Just as in the Middle Ages, flocks of sheep and herds of cows made their way through Madrid city center last Sunday, marking the centuries-old annual tradition of transhumance, in which cattle migrate from summer to winter pastures.
Thousands of bleating sheep that had left the mountains of the north or the hot plains of the south, found their way through the city streets no differently than they would a rural hamlet.
“Transhumance is still practiced by herds coming down from the north heading towards the fields of Castile,” cattle farmer Vanesa Sanchez said as she accompanied her cows.
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透
Sunday’s festival is “a reminder that Madrid was and still is on a transhumance pathway,” she said as shepherds whistled around her, directing their livestock down Madrid’s historic avenues.
“These ones come from Colmenar Viejo, about 20km north of Madrid,” explained farmer Geronimo Garcia, pointing to a few beasts as they left the Puerta del Sol, the capital city’s most famous square.
Another herd came all the way from La Rioja, hundreds of kilometers away, ”using only the old transhumance routes,” Garcia said.
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透
Several of these routes still exist in Spain, criss-crossing the country over more than 120,000km, though few of them still serve their traditional purpose.
Every year for centuries, three to five million sheep transited through these transhumance trails, often paying tolls to cross towns and mountain passages.
In memory of these ancient levies, a shepherd last Sunday paid a Madrid official 160 maravedies, a medieval currency.
A group of shepherds whistling after three dogs opened the parade that attracted crowds of locals and tourists.
To organizers from the association of Transhumance and Nature, the goal of the day is to help preserve the ancient routes and pass on a tradition to the younger generation.
(AFP)
上週日上演羊群與牛群穿越馬德里市中心，以慶祝自古流傳至今畜牧群季節性移動，牛隻從夏季放牧地遷移到冬季放牧地的傳統，場面好比置身中世紀。
上千頭已離開北方山脈或是南部炎熱平原的咩咩叫綿羊，與行經鄉下村落沒兩樣，就這麼大剌剌地在城市街道踩街。
養牛農夫凡妮莎‧桑切斯在其牛隻伴隨下表示：「將畜牧群從北方高原趕往卡斯提爾牧場的畜牧群季節性移動，仍流傳至今。」
就在幾位牧羊人在桑切斯周圍吹著口哨，引領各自家畜前往馬德里歷史上著名的街道時，她表示，週日的慶典目的是要「保留馬德里曾經且至今仍舊是個畜牧季節性移動中繼站的傳統，不被遺忘。」
正當動物們離開該首都最著名的廣場太陽門時，農夫傑洛尼姆‧賈西亞指著一些體格壯碩的動物解釋道：「這些是從離馬德里北方二十公里的科梅納爾比艾霍來的。」
賈西亞表示，另外一批牧群，則是從數百公里遠的拉里奧哈來的，牠們「只走古代畜牧群季節性移動的行進路線。」
許多西班牙境內縱橫交錯超過十二萬公里的遊牧路線，至今猶存，但僅少數仍延續其原始傳統的用途。
自古以來年復一年，三百萬至五百萬頭羊穿過這些畜牧群季節性移動的路線，並且經常支付跨城與跨山路的通行費。
為回溯這項古代通行費的傳統，一位牧羊人上週日付給馬德里官員一百六十馬拉維迪幣，這是一種在中世紀使用的貨幣。
一群在三隻狗兒後吹著口哨的牧羊人，為這場吸引大批當地民眾與觀光客的游牧家畜街頭大遊行，揭開序幕。
對於策劃該活動的畜牧群季節移動與自然協會而言，該日活動的宗旨是要幫助保存古老游牧路線，以及將傳統傳承給年輕世代。
（法新社／翻譯：林亞蒂）
Historians are rethinking the way the Holocaust is being presented in museums as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the last Nazi concentration camps this month. Shocking images of the mass killings of Jews were “used massively at the end of World War II to show the violence of the Nazis,” historian Tal Bruttmann, a specialist on the Holocaust, told AFP. But in doing so “we kind of lost sight of the fact that is not normal to show” such graphic scenes of mass murder, of people being humiliated and dehumanized, he said. Up to this
When people listen to music today, they typically use streaming services like YouTube or Spotify. However, traditional formats like vinyl records have regained popularity in recent times. Vinyl records are circular discs that store music in grooves on their surfaces and are played on a turntable. As the turntable’s needle runs along these grooves, it picks up vibrations and translates them into sound. The history of vinyl records dates back to the late 1800s, but material and technological challenges delayed mass production until the 1950s. Despite early versions having short playtimes and poor sound quality, vinyl records introduced a new era
A: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, known as “BJJ,” has become more and more popular. Even Hollywood stars like Halle Berry and Tom Hardy are obsessed with it. B: Some Asian stars, such as Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng and South Korean actor Lee Joon-gi, have also practiced this martial art. A: BJJ is not just a martial art, but also a combat sport. B: I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’m worried about getting injured. A: Diana Wang, a US doctor of physical therapy, is holding a BJJ seminar at PMA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Taipei Friday night. Let’s go check out how we
Dos & Don’ts — 想想看，這句話英語該怎麼說？ 1. 能做的事都做了。 ˇ All that could be done has been done. χ All that could be done have been done. 註︰all 指事情或抽象概念時當作單數。例如： All is well that ends well. （結果好就是好。） All is over with him. （他已經沒希望了。） That’s all for today. （今天到此為止。） all 指人時應當作複數。例如： All of us are interested in his proposal. All of us are doing our best. 2. 我們這麼做有益於我們的健康。 ˇ What we are doing is good for our health. χ What we are doing are good for our health. 註︰以關係代名詞 what 引導的作為主詞的子句，動詞用單數。如： What he said is true. 3. 大家都沿著步道跑。 ˇ Everybody runs along the trail. χ Everybody run along the trail. 註︰everyone 是指一大群人，但在文法上一般用單數。 4. 桌上有一本筆記本和兩支筆。 ˇ There were two
RSS