英语听力教程第三版（张民伦主编）Unit 7 A Kaleidoscope of Culture听力原文

Part IV More about the topic:

Bullfighting

Spain has become internationally known for its bullfighting, a tradition that spawns debate in many parts of the world and within Spain itself. Fans of bullfighting claim that it is a culturally important tradition, while animal rights activists argue that it is a blood sport due to the suffering of bulls involved. Audioscript：

Bullfighting is seen as a symbol of Spanish culture.It traces its roots to prehistoric worshiping and sacrificing of bulls.

A carpenter's assistant from the town of Ronda, Spain, Francisco Romero invented the \the matador's body. Legend has it Romero rescued a young nobleman by using his flat-brimmed Andalusian hat to lure away an irate bull. Thus was born the modern bullfight. He was the founding father of a bullfighting dynasty, fundamental for bullfighting history. He was apparently the inventor of several characteristics that started to be used in a key period for bullfighting when the modern on foot system was defined, as the use of the cape and sword to kill the bull face to face.

The bullfight, known in Spain as the \official spectacle sport in 1133. at the coronation of King Alfonso VIII, and steadily gained in popularity through the years of the Reconquest of Moorish Spain.

A typical Spanish bullfight requires six bulls and three matadors, and is divided into three parts. If the matador has done exceptionally well, the audience will give a standing ovation and throw hats and roses into the arena. The matador will also receive one or two severed ears and the tail of the bull, depending on the quality of his performance. Bullfighting has always been controversial in Spain. Supporters of bullfighting regard it as a deeply ingrained, integral part of their national culture, but it is criticized by animal rights activists as a pointless and cruel blood sport.

In fact, bullfighting is not just a Spanish tradition; Portugal, Latin America and a few cities in southern France also have a history of bullfighting. Audioscript：

Over 1000 people have demonstrated in Madrid to go for an end to bullfighting in Spain. Though small, the protest comes amid renewed

debate in the country about bullfighting, which many see as inhumane but others consider an integral part of Spanish culture. Carrying banners reading \disparaging bullfighters, the coalition of animal rights activists and ecologists gathered in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square. The Madrid regional government's decision to officially declare the sport part of Spain's cultural heritage has intensified opposition： Male protestor (voice of translator):

\these crimes, and people say this torture is culture. For me it is savage, more appropriate to other centuries.\

The centuries-old spectacle, whose ritual includes implanting barbed sticks into the bull before a matador kills it with a sword, draws thousands to the country's bullrings and, matadors receive celebrity media coverage. Many Spaniards reject accusations of cruelty: Madrid resident (in Spanish)

This Madrid resident insists those who want to watch bullfighting should be allowed to continue doing so, as it is part of the nation's culture.

But support for bullfighting varies across the country, with parliament in the autonomous Catalan region recently debating a possible ban, and a vote there on the issue is expected soon. In Spain's Canary Islands, the sport is already outlawed.

Part V Do you know ...?

A name is a word or term used for identification. So a name can be given to a person, a place or a thing. But do names have meanings? Many people tend to be unaware of the specific meaning of a name unless it happens to be their own name. Many names originally had meanings, but you can't assume that that meaning was intended in any given case. Audioscript：

An American town called Boring has voted in favour of pairing with a village by the name of Dull in Scotland.

This means the two of them will participate in joint activities, such as the promotion of tourism and cultural exchange. Boring decided in favour of the move after being approached by the residents of Dull. But what's in a name? Is Boring really tiresome and is Dull tedious? Are these places in themselves humdrum and insipid or is it just their names which suggest they are drab?