Think about Scotland and many will picture
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to picture:
imaginar
men in kilts. Never is this more the case than during the Highland Games. From May through September, clubs and clans compete in a series of sporting challenges across Scotland. Some games are more well-known than others, ranging
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ranging:
desde
from the tug o’ war
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SPEAK UP EXPLAINS
También conocida como "tug of war" o "tug-of-war", se trata de la milenaria competición de estirar (to tug) la soga. El término es algo grandilocuente para un juego que se usaba para entrenar soldados al menos desde los tiempos del Antiguo Egipto, y que se ha popularizado en todo tipo de culturas. De hecho, el juego de la soga fue deporte olímpico entre los años 1900 y 1920.
and hammer throw, to the shot put
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shot put:
lanzamiento de peso
and the most famous of all: tossing
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to toss:
lanzar
the caber
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caber:
tronco (escocés)
, where contestants
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contestants:
participantes
must throw a heavy log
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log:
tronco
of Scottish pine to land
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to land:
aterrizar
as upright
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upright:
derecho
as possible and tip over
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to tip over:
volcar
to the other side.
MEDIEVAL ORIGINS
The games date back to medieval times. Clans competed as preparation for battle. Clan chiefs were able
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to be able:
ser capaz
to assess
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to assess:
evaluar, examinar
participants to select bodyguards, fighters and messengers, as well as entertainers to keep them amused
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to amuse:
entretener
in their free time. They used everyday items that were easily found, such as stones and logs, and these are still used a millennium later!
BLAIR CASTLE
Clans still exist today, preserving tradition but without any political power. They compete in the games proudly wearing their tartan colours. Over one hundred games are held during the season, starting with the Atholl Gathering at Blair Castle in Perthshire. The Atholl Highlanders are Europe’s last remaining private army, acting as personal bodyguard to the Duke of Atholl, chief of the Clan Murray. They begin the games with the March On, an impressive parade of pipes
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pipes:
instrumentos de viento
and drums.
BRAEMAR GATHERING
The most famous event is the Braemar Gathering
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gathering:
reunión, fiesta
in Aberdeenshire. Patronised
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to patronise:
patrocinar
by royalty since Queen Victoria’s first visit in 1848, last year’s event was attended
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to attend:
asistir, acudir
by the then-Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Anne. The Braemar Highland Society’s aims
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to aim:
tener como objetivo
include the preservation of the kilt and the language and the culture of the Highlands. It does so successfully, as the gathering — which takes place on the first Saturday of September — attracts some ten thousand visitors every year.
PROUD SCOTSMEN
While contestants must be members of the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association, which is the official governing body
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governing body:
organismo directivo
, anyone is welcome to go and watch. The games are an unforgettable experience, a true celebration of Highland culture and tradition, with craft stalls
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craft stalls:
puestos de artesanía
, bagpipe
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bagpipe:
gaita
music, local delicacies, whisky, dancing and, of course, big men in kilts throwing heavy objects!