小故事

Another attraction here is a legendary monster: the Loch Ness Monster. Is it real or imaginary, this monster, which has been nicknamed Nessie, has collected a good 3000 sightings over the last 50 years? To fuel the debate about the monster, and perhaps also curiosity about the lake, a price of 500,000 pounds sterling has been put on Nessie's head.
这里游人如织的另一个原因则是尼斯湖怪兽。过去半个世纪，3000多人号称目睹了这头昵称“尼西”的怪兽，到底是真是假呢？如今它头上有五十万英镑的悬赏，使得学术界的争论日益激烈，或许也会令游人对这个湖泊更加好奇吧。
The true flag of Scotland, tartan, is recognisable from the brightly coloured plaid patterns which are used to distinguish the various clans. Over the last few decades this fabric has made a comeback and is part of the daily life of this country.
苏格兰格子呢是苏格兰真正的旗帜。色彩鲜艳的花格子图案过去是区分不同宗族的标志。最近几十年里，格子呢在英国再度流行，如今已成为日常生活中的一部分。
The typical Scottish garment, the kilt, is de rigeur when the Scots play the Great Highland bagpipes, especially when they march in parades.
按照礼节规范，演奏高地风笛——尤其是巡游的时候，人们必须穿着苏格兰传统褶裙。
Bagpipes and dancing open the competitions of local sporting events, which are called Highland Gatherings. The games, which have strange rules, involve a spirit that has more to do with brute force than with athletics.
高地风笛与舞蹈揭开了当地运动盛会——“高地集会”的序幕。运动会的比赛项目规则奇特，与其说是体育竞技，不如说是大力士的较量。

重点讲解

重点讲解：
1. be part of
组成部分；成员；
eg. She felt herself to be part of a large business empire.
她觉得自己成了一个庞大的商业帝国中的一分子。
eg. Crying is part of our natural expressiveness.
哭泣是自然情感的一种表现。
2. de rigeur
按照时尚所要求的；
eg. T-shirts now seem almost de rigueur in the West End.
T恤衫现在几乎成了伦敦西区时尚人士的必备之物。
eg. Avoiding being seen together is de rigeur among top execs, crisis or not.
无论是否在金融危机期间，避免同时露面是企业高管需要遵守的社交礼节。