美国学生世界地理教材 第107期:西班牙城堡续(3)

 Winners of games long ago used to be crowned with a wreath made of olive¹ leaves,  古代，比赛获胜者都给戴上橄榄枝做成的花环，

and in time of war, messengers bringing peace used to carry an olive branch.  在战争期间，带来和平消息的信使携带着一枝橄榄枝。

In certain parts of Spain you can ride all day long on a train and see olive-trees, olive-trees, olive-trees,  在西班牙有些地方，你坐了一整天火车，从早到晚看到的都是橄榄树，橄榄树，橄榄树，

from morning to night, till you wonder what the people can do with so many.  这时你不禁会想人们有这么多的橄榄树能做什么呢。

They use a great many olives² themselves, for olives are often bread and butter, meat and vegetables to Spaniards,  他们自己使用大量的橄榄，因为对西班牙人来说橄榄就意味着面包和黄油、肉和蔬菜，

but they send millions of bottles of olives and olive oil all over the World to other countries that have none. 但他们还把无数瓶橄榄和橄榄油出口到世界各地不产橄榄的国家。

One of those cities that says it is like Paris is the capital of Spain.  很多城市的居民都说自己的城市像巴黎，西班牙首都就是其中一个城市。

It is near the center of the country. It is called Madrid. Old Madrid had narrow streets and small houses.  它差不多位于这个国家的中心。叫做马德里。旧马德里的街道狭窄，房屋矮小。

New Madrid has broad boulevards and big buildings, and if you did not hear the people speaking Spanish you might think you were in Paris or even in New York. 新马德里有宽敞的林荫大道和高大的楼房，如果不是听到有人说西班牙语的话，你也许会觉得自己是在巴黎或者甚至在纽约。

In old Spain men used to say all the time “Manyana,” which means “to-morrow,” for they put off everything they could until to-morrow.  在以前的西班牙，人们总是说“Manyana”，意思就是“明天吧”，因为他们总是把所有能拖的事情都拖到明天再说。

New Spain says “Do it now.”  现在西班牙人会说“现在就做”。

When you are in Madrid and say you live in America, they think you mean South America,  如果在马德里你说自己住在美国，他们认为你是说南美洲，

and that of course you speak Spanish, for to a Spaniard “America” means South America.  并且认为你肯定会说西班牙语，因为对西班牙人来说，“美国”就意味着“南美洲”。

A Spaniard who has made his fortune in South America comes “home to Madrid” to live on what he has made, for a house in Madrid is his “Castle in Spain.”  一个在南美洲发了财的西班牙人衣锦还乡回到马德里，靠自己挣的那笔钱就生活在马德里了，因为马德里的房子才是他的“西班牙城堡”——他心目中最奇妙的房子。

Sometimes two brothers have families and live in the same house, but usually they get along better if they live in separate houses.  有时两兄弟都成家后仍然住在同一个房屋里，但如果他们分开住的话通常会相处得更好。

Portugal and Spain are like two brothers.  葡萄牙和西班牙就像两兄弟。

They speak a language that is alike and the people are alike in other ways, but they have never been able to get along together,  他们说的语言很相似，在生活习惯等方面也很相似，但他们始终合不来，

though they tried it once for a little while.  尽管偶尔他们也努力和好过。

In both countries they like dancing and music.  两个国家的人都喜欢舞蹈和音乐，

In both countries they raise cork³ and olives.  都种植栓皮槠和橄榄树，

In both countries they like bull⁴-fights—though in Portugal they do not kill the bull, and they wrap the points of his horns so that he can’t kill. 都喜欢斗牛——不过在葡萄牙他们不杀死公牛，而是把牛的尖角包起来，这样斗牛士就不会丧命了。

1 olive   

n.橄榄，橄榄树，橄榄色；adj.黄绿色的，黄褐色的，橄榄色的

参考例句：

• Have you eaten a kind of fruit called olive?你吃过橄榄这种水果吗？
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace.她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。

2 olives   

n.橄榄( olive的名词复数 )；橄榄树；橄榄色；油橄榄

参考例句：

• We sat drinking wine and nibbling olives. 我们坐在那儿，喝着葡萄酒嚼着橄榄。
• He sent her two pieces of olives in letter. 他在信中给她夹了两片橄榄树的叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 cork   

n.软木，软木塞

参考例句：

• We heard the pop of a cork.我们听见瓶塞砰的一声打开。
• Cork is a very buoyant material.软木是极易浮起的材料。

4 bull   

n.公牛，买进证券投机图利者，看涨的人

参考例句：

• It's only a hair off a bull's back to them.这对他们来说，不过九牛一毛。
• Many dogs closed around the bull.很多狗渐渐地把那只牛围了起来。