Tartan Day 格子控不能錯過的『格紋日』 It’s time to dust off your kilt▼ and bagpipes▼ for this fun festival. 該拍掉你的蘇格蘭裙及風笛上的灰塵去參加這個有趣的節日了。
Some holidays have everything — parades, music, and dancing. But men wearing skirts? No, not skirts, but kilts featuring the tartan, or plaid▼ patterns. These patterns, important symbols of Scottish heritage▼, are where Tartan Day takes its name from. The tartan pattern is not native to Scotland but came to the highlands of Scotland sometime in the 16th century. It was soon adopted and became part of Scottish culture. Then in the 1800s, the tartan was used to tell which area of the highlands a person came from by looking at the color and pattern. Later, the tartan came to represent specific highland clans▼, or family groups. Today, tartan kilts are worn to celebrate Scottish culture on Tartan Day on April 6th. It is celebrated mainly outside of Scotland by the children of Scottish immigrants. Actually, the first Tartan Day was held in New York City in 1982. Nowadays, the holiday is marked with high-kicking highland dancing, bagpipe music, and other celebrations of all things Scottish. And of course, everyone around the world who has a little bit of Scottish in them proudly puts on their tartan and kilt. For them, it’s the best holiday of the year.
pattern n. 圖案，花樣 The frost made a beautiful pattern on my living room window. 我客廳窗戶上的霜形成了一個很漂亮的圖案。 * frost n. 霜；嚴寒天氣
symbol n. 象徵，符號 I’d like to give you this gift as a symbol of our friendship. 我想把這份象徵我們友誼的禮物送給你。
native a. 當地的，土生土長的 be native to + 地方 在某地土生土長的 Many people come to see the unique flower that is native to this part of the island. 許多人來島上看這塊地方土生土長的獨特花朵。
celebrate vt. 頌揚，讚美；慶祝 celebration n. 慶祝活動，慶祝會 These poems celebrate the beauty of life. 這些詩詞讚揚了生命的美好。 All of us got dressed up for the celebration. 我們所有人都盛裝打扮參加慶祝會。
mainly adv. 主要地；大部分地 This movie is mainly about Victor’s adventures. 這部電影主要是關於維克多的諸多歷險。
immigrant n. 移民 The reporter revealed the immigrants’ poor living conditions to the public in his article. 那位記者在他的文章裡向大眾揭露了移民的惡劣生活條件。
actually adv. 事實上，實際上 Kenny knows the story, but he has never actually read the book. 肯尼知道這個故事，但是其實他沒讀過那本書。
mark sth with sth 以……慶祝某重要事件 The couple marked their wedding anniversary with a romantic dinner. 那對夫妻以浪漫的晚餐來慶祝他們的結婚週年紀念日。
▼ tartan n. 方格花紋；格子織物 & a. 方格花紋的 ▼ kilt n. 蘇格蘭裙 ▼ bagpipe n. 蘇格蘭風笛 ▼ plaid n. 方格花紋 ▼ heritage n. 傳統；（文化）遺產 ▼ clan n. 家族，氏族
片語 dust off 的用法 本文副標 "It’s time to dust off your kilt and bagpipes for this fun festival." 中的片語 dust off… / dust…off 表『除去（某物的灰塵）；擦淨』。此外，本片語還有另一層意思，表『開始複習／重拾某事；把（長期不用的東西）準備重新使用』。例：
The students were dusting off the windows of the classroom. （學生在擦教室窗戶上的灰塵。）
Dust off your textbooks. The exam is tomorrow, Peter. （把課本拿出來開始溫習。明天就要考試了，彼得。）
