The Tarahumara

奔跑族，墨西哥“奔跑族”保存了数千年来的文化。Mexico food runners have preserved their culture for thousand of years.

In the mountains of northern Mexico live a people with ancient roots. The Tarahumara were inhabitants of Mexico long before the Spanish arrived. To avoid the Spanish, they made the mountains their home, migrating from the cool peaks during summer to the warm canyons  during winter.

Tarahumara villages are often far apart, so running is central to their culture. In fact, they call their tribe Raramuri, which translates to "foot runners." The Tarahumara run for transportation, but running also unifies their communities. Traditional races attract large crowds who bet on the results.

Participants run barefoot, or wear simple rope sandals, and kick a small wooden ball. They sometimes run for several days straight, trying to see who can cover a set distance first. Old men's races are less strenuous but no less popular. Women compete in shorter races, tossing a ball into the air with a stick or throwing a ring between curved sticks as they run.

Tarahumara runners have amazed the world with their stamina by beating marathon or ultramarathon runners without extra training. In fact, at the 1928 Olympics, two Tarahumara runners complained that  the marathon was "too short" !

But running is not the only surviving part of Tarahumara culture. Tarahumara women still wear their traditional outfits: skirts and brightly colored scarves called koyera, which are tied around their heads. Men often wear modern clothing like blue jeans, but they still sometimes wear the traditional short skirt with a wide belt and a koyera.

The Tarahumara diet consists mostly of corn, which they grow themselves. They also grow beans and zucchini for food and raise cattle which they eat on special occasions. They supplement their diet with potatoes, fruit, wild roots and deer, which they catch by chasing until the animals collapse from exhaustion.

Dancing plays a prominent role in Tarahumara society. Most families host dance parties, small and large, throughout the year. The dutuburi dance features women dancing in a curved line and men moving backward and forward in a straight line facing them. In the peyote dance, men and women follow two leaders in dancing around a fire and periodically shouting.

Tarahumara culture has withstood enormous social changes throughout history, and it must continue to do so if it is to survive in the future.

Vocabulary Tips:
unify-联合，结合，统一，使成一体。 "uni" - to be “one”.
*The chairman of the party is trying to unify all members to pass this bill.
*The workers were unified by the Union to fight for a reasonable minimum wage.
strenuous -费力的，费劲的。
*Billy is old and can't handle the strenuous farm chores.
*Hector just had a by-pass surgery, so the doctor asked him to avoid strenuous exercise.
stamina-毅力，精力，体力。
*This cross-country competition is a test of stamina.
*He doesn't have the stamina to be an athlete。
supplement -补充，增加。
*Our presentation is supplemented with video clips of our subjects.
*Dad used to supplement his income by driving a taxi.
supplement (n)-补充剂
*Vitamin supplements-
periodically-定期的，偶尔。 "period"-期间
*Stephanie periodically visits her grandparents in the country.
*Our car should be maintained periodically.
withstand -承受的住，屹立不摇。经得起。。do not change around it. "stand" -站立
*This special material can withstand all kinds of wear and tear. 经得起磨损和损耗。
*Picasso's artwork proved that it can withstand the test of time. 经得起时间的考验。
prominent- something very important, most important.


Chat Room:
In the mountains of northern Mexico live a people with ancient roots
a people- people 不可数名词，当可数时是指“民族”，“某种人，某种民族”。
people -refer to a group of people.
peoples - means difference kinds of people. 不同民族。
The people of Asia- 亚州人
The peoples of Asia-亚州不同的民族。
people person- a person like to deal with people.很爱与人接触的人。
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Most families host dance parties, small and large, throughout the year.
host (n)主人, host (v)-接待，举办，招待。
hostess-女主人。
hostess with the mostest-超级能干的女主人。
host (adj)- 很多。
a host of friends-很多的朋友。
a host of problems-很多的问题。

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