节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-08-04
难易度:Medium
关键字:genuine, meander, browse, overwhelm, go all out
Welcome back, everybody.
Question: What makes Renaissance fairs so popular?
Well, they combine the educational experience of an historical reenactment with
the entertainment of an amusement park.
Now that's not to say historical reenactments can't be fun to watch.
But you know, it is fun if guests can throw axes and shoot arrows at stuff,
right?
OK. Let's wrap up this lesson with the final reading on line 12.
(Music).
Renaissance Fairs.
Browse through the booths and admire the artwork and handicrafts.
You are sure to be both educated and entertained.
If you're wondering how to dress to attend a Renaissance fair, that's up to you.
Some people go all out and dress up in costumes.
Others just go in their normal, everyday clothes.
However you dress, you are sure to be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds and
smells of a Renaissance fair.
And if you have ever wanted to travel back in time, here's your chance.
All right, friends.
Renaissance fairs can be interesting and they can give you a lot of interesting
history, but they can also be very entertaining.
And so we've seen as you're walking through these paths, you can have a feast
for your eyes and a feast for your ears as well as your stomach.
That's right.
You can see lots, hear lots, eat lots, well even more, there's things to buy and
to admire.
So browse through the booths and admire the artwork and handicrafts.
All right. So if you're "browsing" through something, that means you are looking
through it.
Usually if you're browsing through a store, that means you're just looking at
the things at the store and maybe not planning to buy them; but maybe you will.
Sometimes if you're in an English-speaking country and someone comes up to you
in a store and offers to help you,
you can say: No thanks. I'm just browsing.
I'm just looking around right now, but thank you for your help.
Right, exactly.
And so if you go to a Renaissance fair, then you too can browse through booths.
That's right.
Now the booths we know are those places where people set up to sell things.
You can browse the booths in a night market as well looking through the
different places to buy different kinds of things.
Right, such as artwork and handicrafts.
So these are things that people would have made themselves.
And they're probably things that people would have made in the Renaissance time
period.
That's right.
There's usually some sort of candles and ribbons and clothing and beautiful
cloths and different kinds of artwork, wood and ceramic.
There's so much to see at a Renaissance fair.
Yeah. There's so much to see.
And maybe if you want to buy as well.
Now you are sure to be both educated and entertained.
So you get two wonderful things out of one experience.
You still get the education like it started in California in the 60s being
educational history... a living history experience,
but you don't miss out because you're still very entertained by the crazy things
that people do.
I mean, yeah, it sounds like it would be entertaining to actually experience
history.
And I can think that this would be fun not only for Renaissance time periods but
other time periods as well.
That's right.
Now friends, are you tempted?
Would you like to visit a Renaissance fair?
Well, if you're wondering how to dress to attend a Renaissance fair, that's
completely up to you.
OK. So if something is up to you, that means it is your decision as to how you
want to do it.
So in this example, you can wear whatever you'd like.
That's right.
Some people go all out and dress up in costumes.
Yeah. Now if you "go all out," that means that you put all of your energy, all
of your excitement into doing something.
So these people would probably have very cool-looking costumes.
That's right.
If you look on page 17, you can see someone dressed in an all-out costume.
They put a lot of time and energy into it.
That's right.
And so this would actually be a lot of fun for people who want to go enjoy the
history of it and act like they are in history.
And they can wear all these really cool costumes.
I personally think it's kind of fun to dress up because when else in life are
you going to get to wear this kind of outfit?
It's exciting and you get to participate in the parades even if you're just
visiting if you have a costume on.
Yes. Now friends, if that sounds too exciting for you or if you think you would
be embarrassed, then you can just go in normal, everyday clothes too.
There are still other people who do that.
That's right.
Now we use this term "everyday clothes." That means something you would wear to
go anywhere.
So if you want to wear jeans and a T-shirt, or students, if you want to wear
your school uniform, I'm sure you could.
OK. So that's something you would wear every day, that's OK too.
But however you dress, you're sure to be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds
and smells of a Renaissance fair.
That's right. You will be overwhelmed.
To be "overwhelmed" means to be completely in... to be completely involved in
it, and to be taking so much in, you can't take it anymore.
Yeah, you feel extreme emotion from it.
And so it would really touch you.
Now other times you can feel completely overwhelmed, maybe someone does
something for you that just really makes you feel special.
You can be overwhelmed with emotion, with gratitude for their help.
Or if you see a beautiful sight like the ocean at sunset, you can be overwhelmed
by how beautiful it is.
Now this can also be negative sometimes.
If you can be overwhelmed by bad things, that means that it defeats you, makes
you feel very small.
But in this case, definitely this would not defeat you.
You'd feel very happy, overflow with emotion.
That's right.
You would be overwhelmed by the... sights, sounds and smells.
The food smells amazing.
So if you get to go visit, make sure you take a time to sample the food.
All right.
Now if you've ever wanted to travel back in time, friends, this is your chance.
That's right.
This is definitely a great opportunity to experience living history,
to visit somewhere that you never would get to in any other place because our
time, we can't really travel in time.
So this is a great opportunity.
Yeah. I wish we could, but this is your chance to be able to go and experience
this time period instead of just reading it in a book.
That's right.
Now friends, I hope you've enjoyed learning about Renaissance fairs.
We're going to take a minute to watch just a little bit more of a video.
Let the game begin!
(Music).
Are you not entertained?
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And I hope our Language Tips do not overwhelm you.
See you next time.
Bye-bye.
I think we're all fascinated with the idea of traveling back in time.
And now we can do it with Renaissance fairs... well, kind of.
Since the 1960s, Renaissance fairs have become very popular in the U.S. and
Canada.
And now, interestingly, these American-born fairs celebrating Old Europe have
traveled back across the Atlantic and made something of a splash in the old
country.
People love Renaissance fairs because they're educational and entertaining.
Friends, if you could travel anywhere in time, where would you go?
Think about that.
And have a great weekend.