that like shearing scissors and they cut a hole in your skin and
create a pool of blood and then they put their mouth parts in and suck from that. And that itself
can be very painful. Every tourist you speak to has had a midgie experience and I myself have left
campsites early because the midges have been so bad.
Callum: Dr. Blackwell there. Now I think we have to say Finn here that midges are tiny,
tiny insects – it's not like there are huge beasts flying around Scotland drinking the
blood of the tourists!
Finn: Now they're tiny, they're really really small. But, what they lack in size they make
up for in number. Sometimes when you're walking in the Highlands you'll see
ahead of you what looks like a little cloud. But now this cloud is not a water cloud
or a rain cloud, it's a cloud of midgies. There's so many that they look like a black
cloud. But let's not let it put us off going to the Highlands, though.
Callum: No, I'd certainly still recommend the Highlands as a place to visit. It is beautiful
but just be sure to get some good insect repellent and suitable clothing.
Well just time now for the answer to today's question. Where would a Highlander
in traditional dress wear his sporran?
Finn, you said?
Finn: I said b: around his waist.
Callum: And of course you'd be right because a sporran is a kind of a purse, isn't it? Where
you can keep your money.
Finn: Keep you money, and your whisky¹²!
Callum: Well that's all we time for today, but do join us again next time for another 6
Minute English. Good bye.
Finn: Goodbye.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)
 

1 highland   

n.(pl.)高地，山地

参考例句：

• The highland game is part of Scotland's cultural heritage.苏格兰高地游戏是苏格兰文化遗产的一部分。
• The highland forests where few hunters venture have long been the bear's sanctuary.这片只有少数猎人涉险的高山森林，一直都是黑熊的避难所。

2 Scotland   

n.苏格兰

参考例句：

• He has been hiking round Scotland for a month.他围着苏格兰徒步旅行了一个月。
• Scotland is to the north of England.苏格兰在英格兰之北。

3 barren   

adj.贫瘠的，不（生）育的，没有结果的

参考例句：

• The place used to be a stretch of barren land.早先这里是一片不毛之地。
• The barren land could produce little food.那贫瘠的土地几乎不长庄稼。

4 highlander   

n.高地的人，苏格兰高地地区的人

参考例句：

• They call him the highlander, he is Rory McLeod! 他们叫他寻事者，他是罗瑞·麦克劳德！ 来自互联网

5 grandeur   

n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华

参考例句：

• The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

6 noun   

n.名词

参考例句：

• What kind of noun is this?这是哪类名词？
• This word is a collective noun.这个词是个集体名词。

7 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

8 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

9 shearing   

n.剪羊毛，剪取的羊毛v.剪羊毛( shear的现在分词 )；切断；剪切

参考例句：

• The farmer is shearing his sheep. 那农夫正在给他的羊剪毛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The result of this shearing force is to push the endoplasm forward. 这种剪切力作用的结果是推动内质向前。 来自辞典例句

10 blade   

n.刀刃，刀片；叶片

参考例句：

• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。
• He is a good blade.他剑术高明。

11 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

12 whisky   

n.威士忌酒

参考例句：

• I'm sure this whisky has been watered down.我敢肯定这瓶威士忌掺过水了。
• She poured herself a large tot of whisky.她给自己倒了一大杯威士忌。