彭蒙惠英语：Much Ado about Shakespeare’s Hometown

Much Ado about Shakespeare’s Hometown

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Shakespeare’s home

 

Within Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the period furniture is not original, but it does lend insight into 16th-century life in England. One learns, for example, that the canopy¹ over the bed was useful for keeping rats from falling—or leaping— from on high. Precarious² sleeping, those Elizabethan nights were, when beds were kept from sagging³ with a rope strung around the mattress⁴. This, our guide tells us, was the origin of, “Good night, sleep tight.”

 

Early preservation⁵ efforts saved Shakespeare’s Birthplace, as well as the childhood farm home of his wife, Anne Hathaway. This cottage is certainly a worthwhile visit too, with its thatched roof and charming gardens. Five Shakespeare family houses can be visited in Stratford, including his Birthplace, which was bought in the 1800s by farsighted fundraisers: among them, writer Charles Dickens.

 

Tourism reigns⁶

When visiting Stratford-upon-Avon keep in mind that this town knows which side its scones⁸ are buttered on. Shakespeare is the cottage industry here, and amusements range from boat rides along the River Avon to Falstaff’s Experience, a bizarre tour of history hardly related to the Shakespearean character.

 

The visitor to Stratford, even on a day trip from London, should try to catch a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It’s not unusual for a big-name performer like Dame⁹ Judi Dench to appear.

 

In summertime, the town is feverish¹⁰ with tourism. Expect to feel crowded and moved quickly through Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.

 

Even so, the town is a pleasant place to visit, with scores of Tudor half-timber buildings and Elizabethan decor in shops. Restaurants and pubs are as appealing as the rest of the town. Try the Dirty Duck for a chummy, cozy¹¹ pub lunch. The food is a treat—stews, sticky toffee pudding, and delectable¹² quiche.

 

And coffee lovers, don’t worry: There is a Starbucks-upon-Avon.

 

Vocabulary Focus

precarious (adj) [pri5kZEriEs] in a dangerous state because not safe or firmly fixed¹³

farsighted (adj) [5fa:saitid] having good judgment¹⁴ about what will be needed in the future and making wise decisions based on this

scores (n pl) [skC:z] a nonspecific large number

 

Specialized¹⁵ Terms

canopy (n) 在床上方高处的床罩；华盖 a cover over a bed for shelter or decoration

know which side one’s bread is buttered on (idiom) 清楚该往哪边靠拢才有甜头 to know where one’s income, stability or protection come from

scone⁷ (n) 烤饼 a small, usually round, bread- like cake made from flour, milk and a little fat

Tudor (adj) 都铎式的 relating to a style of architecture popularized during the 15th century; named for the English royal family that ruled between 1485 and 1603

 

莎翁故居 —— 镇小故事多

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莎士比亚故居

莎士比亚诞生的屋子里摆着的昔日家具虽非真迹，但可让游客一窥16世纪的英国生活。举例来说，有人发现覆盖着整张床的床罩，可用来防止老鼠从天花板掉下来或跳下来。伊丽莎白女王那个时代，夜晚常常睡不安稳，当时为了不让床铺下塌，得用一根绳子绕着床垫绑妥。导游告诉我们，这就是谚语“晚安，睡稳一点！”的由来。

由于及早进行保护措施，莎士比亚的诞生地及妻子安妮·哈瑟维儿时所居的农舍得以留存。这间茅屋拥有茅草铺的屋顶及迷人的花园，绝对值得一游。斯特拉福镇莎士比亚及其家人所住的房子连他诞生之处在内共有5栋，可供参观。他出生的房子在1800年被一群深具远见的人募集资金买下，查理·狄更斯即是其中的一位。

 

观光业盛行

拜访埃文河畔的斯特拉福镇时，谨记这个小镇很清楚如何用莎士比亚来发财。“莎士比亚”就是他们的收入来源，娱乐活动包括从搭船游埃文河，到与莎翁笔下人物毫无干系的古怪历史之旅“法斯塔夫游踪”不等。

来到斯特拉特福镇的游客，即便只是从伦敦来的一日游旅客，都应该去看看英国皇家莎士比亚剧团的演出。在那儿看到像朱蒂·丹区这样知名演员的表演，并非罕事。

夏季时，镇上观光业兴旺。请做好心理准备，也许只能在拥挤的人潮中，快速地走过莎翁诞生地及安妮·哈瑟维小屋。

虽然人潮拥挤，但拥有大量都铎式木架屋和伊丽莎白时代装潢的斯特拉福镇，仍然是个令人愉悦的旅游点。餐厅与酒吧就像镇上其它地点一样宜人。在酒吧亲切舒适的气氛中，享用熏鸭当午餐吧。品尝炖菜、浓浓的太妃糖布丁，还有精致的法式咸派，亦堪称乐事。

此外，咖啡爱好者别担心，埃文河畔有家星巴克咖啡屋。

 

1 canopy   

n.天篷，遮篷

参考例句：

• The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
• They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

2 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

3 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

4 mattress   

n.床垫，床褥

参考例句：

• The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。
• The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

5 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

6 reigns   

n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期

参考例句：

• In these valleys night reigns. 夜色笼罩着那些山谷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Queen of Britain reigns, but she does not rule or govern. 英国女王是国家元首，但不治国事。 来自辞典例句

7 scone   

n.圆饼，甜饼，司康饼

参考例句：

• She eats scone every morning.她每天早上都吃甜饼。
• Scone is said to be origined from Scotland.司康饼据说来源于苏格兰。

8 scones   

n.烤饼，烤小圆面包( scone的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• scones and jam with clotted cream 夹有凝脂奶油和果酱的烤饼
• She makes scones and cakes for the delectation of visitors. 她烘制了烤饼和蛋糕供客人享用。 来自辞典例句

9 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

10 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

11 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

12 delectable   

adj.使人愉快的；美味的

参考例句：

• What delectable food you cook!你做的食品真好吃！
• But today the delectable seafood is no longer available in abundance.但是今天这种可口的海味已不再大量存在。

13 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

14 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

15 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。