节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-01-12
难易度:High
关键字:ritual, sacred, symbolic, warrior, reed, endless
Welcome back.
Today we're going to keep talking about the vibrant PEOPLE GROUP of Swaziland.
Before the break, we learned about one of their stunning ceremonies, the
Incwala, or the "first fruits" ceremony.
Now we're going to start talking about a second ceremony in Swaziland, also
known as the Reed Dance.
Turn with us to line 6 and let's keep reading.
The Swazi Way of Life.
The second one, and one of the most colorful, is the Umhlanga or the "Reed
Dance." In this annual festival,
young girls mark their transition into womanhood with elegant dances as well as
thanksgiving and prayer.
While these ceremonies only take place once a year, the celebrations in
Swaziland are seemingly endless.
Throughout the year, men will perform an energetic warrior dance known as the
Sibhaca, where it's hard to miss the sound of drums, clapping and singing.
The home life and the lively celebrations of the Swazi people are part of what
makes the culture truly unique.
OK. So now we're talking about the second sacred ceremony known as the Umhlanga.
That's right.
It is also known as the "Reed Dance." So we talked about the "first fruits"
festival, now we're talking about a Reed Dance.
What's a "reed"?
Well, a "reed" is a type of grass, a very long, thin type of plant, similar to
grass.
We see the word reed as r-e-e-d.
Now that does refer to the grass that Ryan was talking about.
There are two different words as "r-e-a-d" means to like read a book.
So this is actually a plant.
Yeah. And this might not be as interesting of a ceremony if people were just
reading books.
This is actually one of the most colorful ceremonies in Swaziland.
That's right. It's a dance.
That's so exciting.
The other one was part of joining in with your king and understanding your
relationship with him.
Here we have a festival about dancing.
That's right. It's a lot of fun.
And in this annual festival, young girls mark their transition into womanhood
with elegant dances as well as thanksgiving and prayer.
OK. So when we talk about a transition, that means you go from one thing into
another.
As a girl, you transition from being a young girl to being a woman.
That's right. You could call that womanhood.
They transition from a girl to womanhood.
And they do that now every year with this dance.
It is "annual." And that means it happens every year.
That's exciting because now they can start families, they can be married.
This is an exciting part in a girl's life now into a woman's life.
And it's a dance.
And it's exciting.
It happens once a year, which means you finally reach the age and you can
participate.
Exactly. It's exciting for everyone else who goes to watch as well.
Well, while these ceremonies only take place once a year - they are annual - the
celebrations in Swaziland are seemingly endless.
Now let's talk about that, Kaylah.
OK. The two festivals we have talked about, the first fruits and the Reed Dance,
are two festivals that only happen once a year.
So you could probably miss that unless you plan going to visit this country at
the time of the ceremony.
But that doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the ceremonies.
That's right. The Swazi people don't only celebrate once or twice a year.
Their celebrations are seemingly endless.
Now something that is "endless" means it never ends or it never stops.
So they're seemingly always celebrating.
When we say something is seemingly, that means it feels like or it seems like or
maybe it just is.
That is the way it is.
So it feels like the celebrations are endless, which means they never stop.
There's always something going on in Swaziland.
That's true.
Now Kaylah, these Swazi people sound like a lot of fun.
I think I would like to participate and see some of these stunning ceremonies.
I completely agree.
I think the Swazis sound like an incredible people.
And actually, Ryan, I have a friend from Swaziland.
And she is just as vibrant as these people do sound.
And I'm sure she gets to enjoy some of these seemingly endless celebrations.
Throughout the year, men will perform an energetic warrior dance known as the
Sibhaca.
So that's another fascinating celebration you can see.
So this is not an annual thing.
It says throughout the year this happens.
They can... men will perform, only men can perform the warrior dance.
That's right.
A "warrior" is a fighter, or maybe a soldier.
And so they usually in Swaziland, they wear traditional dress like a traditional
soldier, and they do a dance known as the Sibhaca.
That's right.
Now in a lot of cultures, we do see warrior dances.
We see that all over the world, really, in any tribal or traditional-type
communities.
We see them a lot here in Asia as well.
That's true. Yeah, you can see a lot of aboriginal or traditional dances or
celebrations.
So that is where Swaziland is not so different from many other parts of the
world.
What makes this warrior dance so exciting is just how hard it is to miss the
sounds of drums, clapping and singing.
So it's not just the dance, it's singing and drumming and clapping.
It's a loud adventure.
That's right. It sounds like a lot of fun.
Now the home life and the lively celebrations of the Swazi people are part of
what makes this culture truly unique.
That's right. It is very unique.
It is individual.
It is special because of how much there is - the celebrations but also the way
they live at home.
Yeah, they... we've talked yesterday about their traditional home life, about
the way things used to be and now the way they are today.
They are a peaceful people with also some vibrant culture and heritage as well.
That's right.
I hope you've enjoyed learning about the Swazi people just as much as I have.
Join us tomorrow.
But before we go, let's see today's skit.
As I was saying, keeping tradition alive is very important to the Swazis.
Oh. That's great.
With so many people, how do they make sure the traditions are the same?
Well, the king leads the people in preserving the traditions in many different
ways.
But there are two that are the most important.
Oh. So the royal family keeps the traditions and teaches everyone else.
No. Everyone is part of keeping tradition alive in the two most important
rituals: the Incwala and the Umhlanga.
Ooh. Those sound important.
Can I see one?
No. You just missed Incwala in December.
It is the most sacred ritual.
Why?
People come to the Royal Village for weeks of dancing to celebrate the symbolic
relationship with the king.
That sounds awesome!
What about the Umhlanga?
It is also known as the "Reed Dance." It is very colorful as young ladies dance
and pray to signify them entering womanhood.
Is there one soon?
No. These ceremonies only happen once a year.
But there are endless celebrations throughout the year, so you might be able to
see one while you are here.
Awesome! I want to see a warrior dance.
Ah, yes, the Sibhaca is a wonderful warrior dance.
I love the drums and singing in it.
Oh, man! All these rituals make Swaziland a real unique culture.
Yes. Swaziland is a colorful culture.
I hope you enjoy your stay here.
Thanks! Awesome!
(Music).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And that concludes our Language Tips today.
Goodbye and take care.
Earlier this month we had an article about South Africa's Kruger National Park.
Well, our TRAVEL destination this month Swaziland is actually not too far from
Kruger.
And like South Africa, Swaziland has a few of its own national parks that are
worth a visit.
So when you go to Swaziland to enjoy the peaceful people and the colorful
culture,
don't forget to take a side trip and plop yourself down among the scenic beauty
and wild animals of Swaziland.
OK, friends, we hope the rest of your day is great.
Join Studio Classroom tomorrow when we talk about why starting a restaurant is
scary business.
Bye-bye.