时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2014年(十月)


英语课

 


Family Keeps Jousting 1 for Four Generations


CROWNSVILLE, MARYLAND— 


One of the most familiar images of medieval Europe is a pair of knights 2, thundering toward each other on massive steeds, wicked-looking lances pointed 3 at their opponent. Jousting is considered the oldest equestrian 4 sport in the world. It was a widely popular sport in medieval times, and today, more than 700 years later, it is still practiced by people all over the United States.


Some go all in for period costume from the age of chivalry 5, especially at popular Renaissance 6 Festivals, but many others enjoy it as a family sport in a more recreational way. Rather than trying to unseat an opponent, modern competitors use their lance to spear a small ring that dangles 7 from an archway. It is called ring jousting.  


Family tradition


The Enfield family in the eastern U.S. state of Maryland has kept the tradition of ring jousting alive for generations.


At a recent Jousting competition in Crownsville, Maryland, Bob Enfield was defending his state championship title, which  he's held three times. Last year he also won the National Champion title.  But Enfield does not think he can match the wins his father made before retiring from the sport at age 75.


“Dad was an excellent rider in his day," Enfield said proudly. "He won four national championships and eight state championships.”


Leon was the one who started the Enfield jousting tradition in 1947 at his family’s dairy farm. He became the first state champion a decade later.


“At one point in time, about eight years ago, there were 11 of my family riding, competing. It was four generations,” Leon recalled.


His granddaughter, Marley, started jousting when she was only two and a half.


“It is easy to learn, but it takes a lot of time to practice and to stay good at it," she explained. "I just wanted to carry our family tradition.”    


State sport


Ring jousting became the official sport of Maryland in 1962. 


Viki Betts, president of the state's Jousting Tournament Association, says horsemanship and precision are the keys to success, adding that the feeling of camaraderie 8 is just as important to the sport.


"We get together almost every weekend from May till October.  But we really compete against ourselves," she said. "I have to [spear] more rings than the next person to win.”


At the final state contest of the year, 60 jousters of all ages competed in five classes, from Novice 9 to Championship, where Bob Enfield had to defend his title. He also competed in the Professional Class with his 19-year-old son Bradley.


”He has pretty much taught me everything I know about the sport.  So it is fun to go out there and ride against him and see if I can beat him,” Bradley said.


Four contestants 10, including both Enfields, tied in the first round of the Professional Class, in which jousters had to spear a ring two-and-a-half centimeters in diameter. In the second run, with the ring size reduced by half, Bradley won first place and his father took second.


“I am really tickled 11 that we finished that way," Bob said. "The fact he beat me, that means a lot to me. That means I trained him well.”


Bob also lost his state champion title.  But he says he is happy, as the sport keeps going in the family, and he looks forward to competing again with his son next year.



(骑士)骑马用长矛比武( joust的现在分词 )
  • The players happily jousting inside the castle walls didn't see the moat outside widening. 玩家在城墙上幸福地战斗的时候,没有注意到护城河已经开始扩张了。
骑士; (中古时代的)武士( knight的名词复数 ); 骑士; 爵士; (国际象棋中)马
  • stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
  • He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。
adj.尖的,直截了当的
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
adj.骑马的;n.马术
  • They all showed extraordinary equestrian skills.他们的骑术都很高超。
  • I want to book two equestrian tickets.我想订两张马术比赛的票。
n.骑士气概,侠义;(男人)对女人彬彬有礼,献殷勤
  • The Middle Ages were also the great age of chivalry.中世纪也是骑士制度盛行的时代。
  • He looked up at them with great chivalry.他非常有礼貌地抬头瞧她们。
n.复活,复兴,文艺复兴
  • The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
  • The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。
悬吊着( dangle的第三人称单数 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
  • A kite dangles from a telephone wire. 一只风筝悬挂在电话线上晃来晃去。
  • Her hand, which dangles over the side, sparkles cold with jewels. 她一只手耷拉在一边,闪耀着珠宝的寒光。
n.同志之爱,友情
  • The camaraderie among fellow employees made the tedious work just bearable.同事之间的情谊使枯燥乏味的工作变得还能忍受。
  • Some bosses are formal and have occasional interactions,while others prefer continual camaraderie.有些老板很刻板,偶尔才和下属互动一下;有些则喜欢和下属打成一片。
adj.新手的,生手的
  • As a novice writer,this is something I'm interested in.作为初涉写作的人,我对此很感兴趣。
  • She realized that she was a novice.她知道自己初出茅庐。
n.竞争者,参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )
  • The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
  • Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》
(使)发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)愉快,逗乐
  • We were tickled pink to see our friends on television. 在电视中看到我们的一些朋友,我们高兴极了。
  • I tickled the baby's feet and made her laugh. 我胳肢孩子的脚,使她发笑。
学英语单词
acoustic microwave devices
air-mass thunderstorm
alien registration
Aphragmus
Arabian capital
arbomycin
archaize
backrer
Bayfield, Mt.
begin doing
cappo status
Castleroe
categories of countryside taxes
cathine
central gelatinous substance
ceratobranchial bone
cholestane-diol
cold air pipe
Coldan
combinatorial inequality
conscripting
constraint-based generalization
Coon Rapids
corel ventura
corporisation
creep repture test
crystal wavemeter
departiculated
describeless
desmoceratid
direct positive reaction
direction bias sampling method
diversionist
double end standstill
dourada
Dutchman's pipe
dynamic pressure transducer
ebosia bleekeri
educational games
end-around carry shift
exploitabilities
first passage
fist products
flooey
force rate
galofaro
gertel
gold number
hxdrated sodium sulphide
imbraces
inflation rate
Itaporanga
Jennings L.
kalson
Kopachevo
linen roughs
liquid phase sintering
McCainiacs
microdispersions
Microsoft certification
mobility of capital
multi lingual
multipath reflection
nonisochronicity
nonpapal
object lens
objuring
osteogenetic cell
paleoclimatic evidence
palletized cargo
period closing date
peritectic equilibrium diagram
Putranjiva
raising with salvage pontoons
rocker type die
second-price auction
secondary
secretarius
Seleucias
sematech
sequestre
Sečovlje
Shepherd's fracture
Socratic
spacer tube
spindle tree
step-kiln
stereo microscopes
steuer
termitidaes
the RAF
Thomistic
tumoured
two-stroke marine diesel engine
unhealthiest
unsaturated fatty acids
vesicorectal
vident
voltamperometer
way end pressure
with my might and main
ywets