瘋狂的節慶

There are various festivals going on somewhere in the world almost every day of the year. These range from very large events which involve whole cities to local celebrations in tiny villages or neighborhoods of towns or cities. We have selected a few of the more unusual， colorful festivals from around the world.

幾乎每天在世界上的某個地方都有人們在慶祝不同的節日。節日的規模大小不一，從全城慶祝的重大活動，到當地小村莊或者市鎮街區較小規模的慶典活動。我們在這介紹一些與眾不同的，來自世界各地豐富多彩的節慶活動。

Cockroach Races： Brisbane， Australia

蟑螂賽跑大賽：布里斯班，澳大利亞

Racing is simple... the races are held in a circular track and roaches are let go from an upturned bucket in the middle... first to the edge is a winner. Things are made a little more difficult in the steeplechase events where a circular fence （garden hose） is used to enhance the spectacle and test the roach talent.

比賽很簡單……是在一個圓形軌道中進行，蟑螂從倒過來的桶狀場地中點起跑，最先到達外圈的勝出。在障礙賽跑中，把表演推向高潮并考驗蟑螂天賦高低的圓形圍墻（橡膠軟管）會讓比賽變得更加困難。

Sled Dog Classic： Canberra， Australia

雪橇犬經典：堪培拉，澳大利亞

Dog sledding is one of the fastest growing sports on the east coast of Australia. As there’s no snow （the trail is earth and sand and is smooth and wide with a few hills and turns）， the sleds have wheels instead of runners， but the excitement is the same.

狗拉雪橇是澳大利亞東海岸發展最快的運動之一。雖然沒有雪（運動場地只有沙土，又寬又滑，偶爾還會有斜坡和彎道），只有有輪子的雪橇，但活動的進行依然令人激動不已。

International Cherry Pit Spitting Contest： Eau Claire， USA

吐櫻桃核國際比賽：歐克萊爾市，美國

A nutritious sport—is there a better way to dispose of the pit once you have eaten the cherry？ Participants eat a cherry and then spit the pit as far as possible on a blacktop surface. The pit that goes the farthest including the roll is the champ.

養生運動——吃完櫻桃，有什么更好的方式吐出櫻桃核呢？參賽者在馬路上吃完櫻桃后，將櫻桃核吐得盡可能遠。吐的距離（包括櫻桃核滾動的距離）最遠的就是勝者。

Mighty Mud Mania： Scottsdale， USA

瘋狂泥漿節：斯科茨代爾，美國

Children’s dreams really do come true in the City of Scottsdale. Children aged 1 to 13， get to participate in a mud race to end all mud races. During the running of the Mighty Mud Obstacle course， several mud pits strategically placed， provide wet and really dirty obstacles as kids compete for the fastest time in each heat. There are also mud puddle pools for the tiny kids， and a mini mud course for those six and younger. There are also water slides， sandcastle buildings and fun for all ages. Moms and dads， remember to send your kids out with old clothes and shoes that lace up. And have no fear， Rural Metro Fire Department is on hand to literally hose down the muddy children.

孩子們的夢想可以在斯科茨代爾這座城市實現——那就是泥漿大賽，比賽只對1至13歲的兒童開放。在泥漿比賽中設置障礙賽區，泥坑必須巧妙地擺放好，并保持又濕又臟的狀態，比的就是在這樣艱難的環境下哪個孩子以最快的速度完成比賽。對于年齡較小的孩子（6歲甚至更小），他們會在另一個小型區域進行比賽。這兒還有水滑梯、沙堡建筑物等其他活動項目供不同年齡段的小伙伴玩耍。爸爸媽媽們在帶孩子來比賽之前，記著給孩子們穿上舊的衣服和鞋子并用系帶固定衣物。不過不必害怕，城鄉消防部門會在活動結束后用水管沖干凈這些渾身是泥的孩子。

World Bog Snorkeling Championships and Mountain Bike Bog Leaping： Llanwrtyd Wells， Wales

世界沼澤潛水錦標賽和山地自行車沼澤賽：拉努蒂德韋爾斯，威爾士

It’s the muckiest dip you’ve ever taken！ Swim two lengths of a bog wearing a snorkel， or jump on a mountain bike and leap the bogs over a 20-mile course. If bog snorkeling’s your game， get ready to flounder your way through 120 yards of peat bog in the quickest possible time. Your attire？ A snorkel， flippers， and swim trunks. But you can’t use any conventional swimming strokes. This battle of wills in a dirty， smelly， wet Welsh peat bog trench is not for the faint of heart！ If you’d rather be above the bog， try taking your mountain bike through 20 miles of boggy terrain. It’s your chance to show off your bike-in-a-bog maneuvering abilities！ Following your adventures， kind folks are on hand to hose you down. Goodness knows， you’ll need it！ Happy bogging！

這是你參加過的最臟的潛水！在沼澤里戴著潛水管，緊接著在20英里的沼澤場地騎上山地自行車。如果沼澤浮潛是你喜歡的運動項目，請以最快速度穿過120碼的泥炭沼澤。你應該穿戴什么樣的裝備呢？呼吸管和腳蹼，還有游泳褲。但是你不能在比賽過程中使用任何常規的游泳姿勢。在威爾士這個臟的、臭氣熏天的泥炭沼澤溝進行比賽是對意志力的挑戰，這種比賽不適合心臟不好的人！如果你更愿意待在沼澤地面，那么試一試騎上你的山地自行車穿過20公里的沼澤地帶。這是一次展現你在泥濘中前行的機會！完成過后，善良的鄉親們會用水管幫你把身上的臟東西清洗干凈。天知道，你太需要它了！祝愿在沼澤中快樂前行！

Word Study

steeplechase /'sti?plt?e?s/ n. 障礙賽跑

snorkel /'sn??kl/ n. 呼吸管

flounder /'fla?nd?（r）/ v. （在水、泥等中）掙扎

She was floundering around in the deep end of the swimming pool.

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