英语听力精选进阶版 6201（在线收听）

An Ancient Game Played in Orkney 奥克尼群岛上的古代游戏

Imagine a game of football played not with 11 but hundreds of players on each side; contested not on a soft field of grass but on cold, hard flagstone streets; and where there are no rules and no referee to control the surging mass of bodies.

Though it might sound like something from the Middle Ages, in fact just such a game of mob football is played every year in Scotland.

Known as The Ba’, the game is played each Christmas Day and New Year’s Day through the narrow, winding streets of the town of Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland.

To onlookers it can be impossible to tell where the ball is amongst the huge scrum of players who risk of cracking ribs and breaking limbs to try and score a match-winning goal.

The men and boys of Kirkwall are divided into two teams of ‘Uppies’ and ‘Doonies’ depending on which part of the town they come from.

There are no goalposts or goalkeepers, and the two sides compete to score a goal by transporting the Ba’, which is a cork-filled, leather ball, to the other end of town.

Games can last for hours as the heaving ruck of players struggle to gain ground in either direction, though the ball can suddenly burst out of the pack and into a small side street.

The game has its roots in more violent forms of street football which have taken place in towns across Britain since Roman times, though these days injuries are surprisingly uncommon.

Nonetheless, shopkeepers whose premises line the streets take no chances and board up their doors and windows to prevent them being smashed by the sheer weight of bodies who funnel through the narrow streets.

Finally, when a goal is scored, the Ba’ itself is awarded to a key member of the side who can proudly display the trophy in their window, but not before a celebratory festive drink with the team.

Glossary 词汇表

flagstone 石板 

surging mass 蜂拥而上的群众 

Middle Ages 中世纪 

mob 一群乱民 

winding streets 蜿蜒的街道 

huge scrum 并列争球的大片人群 

cracking ribs 折断的肋骨 

breaking limbs 折断的四肢 

goalposts 门杠 

cork-filled 充满软木塞的 

heaving ruck 拼命斯抢的人群 

gain ground 夺得优势 

burst out 迸发出 

pack 一窝人/一帮人 

has its roots 来源于 

premises 营业场所 

board up 用木板封起来 

sheer weight （人群的）

自身重量 funnel 涌入（狭窄的街道） 

festive 节日的