今天的这段对话，在讨论圣乔治，

圣乔治节有什么特殊的意义？聊一聊关于圣乔治的事迹

来听今天的讲解:

A: Hi. You've chosen a good day for visiting England.

你好！你可挑了个好日子来英国。

B: Oh. Why is that?

噢，为什么这么说？

A: Today is St. George's Day.

今天是圣乔治节。

B: I've never heard of that.  What's special about it?

我以来没听说过这个节日。有什么特殊的意义吗？

A: Well, for a start, it's England's National Day. And St. George is our patron saint.

哦，首先这是英国的国庆节。其次，圣乔治还是我们的守护神。

B: What's a patron saint?

什么是守护神？

A: A patron saint is a real or mythical character who in times of national trouble comes to the rescue of that country

守护神就是一个真实的或神话中的人物，他在国家危难时刻挺身而出拯救国家。

B:Tell me something about St. George. He must have been a famous Englishman, right?

给我说说圣乔治吧。他一定是个英国名人，对吗？

A: Wrong. Actually he was a Roman soldier in about the 2nd or 3rd century AD. George held the rank of tribune in the Roman army and was beheaded by Diocletian at Nicomedia on 23 April, 303, for protesting against the Emperor's persecution of Christians. George rapidly became venerated throughout Christendom as an example of bravery in defence of the poor and the defenceless and of the Christian faith.

你说错了。实际上，乔治是大约公元2世纪或公元3世纪的一个罗马士兵。他是罗马军队的护民官，因为抗议罗马皇帝戴克里先对基督教徒的迫害’，于公元303年4月23日在尼克米迪哑被斩首。很快，乔治就受到J1．大基督徒的崇敬，成了勇敢者的代表，以捍卫穷人和无防御能力者的利益，维护基督教信仰。

B: But what has a Roman soldier to do with England?

可是一个罗马士兵和英格兰有什么关系？

A: You remember what I told you about a patron saint?

你还记得我跟你讲过的守护神吧？

B: Erm, yes.

哦，记得。

A: Well, during the crusades a vision of St.  George was seen just before an important battle and the result was that this helped our knights to win.

那是在十字军东征时，就在一场重要的战斗之前，有人看见了圣乔治，接下来战斗的结果是我们的骑士打了胜仗。

B: I see. Can you tell me anything else about him?

我明白了。你能再说点他别的事情吗？

A: The most famous story about him involves a dragon which was threatening a city of Libya, called Selena. The people had to give the monster a human victim every day to satisfy its hunger, and lots were drawn to determine the victim. On one occasion the lot fell to the king's little daughter. Then St. George chanced to ride by. and when the dragon appeared, St.  George, making the sign of the cross, bravely attacked it and killed it with his lance. Then he rode away.

他最有名的故事与一条威胁着利比驱塞雷那城的恶龙有关。那里的人们必须每天都把人当祭品送给这个怪物充饥，他们通过抽签决定牺牲者。有一次，国王的小女儿被抽中了。圣乔治正好骑马路过那里，当恶龙出现时，他手划十字，勇敢地向恶龙发起进攻，用长矛杀死了宅。然后他就骑马走了。

B: So how do you celebrate this day?

所以你们如何庆祝这一天呢？

A:Well, actually we don't. For most English people St.  George's Day is just another ordinary day.

唉，说实话我们没有什么庆祝活动。对大多数英国人来说，圣乔治节只是另一个普通的日子而已。

B: That's a pity. You should be proud of him and do something special on this day.

太遗憾了。你们应该为他感到骄傲，在这一天举行点特别的活动。

A: You are right. Perhaps we will someday.

你说得对。也许以后我们会这么做的。