Applause was a sign of being part of the community, and of equality between actors and audience. The important thing was to make the noise together, to add one's own small handclap to others. Clapping is social, like laughter: you don't very often
clap or laugh out loud alone. It is like laughter in another way, too: it is infectious, and spreads very quickly. Clapping at concerts and theatres is a universal habit. But some occasions on which people clap change from one country to another. For example, in Britain people clap at a wedding, but in Italy they sometimes clap at a funeral.
M3B4 Cultural Corner译文
鼓掌
我们为什么鼓掌？当然是为了表示我们喜欢某件东西。但不论一个电视节目或一本书有多好，在结束时我们都不鼓掌。我们在现场表演，如戏剧或音乐会结束时鼓掌，以表示对演出者的感谢。首先他们给予精彩的表演，然后我们给予热烈的掌声。没有我们——观众——表演就是不完整的。
鼓掌的习俗很早就开始了。在古代雅典，掌声意味着评判和参与。戏剧常常是彼此竞争的，延长的掌声可以帮助某出戏剧获胜。剧场很大——可容纳14000人，是城市成年男性人口的一半，这就意味着观众们可以制造出很多声响。 掌声是一个人成为团体一员的标志，是演员与观众平等的标志。重要的是整齐地制造声响，将一个人微弱的鼓掌声与其他人的融合起来。鼓掌具有其社会性，就像笑声：你独自一人时不会经常鼓掌或大笑。鼓掌在另一方面也很像笑声：会传染，而且传播得很快。在音乐会上和剧场里鼓掌是世界性的习惯。但是每个国家人们鼓掌的习惯在某些场合是不同的。例如，在英国人们在婚礼上鼓掌，而在意大利人们有时会在葬礼上鼓掌。
M4 B4 Cultural Corner
Rockets火箭
Today rockets are very advanced machines which we can use to send astronauts into space. 今天，火箭是我们用来将宇航员送入太空的非常先进的机
器。They are also used in firework displays to celebrate great events, such as the
end of the Olympic Games or the beginning of the new millennium in the year 2000.
它们也被用在庆祝重大事件的焰火表演中，像奥运会的闭幕式或2000年新千年的开始。
Rockets were probably invented by accident about 2,000 years ago.火箭大
概是大约两千年前被偶然发明出来的。 The Chinese had a form of gunpowder
which was put in bamboo tubes and thrown into fires to make explosions during festivals.中国人有一种装在竹管里的火药，这种火药是节日中被用来扔进火里爆
炸的。 Perhaps some of the tubes jumped out of the fire instead of exploding in it.也许一些竹管从火堆里蹿了出来，而不是在里面炸开。 The Chinese discovered that the gas escaping from the tube could lift it into the air.中国人发现从竹管里释放出来的气体可以使其飞向空中。 The idea of the rocket was born.于是关于火箭的想法诞生了。
The first military use of rockets was in 1232.火箭第一次被用于军事上是在
1232年。 The Song Dynasty was at war with the Mongols.那时宋朝正与蒙古作战。 During the battle of Kaifeng, the Song army shot \fire\在开封战役中，宋军射出了“飞火箭”。The tubes were attached to a long stick which helped keep the rocket moving in a straight direction.这些竹管被绑到一根长棍上，这根长棍可帮助火箭沿笔直的方向飞行。 Soon the Mongols learned how to make rockets themselves and it is possible that they introduced them to Europe.不久，蒙古人学会了怎样自己制造火箭，并且可能是他们将其引入欧洲的。 Between the
13th and 15th centuries there were many rocket experiments in England, France and Italy. 在
13世纪到15世纪期间，在英国、法国和意大利有很多关于火箭的
实验。They were used for military purposes. One Italian scientist even invented a rocket which could travel over the surface of water and hit an enemy ship.它们都用于军事目的。一个意大利科学家甚至发明了一种可以飞过水面打中敌舰的火箭。
But not everybody wanted to use rockets in battles. 但并不是每个人都想将火
箭用于战争。Wan Hu, a Chinese government official, invented a flying chair.一个名叫万户的中国官员发明了一种“飞椅”。 He attached two big kites to the chair, and 47 rockets to the kites.他把两个大风筝绑到椅子上，又把47个火箭绑一风筝上。 The rockets were lit, there was a huge explosion and clouds of thick smoke. 火箭被点燃了，发生了巨大的爆炸，出现了厚厚的浓烟。When the smoke cleared Wan Hu and his chair had disappeared.当烟雾消散时，万户和他的椅子已经不见。 No one knows what happened.没有人知道发生了什么。 Did Wan Hu die in the explosion? 万户被炸死了？Or was he carried miles into space, becoming the world's first astronaut?还是他被载入了数英里远的太空而成为世界上第一个宇航员了呢？
M4 B4 Cultural Corner
Rockets
Today rockets are very advanced machines which we can use to send astronauts into space. They are also used in firework displays to celebrate great events, such as the end of the Olympic Games or the beginning of the new millennium in the year 2000.
Rockets were probably invented by accident about 2,000 years ago. The Chinese had a form of gunpowder which was put in bamboo tubes and thrown into fires to make explosions during festivals. Perhaps some of the tubes jumped out of the fire instead of exploding in it. The Chinese discovered that the gas escaping from the tube could lift it into the air. The idea of the rocket was born.
