篝火之夜

Bonfire Night

環(huán)球漫行

“環(huán)球漫行”是根據(jù)英國大使館文化教育處所提供的專稿經(jīng)篩選后設置的閱讀專欄，專欄中的文章內容豐富，涉及同齡話題、科技發(fā)展、環(huán)球視點、文化教育、風土人情等多個主題。通過閱讀原汁原味的英語文章，我們可以不斷提升自己的閱讀素養(yǎng)，增長自己的見識。

如果你在11月5日晚上來到英國，你可能會想知道為什么你能聽到煙火燃放的聲音。英國各地都在慶祝篝火之夜，但這是關于什么的呢？我們一起了解文章中這個深受歡迎的節(jié)日的歷史吧！

Before reading

Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises.

Preparation task

Match the definitions （A～H） with the vocabulary （1～8）.

Vocabulary Definitions

1. a bonfire? ? A. a plan to do something， usually something bad or wrong

2. fireworks B. to make something explode

3. gunpowder C. a large， round wooden container

4. a plot D. coloured fire or explosions in the sky used in celebrations

5. to commit treason E. to think someone is doing bad things

6. to blow up something F. powder that explodes when lit

7. a barrel? G. a big fire people build with wood

8. to be suspicious H. to be disloyal to your government

Bonfire Night can be a hard celebration to explain. Its also sometimes called Guy Fawkes Night—but who was Guy Fawkes and whats it all about？ Well， Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Londons Houses of Parliament in 1605 because he wanted to kill King James Ⅰ. So British people celebrate that night on November 5， with bonfire parties， including huge bonfires in public parks and firework displays.

But isnt it strange to celebrate a plot to kill the king？

Well， yes， it would be. But if you know more about the history of Bonfire Night and the Gunpowder Plot， its traditions make more sense. You see， the first Bonfire Night， on November 5， 1606， wasnt exactly a celebration. It was a warning： “This is what happens if you commit treason.”

Who was Guy Fawkes？

Guy Fawkes was a soldier and he was not the only person involved in the plot to blow up Parliament. He made his plan with a group of 12 English Catholic gentlemen. The leader was Sir Robert Catesby. As a soldier， Fawkes was in charge of the gunpowder. The men rented a room underneath Parliament and filled 36 barrels with gunpowder—probably about 2，500 kilograms. Fawkes stayed to blow up the barrels and then escaped. But someone sent a letter to Lord Monteagle， a Catholic， to tell him not to go to Parliament that day. In this way， the plot was discovered， and Guy Fawkes was caught before he could carry it out.

All the members of the plot were either killed or arrested and then killed in public. Parliament ordered a national day to give thanks for the safety of the king on November 5. People had to go to church and they celebrated with a big bonfire. By the 1650s， the celebration included fireworks and later a “guy”—a man made of straw and old clothes and burned on the bonfire.

Why was there a plot？

Guy Fawkes and the other members of the plot didnt like the way Protestant James Ⅰ （and Queen Elizabeth Ⅰ before him） treated Catholics like them. At that time， Catholics couldnt have their own churches. They had to practise their religion in secret， and it was very dangerous if they were caught. The Gunpowder Plot was not the first Catholic plan to try to kill the king， but it was the biggest. Afterwards， many people were suspicious of Catholics， even as late as the 18th and 19th centuries. This was very unfair， as most Catholics were peaceful and were also shocked by the plots.

The celebrations have remained mostly the same for hundreds of years， although people nowadays dont go to church as part of the day. Most towns and villages organise public displays where you can stand by huge bonfires and watch the fireworks as you eat a toffee apple or a hot snack. Many children learn this poem about Bonfire Night at school， and they look forward to a special evening out：

Remember， remember the 5th of November，

Gunpowder， treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

So if youre ever in the UK on November 5， youll now know what all the noise is about！

Task 1

Write numbers next to the sentences to put them in order from 1～8.

A. Lord Monteagle received a warning letter.

B. People stopped going to church to celebrate Bonfire Night.

C. There were small plots to kill King JamesⅠ.

D. Parliament declared November 5 a public celebration.

E. Guy Fawkes， Robert Catesby and other men found a room under Parliament.

F. Catholics were treated badly under Queen Elizabeth Ⅰ.

G. Guy Fawkes organised the gunpowder in barrels.

H. Guy Fawkes was caught and punished.

Task 2

Decide if the following statements are true （T） or false （F）.

（? ）1. Treason was not a crime in 1605.

（? ）2. Guy Fawkes was the main organiser of the plot.

（? ）3. Guy Fawkes was the only one who died for his part in the Gunpowder Plot.

（? ）4. King JamesⅠwas not popular with Catholics.

（? ）5. There were consequences for Catholics even after the 17th century.

（? ）6. Most British people dont know the history behind Bonfire Night.

Discussion

Have you been to a celebration with bonfires and fireworks？ What does it celebrate？

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