考博英语外刊阅读：When folklore is dying out

When folklore is dying out

by Victoria Ward

Folklore has long been passed down from one generation to the next, enchanting(使着迷) children whilst also binding families and communities together.

folklore /  n. 民间传说

pass down 传给下一代

generation / n. 一代人

whilst  =while

bind /v. 使团结

community / n. 社区

But the National Trust has warned that advances in technology and social media is causing traditional mythology(神话) to die out as it is no longer relevant to modern lives. It said that in a world dominated by smartphones and the internet, superstitions(迷信) that were once believed to save the lives of miners and tales of magical blacksmiths(铁匠) were no longer of interest to children who have never ridden a horse or put coal on the fire.

National Trust (英国)信托基金(是一个从事环境和文化遗产保护的组织)

advance /  n. 进步

cause / v. 造成、导致

die out 消亡、灭绝

relevant / adj. 紧密相关的

dominate /  v. 支配、主宰

smartphone / n. 智能手机(由smart和phone组成)

miner /  n. 矿工

tale /te l/ n. 传奇故事、传说

magical / adj. 有魔力的(由magic加后缀-al变成形容词)

of interest 让人感兴趣的

coal /n. 煤炭

Jessica Monaghan, the National Trust's Head of Experiences and Programming, called on the public to share its knowledge of folklore from different regions of the UK to keep it alive. "These tales and traditions tell us so much about our ancestors and their relationship with the world around them and help us appreciate the layers of history and symbolism(象征意义) in the places we live now," she said.

call on 呼吁、号召

the public 广大民众

alive /adj. 活着的、继续存在的

tradition / n. 传统

ancestor / n. 祖先

relationship / n. 关系

appreciate /v. 赏识、重视

layer /  n. 一层

Ms Monagahan said some tales were unique to particular parts of the country, reflecting local character, whilst others showed how much the nation shares in common. Many come from the same basic human needs, such as shelter, food, companionship and adventure.

unique /adj. 独特的

reflect / v. 反映、显示

character /  n. 特点、特色

nation / n.

shelter / n. 遮蔽、庇护

companionship /n. 陪伴

"Through these tales – whether they're about white harts(鹿), mirrors, water spirits or magpies(喜鹊) – we can explore and celebrate not only what makes communities around the UK unique, but also the threads that tie us together and have done for generations," she added.

spirit / n. 灵魂、鬼魂

explore /  v. 探究、探讨

celebrate / v. 歌颂

thread /n. 线

Dee Dee Chainey, author of the National Trust's A Treasury of British Folklore, said: "In the Doctrine of Signatures of the 16th century, the walnut(核桃) was seen to cure diseases of the brain, purely because it resembles it. Few people today would believe this as we now have advanced medical knowledge and scientific methods through which to evaluate the success of medical treatments."

treasury / n. 宝库

Doctrine of Signatures 是一本讲述“以形补形”的书

cure / v. 治疗、治愈

purely / adv. 仅仅

resemble /v. 跟…很像

medical / adj. 医学的、医疗的

evaluate / v. 评估

treatment / n. 治疗(由treat加后缀-ment变成名词)

"It's interesting though, that new folklore is being created all the time." She said internet memes were a type of folklore, passed through online communities in the same way that old superstitions and tales were passed on by word of mouth in the past. "This new lore reflects modern needs," she added. "The things we dream about, and the fears that haunt us in the darkest nights today."

meme / n. 指互联网上风行一时的图片、视频、新玩法等

by word of mouth 口头地

lore /n. (口头流传的)知识

haunt /v. (不好的事情)萦绕于脑际

Ms Chainey insisted there was "still hope" with folklore seeing a resurgence(复苏) as many attempt to unearth old tales, efforts she said were common in times of turmoil and unrest, when people look to the past for stability and comfort.

unearth / v. 发掘、挖出

turmoil / n. 动荡

unrest /  n. 不安定(由rest加上表示否定的前缀un-)

stability / n. 稳定

"Many of the old fairy tales are now being rewritten and retold in new ways: with new heroes, heroines, and new lessons that are relevant to the modern day," she said. "And that's what folklore is about: taking the old wisdom and traditions, and redefining them for who we are, and the lives we now have."

fairy /  tale 童话故事

rewrite /  v. 重写(由write加上表示再次的前缀re-)

retell / v. 重新讲述(由tell加上表示再次的前缀re-)

heroine /  n. 女英雄

wisdom /  n. 智慧

redefine /  v. 重新定义(由define加上表示再次的前缀re-)

英文原文节选自The Telegraph