《中英對照讀新聞》Goat crowned King of Ireland at ancient fair 山羊在古老的節慶中被立為愛爾蘭國王

◎ 魏國金

A goat named Louis was crowned King of Ireland in one of the country's oldest festivals.

一頭名叫路易斯的山羊，在愛爾蘭歷史最悠久的節慶之一當中，獲加冕為該國國王。

Each year a wild male mountain goat is caught in the foothills of Carrauntoohill, Ireland's highest mountain, and paraded through the country town of Killorglin as part of the Puck Fair - an annual festival of music, drinking and dancing.

每年人們會從愛爾蘭最高山卡朗陀峰的山丘上，捕捉一頭野生的公山羊，讓牠在基洛格林這個鄉間小鎮遊街，這也是帕克節的活動之一。帕克節是結合音樂、飲酒與跳舞的年度慶典。

The goat then reigns for three days from a platform 15 metres above the town's streets.

然後這頭山羊從一個高於該鎮街道的15公尺平台上，君臨天下3天。

No one knows for sure the origins of the fair, which is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors this year, and has long been held on August 10-12.

沒有人確知帕克節的起源，一直以來它皆於8月10至12日舉行，預料今年將吸引逾10萬遊客。

Jean Kearney, a spokeswoman for the festival, said there were many inventive legends about how it began but no written record of the first event. "It has been suggested that it is linked to pre-Christian celebrations of a fruitful harvest and that the male goat or 'Puck' was a pagan symbol of fertility, like the pagan god Pan."

該節慶發言人珍．基妮女士說，關於其如何開始，存在許多獨創的傳說，但就是沒有首度盛會的文字紀錄。「它可能與基督教之前的豐收慶典有關，而公羊或『帕克』是異教徒的繁殖力象徵，就像異教神祇牧羊神。」

Another theory suggests the festival began in honour of a goat who warned Killorglin residents of an impending attack by English leader Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century.

另一論點指出，該節慶始於紀念一頭17世紀的公羊，牠警告基洛格林居民，英國領袖奧立佛．克倫威爾行將展開攻擊。

新聞辭典

crown：動詞指為…加冕、立…為王；也可指為…加頂，例句︰Snow crowned the mountains.雪覆蓋山頂。

reign：可用為動詞與名詞，指統治、支配、盛行。Silence reigned everywhere. 到處一片寂靜。reign of terror 恐怖統治。

pagan：可為名詞與形容詞，指異教徒（的），無宗教信仰者（的）。

Pan： 大寫為希臘的牧羊神，小寫為平底鍋。

in honour of ： 紀念、向…表達敬意，They gave a dinner in honour of the foreign guest.他們以晚宴款待外賓。