These frolicking freshers look like there's nowhere else they'd lather be.

frolick: frolic的变形。嬉戏的；欢乐的

lather：涂以肥皂泡

In a bizarre ancient tradition, hundreds of first years had a massive foam fight at Scotland's St Andrews University yesterday.

bizarre：奇异的（指态度，容貌，款式等）

The event was part of the annual Raisin Monday celebration, which is believed to date back to when the university was founded in 1413.

Raisin Monday：11月23日，英国苏格兰圣安德鲁大学欢庆传统节日“葡萄干星期一”(Raisin Monday)。该节日要追溯到大学创立初年，新生要向学长们献上1磅重的葡萄干(现在贡品已改为一瓶酒)，以此来感谢前辈的帮助。

First years paraded into St Salvator's Quadrangle, known as 'The Quad', in fancy dress, before the 30-minute foam battle kicked off.

kick off：中线开球；开始干某事

Students were left covered head-to-toe and the foam was so thick it was used to style hair during the skirmish.

skirmish：小冲突；小规模战斗；小争论

Raisin Monday weekend is designed to help new students integrate more easily into university life.

It comes from the time when freshers were 'adopted' by senior students and even now each first year student is invited to join a 'family' of senior students.

They are encouraged to drink as much as possible and carry out various forfeits.

forfeit：罚金；没收物；丧失的东西

The tradition dates back to the early days of the university, where Prince William was once a student.

New students would give senior students - known as 'guardians' - a pound of raisins in gratitude for their help in adapting to university life, in exchange for a receipt written in Latin.

Failure to produce such a receipt could result in a dousing in the local fountain.

douse：浸泡

fountain：喷泉；泉水；源泉

Nowadays, the raisins have been replaced with a bottle of wine and the dousing with foam.

In a break with tradition, the new students sometimes present a gift to older students in exchange for the receipt.

Guardians have been known to present large items such as canoes, brass beds and once a bath tub as receipts in return.

bath tub：大澡盆

回顾：【读报笔记】系列>>

点击查看口译备考专题，阅读更多相关文章！