Guy Fawkes Night

　　When November 5 th comes, many people feel thatthey should give their dog a sedative, for somedogs get very nervous when they hear loud bangs,and the evening of Guy Fawkes Day is sure to benoisy if there are children living in your neighborhoodin England.

　　November 5 th is a day on which, traditionally,children are allowed, under proper supervision, to let off fireworks, to make a bonfire and burnon it the figure of a ragged dummy ( a‘guy2 ’) made of old clothes, straw, and — if possible —one of father’s oldest hats. Even the smaller children are allowed to stay up until it is really dark,so that they can admire the rockets that burst in the sky and send down a shower of many-colored sparks.

　　The origin of this custom lies in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 . In that year King James I3 wason the throne . Harsh measures had been taken against members of the Roman Catholic faithand certain Catholics plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament4 on November 5th , whenthe King was to open Parliament and when, of course , all the Members would be present. Theplotters had hired premises adjoining the House of Lords, and had been able to obtain accessto a vault beneath the House. There, they had stored thirty-six barrels of gunpowder. Thesewere to be blown up, when the time came , by a very brave, cool-headed man, Guy Fawkes.Unfortunately, according to the traditional account, the plot was discovered when one of theplotters wrote to warn a relation. On November 4 th the vaults were searched , and Guy Fawkeswas found and arrested. It is said that he had been warned that the plot had been discovered,but he gallantly persisted in his purpose, hoping against hope 5 that he might be favored bychance and be able to rid his country of6 men whom he considered evil. He was condemned tobe hanged, along with others of his fellow conspirators. He met his death with great fortitude .

　　It is the failure of this man, who was staunch in his faith though perhaps misguided in actions,that is perpetuated by the children’s fireworks of November 5 th . It is a poor tribute toFawkes’s courage that his Christian name7, Guy, was long used in English to denote a personwho is a figure of fun chiefly because of his odd dress.

　　阅读自测

　　Ⅰ. Fill in each blank according to the article :

　　1. Children are allowed, under proper supervision, to _________( 燃放) fireworks, to make a_________( 篝火) and burn on it the figure of a _________( 衣衫褴褛的) dummy.

　　2. Certain Catholics _________( 密谋, 策划) to ( 炸毁) the Houses of Parliament on November 5th .

　　3. He was_________ ( 判刑) to be_________ ( 绞死) , along with others of his fellow_________( 阴谋者) .

　　4. He met his death with great_________ ( 刚毅, 坚忍) .

　　5. It is the failure of this man, who was ( 坚定的) in his faith though perhaps misguided inactions, that is _________( 使不朽) by the children’s fireworks of November 5 th.

　　Ⅱ. Choose the item which best explains the meaning of the underlined word :

　　1. They’ve long been plotting to kill him.

　　A. 构思情节B. 密谋C. 标出……的位置

　　2. The newly built apartment house blocks our view.

　　A. 视野B. 观点C. 视图

　　3. They condemned him for his treacherous behavior.

　　A. 判刑B. 谴责C. 迫使( 某人) 陷于不幸的境地

　　参考答案

　　Ⅰ. 1. let off / bonfire / ragged 2. plotted / blow up 3.condemned / hanged / conspirators 4. fortitude 5.staunch / perpetuated

　　Ⅱ. 1. B 2. A 3 . B

　　参考译文

　　盖伊·福克斯节之夜

　　每逢11 月5 日, 许多人就会想到: 该给狗服镇静药了。这是因为狗一听到震耳欲聋的 爆竹声, 就会紧张不安, 吓得魂飞魄散。在英国, 要是邻家住有小孩的话, 盖伊·福克斯节之夜就一定十分喧闹。

　　按照传统的习惯, 11 月5 日这天, 孩子可以在大人的监护下放烟花, 点篝火, 还可以把 一个衣衫褴褛的假人像( 盖伊像) 放在上面烧, 它是用旧衣服、稻草、以及父亲的旧帽子( 如果弄得到的话) 做成的。在那天, 甚至年龄很小的小孩也准许玩到很晚, 这样孩子就可以观 赏直冲天空的花炮和五彩缤纷的烟花了。

　　这一风俗起源于1605 年的“ 炸药事件”。那年, 詹姆士一世国王在位。当时, 他对罗马 天主教徒采取了残酷的镇压手段, 于是, 一些天主教徒密谋策划于11 月5 日这天, 趁全体 议员到会国王宣布议会开幕之时, 炸掉议会大厦。密谋者租借了与上议院相邻的屋子, 他 们还找到了通往上议院地下室的路。在那里, 他们贮藏了36 桶炸药。等时间一到, 就由一 位非常勇敢、头脑冷静的名叫盖伊· 福克斯的人将炸药点燃。据说, 不幸的是有一个密谋 者预先写信警告了他的一位亲戚, 以致事情败露。11 月4 日, 议会大厦的所有地下室都被 搜查, 盖伊· 福克斯被发现并遭逮捕。据说, 事先有人警告过他计划已经被人发觉, 但他仍 然勇敢地坚持自己的目标, 希望能侥幸成功, 把国家从他视为恶魔的那些人手中解救出来。 他和他的同谋者一起被处以绞刑。面对死亡, 他毫无惧色。

　　盖伊的失败因每年11 月5 日孩子们的烟火而被人们永远记了下来。尽管他在行动时 可能受了错误指引, 可他对自己的信念是坚定不移的。盖伊是福克斯的教名, 长期以来, 盖 伊这个词在英语中主要是指因穿着古怪而显得滑稽的人, 这对于赞颂福克斯的勇气并不合适。