新奇事件簿 巴塞罗那迎来最后一场斗牛赛（在线收听）

Bullfighting has come to an end in northeastern Spain. Fans in the region of Catalonia saw their last fights on September 25. The actual ban comes into effect on the first of January, 2012, but Sunday’s fighting was the last of the season. Over 20,000 spectators packed Barcelona's Monumental arena to see this age-old spectacle performed in the city for the last time. Spain’s top matadors performed at the historic event, which sold out at record speed. One matador, Julian Lopez, told the AP news agency: “This is such a beautiful arena, with a lot of tradition both for bullfighters and this national celebration.” Despite this, bullfighting at the arena has been on the decline, with smaller and smaller crowds each year.

斗牛在西班牙东北部宣告终结。9月25日，加泰罗尼亚“斗迷”观看了最后一场斗牛。禁令生效日期实际为2012年1月，但本周日是整个赛季的最后一场。超2万名“斗迷”蜂拥巴塞罗那纪念碑斗牛场，观看该大区最后一场斗牛赛，此项活动已拥有悠久的历史。西班牙头号斗牛士经历了这历史性的一刻，“斗迷”观赛票也已创纪录的速度卖光。斗牛士朱利安·洛佩兹在接受美联社采访时表示：“这块场地非常漂亮，无论是这项“国技”还是对于斗牛士，悠久的历史传统一直延续至今。虽然如此，斗牛运动在这片场地日益减少，每年观赛“斗迷”也在锐减。

Catalonia decided to ban bullfighting last year after 180,000 people signed a petition against it. They argued the corrida was barbaric. Opponents of the ban believe they have a chance of getting it overturned next year. Bull breeder, Moeses Fraele said: "I think the politicians will think twice about the ban and bullfighting will live on. And thank God because Catalonia has plenty of serious bullfighting fans.” He added that, “in a democratic country fans should be able to go to a bullfight." Catalonia is the first mainland region in Spain to ban bullfighting. The age-old sport has been part of Spanish life for centuries. It has been held at La Maestranza arena in Seville since 1765. There are dozens of bullrings across the country.

去年，18万大区民众签名请愿抵制，大区随即决定禁止斗牛运动。称斗牛是野蛮行为。而反对者认为，他们有望在明年撤销这一禁令。公牛饲养员摩西·佛拉雷认为：“我认为政界人士应该三思而后行，让斗牛运动继续流传下去。加泰罗尼亚有许多忠实粉丝，这非常值得庆幸。”他还补充道：“在民主国家，“斗迷”有权观看斗牛。加泰罗尼亚也是首个发布禁令的西班牙本土大区。数百年以来，这项悠久运动成为了西班牙生活的一部分。自1765年以来，斗牛开始在塞维利亚La Maestranza斗牛广场展开。全国有数十处斗牛场。