Neil: It's that time of year again, Jean.

Jean: I know.

Neil: Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?

Jean: Christmas shopping. 圣誕的大購(gòu)物。在英國(guó)，每年圣誕前夕的圣誕大購(gòu)物要算是英國(guó)最大的消費(fèi)活動(dòng)了。 Of course I haven't done it yet. But I really want to find something a little different this year.

Neil: Yeah, this year I fancy shopping somewhere that's a little alternative.

Insert

Well, there's always something quite magical about this area anyway. I think Spitalfields Market has such a long history, it's always been involved with creativity, there's a lot of artists that live in the area and there's a great energy about the place. So, particularly in festive times such as Christmas, this really comes to the fore.

Neil: Welcome to On the Town from BBC Learning English, I'm Neil. This is the programme where we visit some of the most interesting places to spend some time in London.

Jean: And I'm Jean. 歡迎收聽(tīng)由BBC Learning English為您提供的《都市掠影》節(jié)目。在這檔節(jié)目中我們走訪英國(guó)倫敦許多有趣的地方，為大家做深入接觸的現(xiàn)場(chǎng)專(zhuān)訪。

Neil: Today Jean and I are going to Spitalfields Market in the East End of London. This year they have an event called 'Alternative Christmas'.

Jean: 我們會(huì)到倫敦東邊的 Spitalfields Market, 因?yàn)樵谶@里他們今年要過(guò)一個(gè) alternative Christmas. 非傳統(tǒng)的，另類(lèi)的 alternative.

Neil: So Jean, what do you know about Spitalfields Market?

Jean: Hmmm, not much.

Neil: Well here's Malcolm, who works for the company that runs the market.

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It's about a hundred and twenty years old and it originally started as a fruit and veg market. A company called SDG had a lease and they formed this market that we see now: just a general arts and crafts and fashion market.

Neil: So, it was a fruit and veg market.

Jean: Veg. 這是一個(gè)英語(yǔ)里常用到的簡(jiǎn)短形式單詞，就是 vegetables 的簡(jiǎn)短說(shuō)法。而 veg 的復(fù)數(shù)形式就是 veggies.

Neil: But now it's a general arts and crafts and fashion market. Arts and crafts.

Jean: Arts and crafts. 手工藝品。這兩個(gè)詞經(jīng)常以這樣一先一后的次序出現(xiàn)。把它說(shuō)成 crafts and arts 就錯(cuò)了。就像我們同樣常說(shuō)的 fruit and veg，而不能不它說(shuō)成 veg and fruit. So what about this Alternative Christmas?

Neil: Earlier we heard from Emily, who owns a shop called Caravan at the market which makes decorative birds.

Jean: She says there's always something magical about the place. Magical 充滿魔力的。

Neil: Magical. And she says it's always been involved with creativity because lots of artists live in the area. Creativity.

Jean: Creativity. 創(chuàng)造力。 There's a great energy about the place. 這里充滿著一種活力。

Neil: And at festive times...

Jean: 節(jié)日期間。 Festive.

Neil: Yes, at festive times this really comes to the fore. To come to the fore.

Jean: To come to the fore. 顯露出來(lái)。

Insert

Well, there's always something quite magical about this area anyway. I think Spitalfields Market has such a long history, it's always been involved with creativity, there's a lot of artists that live in the area and there's a great energy about the place. So, particularly in festive times such as Christmas, this really comes to the fore.

Jean: So what's alternative about this year's Christmas at Spitalfields?

Neil: Well, they've taken Christmas traditions and changed them slightly.

Jean: How?

Neil: Well, for example, instead of the traditional Christmas tree they've got a punk rock Christmas glade.

Jean: 沒(méi)有了傳統(tǒng)的圣誕樹(shù)，而設(shè)了一個(gè) punk rock Christmas glade. Glade 就是一片林中空地的意思，而他們代替圣誕樹(shù)的就是這樣一片裝飾成龐克搖滾風(fēng)格的林間空地。

Neil: And instead of Christmas carols they've got surf music.

Jean: Christmas carols 就是圣誕頌歌。他們代替?zhèn)鹘y(tǒng)圣誕頌歌的是沖浪音樂(lè)。 And what about these fantastic decorations?

Neil: Here's Gary from a shop called Queens, which makes very unusual decorations.

Jean: Decorations. 裝飾品。

Insert

We try to make each year different. We've got like Santa on a spaceship, this is like supersonic Santa; and we've got like a reindeer dressed up quite sassy.

Neil: They've got Santa on a spaceship.

Jean: 坐著太空船的圣誕老人。

Neil: He calls Santa "supersonic".

Jean: Supersonic. 超音速。 And they've got reindeer who are sassy.

Neil: Sassy 潑辣的。Well, there's loads more stuff we could look at here Jean, but we've run out of time already.

Jean: Well, I've got a few ideas to make Christmas a bit different this year and I'll carry on looking.

Neil: If you want some more help with your English then go to our website.

Jean: www.bbc.co.uk/china.

Neil: Or if you have a question you'd like to ask us, send us an email at chinaelt@bbc.co.uk. Merry Christmas!

Jean: And a Happy New Year!