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Summer in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, is the time for festivals. In August and September there are several different festivals which take place there.

The original Edinburgh International Festival started in 1947, and offers visitors a rich programme of classical music, theatre, opera and dance. The same year that the official festival began, a handful of theatrical companies gatecrashed the festival and organised their own event, which grew into what is now called the Fringe Festival.

The term ‘fringe’ means something on the outside of the main event, but over the years, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival has become the largest of all the festivals, and indeed the largest arts festival in the world!

The Fringe features performers and acts which are less traditional and more unconventional than those in the International Festival, and includes a lot of stand-up comedy shows, music and children’s entertainment. The Edinburgh Fringe is seen as an important place for up and coming stand-up comedians to perform at.

At the same time in Edinburgh there are various other festivals, such as the Jazz and Blues festival, the Book Festival, the Film Festival, and even an Internet Festival! There is also a multicultural festival called Mela, which celebrates the diversity of people living in Edinburgh, in particular people with South Asian origins.

Edinburgh Castle is the site of one of the most spectacular events – The Military Tattoo. A military tattoo has nothing to do with a tattoo on your skin! It means a performance of military music, for example, by marching bands. In Scotland the military tattoo traditionally includes bagpipes and drums. This year the display will also feature dancers, horses and motorbikes!

Though you have to pay to attend most of the events at the various festivals, there are several groups who organise large numbers of free events as well.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

festivals 节日

programme 节目

official 正式的

a handful of 一把，少数的

traditional 传统的

unconventional 与传统形式不同的

stand-up comedy 即兴喜剧表演，类似中国的单口相声

up and coming 有前途的

multicultural 多元文化的

diversity 多样性的 

spectacular 壮观的，引人注目的

military 军队的 

tattoo 纹身

marching bands 步操管乐队 

bagpipes 苏格兰风笛

gatecrashed 不请自来