英语听力：自然百科 墨西哥斗牛

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号：tingroom，领取免费英语资料大礼包。

 

"Is there no violence in hockey or boxing? It's in our nature. We have become predominant in this planet because of our violent, competitive nature. So I see nothing wrong for violence as part of the spectator sport, most of them are."

 

Now retired² from the ring, Santos Senior spends his days training his son. In the lush tropics of central Mexico, Rancho La Herradura is an ideal training ground for an aspiring³ bullfighter.

 

In these fields what accounts for man and bull is stamina⁴. Only courage carries a higher value. Only the hardest charging animals are selected to fight. Young Gaston has to learn their behavior.

 

Gaston won't face the bull alone. Matadors⁵ fight on foot and on their own but an equestrian⁶ bullfighter can rely on a four-footed partner. Purebred Lusitano horses make first-class fighters. Naturally fearful, horses must get years of training before they can dance in the path of a charging bull. The smallest mistake can mean the difference between life and death.

 

In the southern state of Yucatán, a bullfight draws thousands. But this is more than just death for the sake of spectacle. It is a celebration of valor⁷ and artistry in the face of danger. It's a family event. Young and old come to watch their heroes. Some will cheer for their favorite bullfighter, others for the bulls.

 

Every time a bullfighter enters the ring, he knows that it could be his last. Since 1900 nearly 100 men have died fighting bulls. The bull is strong. His spears get shorter and shorter. With each pass Gaston must reach over those deadly horns and jab the point precisely⁸ between the shoulder blades. Until now the spears have only caused flash wounds, enraging⁹ the bull.

 

The drama's climax¹⁰ is the dead spear. A bullfighter has no greater duty than a clean kill. He has two chances to do so from horseback. The blow should be quick and exact straight through to the heart. Gaston needs to dispatch his animal at the set time. If he fails, attendance will take it away and slaughter¹¹ it, a death without dignity and a great change to the bullfighter. The clock takes on and still the bull stands bloody¹² but unrelenting. Gaston is running out of time. He's had his tries from horseback. Now he must try to end this on foot.

 

Gaston drives the blade horn, a moral ward¹³ to a bull that fought the good fight, but could not win the battle. Death with honor is still bittersweet.

 

Another day in the ring, another contest between life and death. Gaston has proven himself and upheld his father's legend today. But his time in the spotlight¹⁴ is only starting in a country where men in his line of work become heroes and bullfight is a national pastime no matter how ardent¹⁵ its critic is.

 

分享到：