The first military use of rockets was in 1232. The Song Dynasty was at war with the Mongols. During the battle of Kaifeng, the Song army shot \fire\The tubes were attached to a long stick which helped keep the rocket moving in a straight direction. Soon the Mongols learned how to make rockets themselves and it is possible that they introduced them to Europe. Between the 13th and 15th centuries there were many rocket experiments in England, France and Italy. They were used for military purposes. One Italian scientist even invented a rocket which could travel over the surface of water and hit an enemy ship.
But not everybody wanted to use rockets in battles. Wan Hu, a Chinese government official, invented a flying chair. He attached two big kites to the chair, and 47 rockets to the kites. The rockets were lit, there was a huge explosion and clouds of thick smoke. When the smoke cleared Wan Hu and his chair had disappeared. No one knows what happened. Did Wan Hu die in the explosion? Or was he carried miles into space, becoming the world's first astronaut?
M4B4 Cultural Corner译文
火箭 今天，火箭是我们用来将宇航员送入太空的非常先进的机器。它们也被用在庆祝重大事件的焰火表演中，像奥运会的闭幕式或2000年新千年的开始。
火箭大概是大约两千年前被偶然发明出来的。中国人有一种装在竹管里的火药，这种火药是节日中被用来扔进火里爆炸的。也许一些竹管从火堆里蹿了出来，而不是在里面炸开。中国人发现从竹管里释放出来的气体可以使其飞向空中。于是关于火箭的想法诞生了。
火箭第一次被用于军事上是在1232年。那时宋朝正与蒙古作战。在开封战役中，宋军射出了“飞火箭”。这些竹管被绑到一根长棍上，这根长棍可帮助火箭沿笔直的方向飞行。不久，蒙古人学会了怎样自己制造火箭，并且可能是他们将其引入欧洲的。在13世纪到15世纪期间，在英国、法国和意大利有很多关于火箭的实验。它们都用于军事目的。一个意大利科学家甚至发明了一种可以飞过水面打中敌舰的火箭。
但并不是每个人都想将火箭用于战争。一个名叫万户的中国官员发明了一种“飞椅”。他把两个大风筝绑到椅子上，又把47个火箭绑一风筝上。火箭被点燃了，发生了巨大的爆炸，出现了厚厚的浓烟。当烟雾消散时，万户和他的椅子已经不见。没有人知道发生了什么。万户被炸死了？还是他被载入了数英里远的太空而成为世界上第一个宇航员了呢？
M5B4 Cultural Corner
Postcards to Myself给自己的明信片
In 50 years of travelling Colin McCorquodale has visited every country in the world, except three.在
50年的旅行中，科林麦科克代尔已经游览过除三个国家以外的
世界各国。 And everywhere he goes, he sends himself a postcard. 无论他去哪儿，他都给自己寄一张明信片。He always chooses a postcard with a beautiful view, and sticks on an interesting stamp.他总是选一张有着美丽风景的明信片。并贴上一枚有趣的邮票。 Usually he writes just a short message to himself. His latest one, from the Malvinas islands, reads Good fishing.通常他只是给自己写一条简短的信息。他最近的一张明信片来自马尔维纳斯群岛，上面写着“钓鱼很好”。
On a wall in his home in London there is a large map of the world. 在伦敦他家里
的一面墙上有一张大的世界地图。There are hundreds of little red pins stuck in it.上面扎着数百个红色的小别针。 \good to get a pin in the map,\says Mr McCorquodale, “在地图上扎个别针很好，”麦科克代尔先生说，\
rules. I'm allowed to stick one in only if I've been in a place for more than 24 hours.\
“但我遵守规定。只有当我在一个地方待24个小时以上，我才允许自己扎一个。” Naturally, Mr McCorquodale has his favourite places.自然，麦科克代尔先生有他最喜欢的地方。 New Zealand he describes as \他用“妙极了”来形容新西兰。 In Europe, Italy is a favourite place. 在欧洲，意大利是他最喜欢的地方。\trade that all tourists are ripped off. “在旅游业有一种说法是所有的游客都被敲了竹杠。Well, at least the Italians rip you off with a smile.\不过，至少意大利人是面带微笑地敲你的竹杠。”Of China he says,\对于中国，他说：“在这世界上这是一个完全与众不同的国家。There's no European influence. It's been around for 6,000 years, yet it's a country of the future.\它没有受到欧洲的影响。它已经存在了6000年，但仍然是一个充满未来的国家。”
Wherever he goes, Mr McCorquodale takes with him a photo of his wife, a candle, a torch, a shirt with a secret pocket, and a pen for writing his postcards.不管到哪
里，麦科克代尔先生都带着妻子的一张照片、一根蜡烛、一个手电筒、一件有着一个隐秘口袋的衬衫，还有一支用来写明信片的钢笔。
So why does he do it? 那么他为什么要这样做呢？For the postcards or the travel? 是为了明信片还是为了旅行？Mr McCorquodale laughs. 麦科克代尔先生
笑了。\planning.\“为了旅行，”他说。“我喜欢旅行以及所有的计划。”
M5B4 Cultural Corner
Postcards to Myself