[1] [2] [3] 　

    空中美语：世界城市巡礼之 微醺都柏林(一)

Dublin is a real-life history book. “Over there is Dublin Castle. It ruled the city for seven centuries, until 1922,” a rosy-cheeked woman narrates1 as people pass the enormous2 structure. The streets are lined with dozens of old buildings, castles and cathedrals. “That’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, is buried there!”

Whether it’s in a pub or on the street, storytelling is common. It started as a way to laugh about everyday life. Soon it turned into a national pastime,3 and beautiful theaters were built as a result. “This is the Abbey Theatre. W.B. Yeats, Ireland’s greatest poet, is the founder. Samuel Beckett, author of Waiting for Godot, wrote many great plays here. They both are Nobel Literature Prize winners!” a local man explains. Dublin is also home to many playwrights.4 It hosts5 an annual international festival in October to celebrate the art of playwriting.

At the end of the day, it’s time to go back to the pub. But just as James Joyce wrote: “Pubs aren’t just places to satisfy thirst; they’re also a theatre for storytelling.” And with Dublin’s great “spirits,” it’s easy to understand how the Irish always “have a laugh.”

— by Matthew Wilson

都柏林是活生生的历史书。人们经过一栋巨大建筑时，一名脸色红润的女子说道：“那边是都柏林城堡，曾统治都柏林 7 个世纪，直到 1922 年。”街边矗立着许多古老建筑、城堡、大教堂。“那是圣派崔克大教堂。写《格列佛游记》的作家斯威夫特就葬在那里！”

无论在酒吧或街上，常看到有人在讲故事。一开始，人们用这个方式对日常生活的万象置之一笑，但它很快就发展成全国性的消遣，美丽的剧院因此建造起来。当地一名男子解释说：“这是阿贝剧院，是爱尔兰最伟大的诗人叶慈创办的。《等待果陀》的作者贝克特在这里写下许多伟大的剧本。他们俩都是诺贝尔文学奖得主！”都柏林也是许多剧作家的故乡，每年十月这里都会举办国际戏剧节，庆祝戏剧艺术。

一日将尽，该是返回酒馆的时候了。但就如乔伊斯所写的：“酒馆不只是解渴的地方，还是个讲故事的剧院。”再加上都柏林的“美酒”，不难理解爱尔兰人为何总是“笑口常开”。

Review Points:

·Dublin has many historical sites, such as Dublin Castle and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

·The Irish love to tell stories, whether on the street corner or the stage.

Oral Practice

Storytelling is one of Ireland’s pastimes. What are some pastimes in your country?

Vocabulary

1. narrate v. to tell a story 叙述

The author narrates his story to help readers understand.

2. enormous adj. very great in size 庞大的

The elephants were enormous compared to the monkeys.

3. pastime n. an activity that takes up spare time 消遣

Baseball is the national pastime of the USA.

4. playwright n. one who writes plays 剧作家

William Shakespeare is one of the most famous playwrights.

5. host v. to provide facilities and resources for an event 主办

Cities compete to host the Olympic summer and winter games.

　 [1] [2] [3]