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

Jean: I know.

Neil: Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?

Jean: Christmas shopping. 圣诞的大购物。在英国，每年圣诞前夕的圣诞大购物要算是英国最大的消费活动了。 Of course I haven’t done it yet. But I really want to find something a little different this year.

Neil: Yeah, I fancy shopping somewhere that’s a little alternative.

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.

Emily, Spitalfields Market

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. 欢迎收听由 BBC Learning English 为您提供的《都市掠影》节目。在这档节目中我们走访英国伦敦许多有趣的地方，为大家做深入接触的现场专访。

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: 我们会到伦敦东边的 Spitalfields Market, 因为在这里他们今年要过一个 alternative Christmas. 非传统的，另类的 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.

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.

Malcolm, Spitalfields Market

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

Jean: Veg. 这是一个英语里常用到的简短形式单词，就是 vegetables 的简短说法。而 veg 的复数形式就是 veggies.

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

Jean: Arts and crafts. 手工艺品。这两个词经常以这样一先一后的次序出现。把它说成 crafts and arts 就错了。就像我们同样常说的 fruit and veg, 而不能不它说成 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 充满魔力的。

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

Jean: Creativity. 创造力。 There’s a great energy about the place. 这里充满着一种活力。

Neil: And at festive times…

Jean: 节日期间. Festive.

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

Jean: To come to the fore. 显露出来。

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.

Emily, Spitalfields Market

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: 没有了传统的圣诞树，而设了一个 punk rock Christmas glade. Glade 就是一片林中空地的意思，而他们代替圣诞树的就是这样一片装饰成庞克摇滚风格的林间空地。

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

Jean: Christmas carols 就是圣诞颂歌。他们代替传统圣诞颂歌的是冲浪音乐。 And what about these fantastic decorations?

Neil: Well, here’s Gary from a shop called Queens, which makes very unusual decorations.

Jean: Decorations 装饰品。

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.

Gary, Spitalfields Market

Neil: They’ve got Santa on a spaceship.

Jean: 坐着太空船的圣诞老人。

Neil: He calls Santa “supersonic”.

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

Neil: Sassy.

Jean: 泼辣的。

Neil: Well, there’s loads more stuff we could look at here Jean, but we’ve run out of time again 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 [email protected]. Merry Christmas!

Jean: And a Happy New Year!