There are various festivals going on somewhere in the world almost every day of the year. These range from very large events which involve whole cities to local celebrations in tiny villages or neighborhoods of towns or cities. We have selected a few of the more unusual， colorful festivals from around the world.

几乎每天在世界上的某个地方都有人们在庆祝不同的节日。节日的规模大小不一，从全城庆祝的重大活动，到当地小村庄或者市镇街区较小规模的庆典活动。我们在这介绍一些与众不同的，来自世界各地丰富多彩的节庆活动。

Cockroach Races： Brisbane， Australia

蟑螂赛跑大赛：布里斯班，澳大利亚

Racing is simple... the races are held in a circular track and roaches are let go from an upturned bucket in the middle... first to the edge is a winner. Things are made a little more difficult in the steeplechase events where a circular fence （garden hose） is used to enhance the spectacle and test the roach talent.

比赛很简单……是在一个圆形轨道中进行，蟑螂从倒过来的桶状场地中点起跑，最先到达外圈的胜出。在障碍赛跑中，把表演推向高潮并考验蟑螂天赋高低的圆形围墙（橡胶软管）会让比赛变得更加困难。

Sled Dog Classic： Canberra， Australia

雪橇犬经典：堪培拉，澳大利亚

Dog sledding is one of the fastest growing sports on the east coast of Australia. As there’s no snow （the trail is earth and sand and is smooth and wide with a few hills and turns）， the sleds have wheels instead of runners， but the excitement is the same.

狗拉雪橇是澳大利亞东海岸发展最快的运动之一。虽然没有雪（运动场地只有沙土，又宽又滑，偶尔还会有斜坡和弯道），只有有轮子的雪橇，但活动的进行依然令人激动不已。

International Cherry Pit Spitting Contest： Eau Claire， USA

吐樱桃核国际比赛：欧克莱尔市，美国

A nutritious sport—is there a better way to dispose of the pit once you have eaten the cherry？ Participants eat a cherry and then spit the pit as far as possible on a blacktop surface. The pit that goes the farthest including the roll is the champ.

养生运动——吃完樱桃，有什么更好的方式吐出樱桃核呢？参赛者在马路上吃完樱桃后，将樱桃核吐得尽可能远。吐的距离（包括樱桃核滚动的距离）最远的就是胜者。

Mighty Mud Mania： Scottsdale， USA

疯狂泥浆节：斯科茨代尔，美国

Children’s dreams really do come true in the City of Scottsdale. Children aged 1 to 13， get to participate in a mud race to end all mud races. During the running of the Mighty Mud Obstacle course， several mud pits strategically placed， provide wet and really dirty obstacles as kids compete for the fastest time in each heat. There are also mud puddle pools for the tiny kids， and a mini mud course for those six and younger. There are also water slides， sandcastle buildings and fun for all ages. Moms and dads， remember to send your kids out with old clothes and shoes that lace up. And have no fear， Rural Metro Fire Department is on hand to literally hose down the muddy children.

孩子们的梦想可以在斯科茨代尔这座城市实现——那就是泥浆大赛，比赛只对1至13岁的儿童开放。在泥浆比赛中设置障碍赛区，泥坑必须巧妙地摆放好，并保持又湿又脏的状态，比的就是在这样艰难的环境下哪个孩子以最快的速度完成比赛。对于年龄较小的孩子（6岁甚至更小），他们会在另一个小型区域进行比赛。这儿还有水滑梯、沙堡建筑物等其他活动项目供不同年龄段的小伙伴玩耍。爸爸妈妈们在带孩子来比赛之前，记着给孩子们穿上旧的衣服和鞋子并用系带固定衣物。不过不必害怕，城乡消防部门会在活动结束后用水管冲干净这些浑身是泥的孩子。

World Bog Snorkeling Championships and Mountain Bike Bog Leaping： Llanwrtyd Wells， Wales

世界沼泽潜水锦标赛和山地自行车沼泽赛：拉努蒂德韦尔斯，威尔士

It’s the muckiest dip you’ve ever taken！ Swim two lengths of a bog wearing a snorkel， or jump on a mountain bike and leap the bogs over a 20-mile course. If bog snorkeling’s your game， get ready to flounder your way through 120 yards of peat bog in the quickest possible time. Your attire？ A snorkel， flippers， and swim trunks. But you can’t use any conventional swimming strokes. This battle of wills in a dirty， smelly， wet Welsh peat bog trench is not for the faint of heart！ If you’d rather be above the bog， try taking your mountain bike through 20 miles of boggy terrain. It’s your chance to show off your bike-in-a-bog maneuvering abilities！ Following your adventures， kind folks are on hand to hose you down. Goodness knows， you’ll need it！ Happy bogging！

這是你参加过的最脏的潜水！在沼泽里戴着潜水管，紧接着在20英里的沼泽场地骑上山地自行车。如果沼泽浮潜是你喜欢的运动项目，请以最快速度穿过120码的泥炭沼泽。你应该穿戴什么样的装备呢？呼吸管和脚蹼，还有游泳裤。但是你不能在比赛过程中使用任何常规的游泳姿势。在威尔士这个脏的、臭气熏天的泥炭沼泽沟进行比赛是对意志力的挑战，这种比赛不适合心脏不好的人！如果你更愿意待在沼泽地面，那么试一试骑上你的山地自行车穿过20公里的沼泽地带。这是一次展现你在泥泞中前行的机会！完成过后，善良的乡亲们会用水管帮你把身上的脏东西清洗干净。天知道，你太需要它了！祝愿在沼泽中快乐前行！

Word Study

steeplechase /'stiːpltʃeɪs/ n. 障碍赛跑

snorkel /'snɔːkl/ n. 呼吸管

flounder /'flaʊndə（r）/ v. （在水、泥等中）挣扎

She was floundering around in the deep end of the swimming pool.

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