By Jenny Blogger/劉寶喜（譯）

◆語篇導讀

我們都見過接力賽，但是你見過參賽選手端著正煎著薄餅的平底鍋奔跑的比賽嗎？這種比賽不但有圍圍裙、戴頭巾的家庭主婦等平民百姓參加，而且穿西服、打領帶、戴廚師帽的議會成員和知名記者也樂在其中。它是英國許多奇怪的傳統(tǒng)之一——煎薄餅比賽。

There are tons of strange traditions in the UK.One of those is pancake racing.The race is usually held on Pancake Day which is the last Tuesday of February.People all over the UK make and eat pancakes so that they can use up the food that they have in their houses before the start of Lent．

Pancakes are usually made from flour,eggs and milk.People usually put different sweet ingredients on the tops of the pancakes.Pancakes in the UK are large and thin.

In a typical pancake race,there are four members in a team.It's a bit like a relay race.While running,the team members have to hold a frying pan with a pancake in it.They also have to turn the pancake over several times during the running,but don't let the pancake fall out.The winner is the first to reach the finishing line.But they should also be careful to make sure that the pancake is complete and hasn't broken along the way．

Every year,the most exciting race must be in Olney,Buckingham Shire.At 11∶55 p.m.,the runners were running from the square.All of them are local housewives.Everyone is holding a pan with a frying pancake in it.They must wear an apron and scarf.The first to finish running the 375 meters and to the church to give the pancake to the bell man,to get his kiss blessing is the winner.

One of the most famous pancake races is named the Rehab Parliamentary Pancake Race.This takes place outside the Houses of Parliament,in London.The race is a competition between two teams—one team of Members of Parliament,and the other team of reporters.Most of them take part in the race,wearing their work suits.The race is shown on the news and is covered on TV all around the world.And as well as a bit of fun,the race is also held for a good cause.Its goal is to make people pay much attention to the charity Rehab.

◆詞語積淀

tons of許多的；無數(shù)的；一大堆的

Lent/lent/n.大齋節(jié)；大齋期

flour/'fla?? /n.面粉；粉狀物質(zhì)

ingredient/ ?n'gri?d??nt/n. 成分；配料；主要成分

apron/'epr?n/n.圍裙

the Houses of Parliament議會大廈

◆典句賞析

1.The race is usually held on Pancake Day which is the last Tuesday of February．這一比賽通常是在二月最后一個星期二的薄餅日舉行。

該句是一個含有定語從句的復合句，由關系代詞which引導的定語從句“which is the last Tuesday of February”修飾先行詞Pancake Day。

【即時嘗試】約翰出生在一個到處是紅花綠樹的小村莊里。

2.People all over the UK make and eat pancakes so that they can use up the food that they have in their houses before the start of Lent.所有的英國人都做薄餅、吃薄餅，為的是在大齋節(jié)之前用完家中的食物。

這是一個比較復雜的復合句。so that作為連詞，意為“為了”，引導目的狀語從句，這個狀語從句中的“that they have in their houses”是關系代詞that引導的定語從句，修飾先行詞food。“before the start of Lent”是before引導的介詞短語；use up是固定詞組，意為“用完，耗盡”，在這里相當于eat up（吃光）。

【即時嘗試】這個男孩攢下每一分錢（coin）為了在母親節(jié)給他的媽媽買一份禮物。

譯文助讀

英國有許多奇怪的傳統(tǒng)，其中之一是煎薄餅比賽。這一比賽通常在二月最后一個星期二的薄煎餅日舉行。所有的英國人都做薄煎餅、吃薄煎餅，為的是在大齋節(jié)之前用完家中的食物。

薄煎餅通常是由面粉、雞蛋和牛奶做的。人們通常把不同的甜味材料放在薄煎餅的最上面。英國的薄煎餅又大又薄。

在典型的薄煎餅比賽中，一個隊中有四個成員。這有點兒像接力賽。在奔跑的時

候，隊員們必須拿著一個有薄煎餅的煎鍋。他們也必須在奔跑的過程中把餅翻轉(zhuǎn)幾次，并且不能把餅翻出去。第一個到達終點線的是獲勝者。但是在行進的過程中，他們也應該小心翼翼，以確保薄煎餅完好無損。

每年，最熱鬧最精彩的那場比賽一定在白金漢郡奧爾尼市。當天上午十一點五十五分，選手們從廣場出發(fā)奔跑，清一色全是當?shù)氐募彝ブ鲖D，人手一鍋，鍋里裝著一張正煎著的薄煎餅。參賽選手必須圍圍裙、戴頭巾。最先跑完375米全程，并且到教堂里把薄煎餅獻給撞鐘人，得到他的親吻祝福的人便是獲勝者。

其中最著名的薄煎餅比賽叫“康復議會薄煎餅比賽”。它通常在倫敦的議會大廈外面舉行。這一比賽是兩個隊之間的競爭——一個隊是議會成員，另一個隊是記者。他們大多數(shù)人穿著工作套裝參加比賽。比賽在新聞上播出，世界各地都有電視報道。除了一點樂趣之外，這場比賽也有很好的理由：它的目標是讓人們更加關注慈善康復中心。