对照课文听录音

How to Box the Gnat

怎样跳“棒打小昆虫”舞步

All over the country, many Americans are learning to "dip for the oyster", "box and gnat", and "wring the dishrag" . These are special names for different movements in square dances.

在美国,很多人学跳“洗牡蛎” 、“棒打小昆虫”、“拧抹布”等舞步。这些特殊的名字是方块舞里不同的舞步动作。

A square-dance party may be called by many names. Such a party may be called a hog wrassle, a hoedown, a barndance, or shindig. All square dances are alike in certain ways. Four couples line up and face each other. A caller chants or sings directions. The dancers shuffle, glide, or run while people clap.

方块舞会有很多不同的名字。比如可以叫“小猪摔跤”、“土风舞”、“谷仓舞”或 “狂欢会”。所有的方块舞在某些方式上是相似的。比如四对跳舞者面对面排成两行,一个号令者以吟诵或唱的形式指挥。跳舞者跳曳步、滑步,并在人们拍手时在舞池上跑动。

Pioneers in New England started these dances. As people moved westward and southward, new movements were added. In the Midwest, dancers created the "grand right and left". In the far West, cowboys lifted their partners off the ground during "the swing".

新英格兰的舞者先驱们最先开始跳这些舞。当人们向西部和西部迁徙时,新的动作就加入到舞蹈中。在中西部,跳舞者新创了“美妙的左右转”动作。在西部偏远地区,在跳“荡秋千”舞步时,牛仔们会把他们的舞伴举离地面。

Square dancing comes from dances done long ago in England. People there did country dances. In one country dance, dancers formed a circle. This dance was called a round. Another country dance was the longways. In this one, two long lines of dancers faced one another. A popular longways is called the Virginia reel.

方块舞起源于很久以前的英格兰。当地的人们跳乡村舞。其中一种乡村舞叫圆周舞,要求所有的跳舞者组成一个圆圈。另一种乡村舞叫纵队舞,在纵队舞里,跳舞者要两两相对排成两个长队。其中一种流行的纵队舞叫维吉尼亚里尔舞。

Around the year 1900, square dancing was dying out. Dancers liked the new couple dancing better. In the 1940s, people became interested in the songs and dances the pioneers enjoyed. Square dancing became popular again. The interest in square dancing is still growing, but it's not easy to learn some of those movements! Square-dance contests award ribbons or badges to the winners. If you're invited to a hog wrassle, get ready for music, action, and fun.

大约在20世纪初期,方块舞几近绝迹。当时的人们更喜欢跳新兴起的双人舞。直到20世纪40年代,人们才开始对这种古老的歌舞又有了兴趣,就这样方块舞再次风行。如今人们对方块舞的兴趣仍在持续增长,但是方块舞的某些舞步学起来可不那么容易。方块舞比赛中胜利者会获得奖章或缓带。如果你有幸被邀请参加方块舞,那么就准备好跟着音乐好好跳吧,祝你玩得愉快。

点我回顾用美国小孩的方法学英语最有效(3)>>

 

用美国小孩的方法学英语最有效

彩色印刷+美国标准诵读MP3
蒋志榆 编著
吉林出版集团有限责任公司出版 

点击此处直接购买此书>>>