「橘」國歡慶國王節!(上) Koningsdag: King’s Day in the Netherlands

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想像你正沿著阿姆斯特丹著名的運河獨自漫步。但你感受到的不是平常的平靜氛圍，而是一場大型派對正在進行。

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Dress in orange for the birthday party of the year!

        Imagine you’re taking a stroll along one of Amsterdam’s famous canals . But instead of the usual calm atmosphere, there’s a huge party going on. Also, everyone around you is wearing orange from head to toe. Welcome to Koningsdag , one of the most important national holidays in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

        When this holiday first began in 1885, it was called Prinsessedag to celebrate the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina. After she became queen, it turned into Koninginnedag, or Queen’s Day. After King Willem- Alexander took control of the throne in 2013, the day became Koningsdag, or King’s Day, which was first celebrated in 2014.

        Koningsdag takes place on April 27, which is King Willem-Alexander’s birthday. His country’s people celebrate it by dressing themselves, and even their pets, in orange. That is the traditional color of the Dutch royal family, who are officially called the House of Orange-Nassau. On Koningsdag, people from all over the country flock to Amsterdam to party with other Dutch people. They dance in the streets, ride boats in the canals, and sell their used items at vrijmarkten (outdoor flea markets). After the sun goes down, public squares in the city host live concerts late into the night.

 

        1.     dress in...　　穿上……
        =      dress oneself in...
                dress... in...　　給……穿上……
Ted prefers to dress in dark colors.
泰德喜歡穿深色的衣服。
Mia likes to dress her son in blue clothing.

米亞喜歡給她兒子穿藍色衣服。

★     2.     atmosphere [ ˋætməs͵fɪr ] n. 氣氛；大氣層
This is a good office with a cheerful atmosphere.
這是間不錯的辦公室，有著令人愉快的氣氛。

        3.     from head to toe　　從頭到腳，全身上下
Jack was covered in paint from head to toe.
傑克全身上下都沾滿了油漆。

        4.     turn into...　　演變∕轉變成……
Carrie turned into a better person after she became a mother.
凱莉成為媽媽後，變成了一個更好的人。

        5.     take control of...　　取得對……的控制
The terrorists took control of the whole city.
恐怖分子控制了整座城市。

        6.     officially [ əˋfɪʃəlɪ ] adv. 正式地；官方地
The couple officially announced their engagement.
這對情侶正式宣布訂婚。

★     7.     flock to + 地方　　聚集到某地
Thousands of people flocked to the rock concert.
數千人齊聚參加這場搖滾演唱會。

★     8.     a flea market　　跳蚤市場
Max likes searching for hidden treasures among all the junk at flea markets.
麥克斯喜歡從跳蚤市場一堆沒用的舊物中挖寶。

請依文意選出最適當的一個選項

1.     What is Koningsdag based on the passage?
(A)   A princess’ birthday.
(B)   A queen’s birthday.
(C)   A prince’s birthday.
(D)   A king’s birthday.

2.     Which of the following is true about Koningsdag?
(A)   It was celebrated before Koninginnedag.
(B)   People wear orange clothes on that day.
(C)   Only the royal family celebrates it.
(D)   It is a global holiday.

 

答案:  1. D　2. B

        ►    take a stroll　　散步
                stroll [ strol ] n. 散步，閒晃
        ►    canal [ kəˋnæl ] n. 運河
        ►    throne [ θron ] n. 王位，王座
        ►    party with sb　　與某人開派對同樂

　　想像你正沿著阿姆斯特丹著名的運河獨自漫步。但你感受到的不是平常的平靜氛圍，而是一場大型派對正在進行。而且，你周圍的所有人從頭到腳都身穿橘色衣物。歡迎蒞臨荷蘭國王節 ―― 荷蘭王國最重要的國定假日之一。

　　當這個節日首次於 1885 年開始時，它被稱作「公主節」以慶祝威廉明娜公主的生日。在她當上女王後，該節日就變成「女王節」。在威廉—亞歷山大於 2013 年登基後，這天就變成「國王節」，並在 2014 年首次慶祝。

　　國王節於四月二十七日舉行，這天是威廉—亞歷山大國王的生日。他國家的人民藉由身穿橘色衣物來慶祝，甚至連人們的寵物也會穿橘色。那是荷蘭皇家（正式名稱為奧蘭治—拿騷王朝）的傳統色。在國王節當天，舉國人民會聚集在阿姆斯特丹和其他荷蘭人一同狂歡。他們在街上跳舞、乘船遊運河，以及在戶外跳蚤市場販售自己用過的物品。在太陽下山後，城市的公共廣場會舉辦現場音樂會直到深夜。

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