爱尔兰沙滩赛马

For just a few hours every year， a stretch of sand on the Irish coast transforms for perhaps the most unique event on the horse racing calendar.

Laytown Races—26 miles from the countrys capital Dublin—is the only official beach race in Europe.

The 150-year-old tradition attracts more than 5000 regular visitors every year and， apart from the obvious difference， its like any other race meeting.

It will be run under the same rules as the Gold Cup or Cheltenham， Joseph Collins， Chairman of Laytown Races， told CNN.

Organizers are in a race against time to set up the spectacle， battling against the tide to build the track and enclosures on the sand.

Spectators then pack into a makeshift “grandstand”， made up of steps cut into an elevated sand dune， to enjoy the historic event.

The first recorded meeting was in 1868 and was initially in conjunction with the Boyne Regatta. Its thought that the rowing competition was held at high-tide and the racing at low-tide.

每年都有那么幾个小时，爱尔兰海岸的沙滩都会因为一场独特的赛马比赛而变得截然不同。

莱敦沙滩赛马赛距离爱尔兰首都都柏林26英里，是欧洲唯一的官方沙滩赛马。

这个有着150年历史的传统赛马项目每年都能吸引来5000多名游客，除了场地有点独特，它和其他的赛马没什么区别。

莱敦赛马节主席约瑟夫·柯林斯告诉CNN：“它的规则和金杯或切尔滕纳姆赛马节的规则完全相同。”

组织者们正抓紧时间建造场地，不顾潮水带来的阻碍，在沙滩上修建跑道和围栏。

人工搭建的一级级台阶引向高高的沙丘，最终会形成一个临时搭建的“正面看台”，到时候观众会在那里欣赏这历史性的时刻。

首次有记载的沙滩赛马赛是在1868年，它最初与博因赛艇会一起举行。人们推测赛艇比赛在涨潮时举行，而赛马在退潮时举行。

Word Study

stretch /stret?/ n. 一片;一泓;一段

spectacle /'spekt?kl/ n. 盛大的活动;盛大的演出

makeshift /'me?k??ft/ adj. 临时替代的

conjunction /k?n'd???k?n/ n.（引起某种结果的事物的）结合，同时发生

in conjunction with与……一起

The police are working in conjunction with tax officers on the investigation.