CHAPTER 4 OXFORD A few years ago, I had a girlfriend called Lisa who was studying at Oxford University.

Hace unos aos, yo tena una novia llamada Lisa que estaba estudiando en la Universidad de Oxford. I say "had" because she isn't my girfriend any more. Yo digo "tena" porque ella no es mi novia ms. I won't explain the reasons for the end of our romance here. Yo no explicar las razones del fin de nuestro romance aqu. After all, this is a book about Britain and not about ex-girlfriends! Despus de todo, ste es un libro sobre Bretaa y no sobre las ex-novias! One of the positive things that came from my relationship with Lisa was the opportunity to visit Oxford. Uno de las cosas positivas que vinieron de mi relacin con Lisa era la oportunidad de visitar Oxford. I had wanted to go to Oxford for a long time, because it's one of the most historically interesting towns in Britain. Yo haba querido ir durante mucho tiempo a Oxford, porque es una de las ciudades ms interesantes histricamente de Bretaa. Oxford University is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. La Universidad de Oxford es una de las ms viejas y de las universidades ms prestigiosas del mundo. Twenty-five British prime ministers have been educated there as well as many other famous people like the poet and writer, Oscar Wilde, and Bill Clinton, the former president of the United States. Veinticinco primeros ministros britnicos han estado all educados as como muchas otras personas famosas como el poeta y escritor, Oscar Wilde, y Bill Clinton, el presidente anterior de los Estados Unidos. The university is also known for preserving traditions that are centuries old. La universidad tambin es conocida por conservar tradiciones que son de siglos atrs. Unfortunately, I was immediately disappointed when I arrived in Oxford. Desgraciadamente, yo fui defraudado inmediatamente cuando yo llegu a Oxford. I got off my bus and found myself in the middle of the town's shopping district. Yo baj de mi autobs y me encontr en el medio del distrito de tiendas de la ciudad. There were modern shops, Burger Kings and Pizza Huts everywhere. Haba tiendas modernas, Reyes de las hamburguesas y Chozas de la Pizza por todas partes. When Lisa arrived to meet me, she was my disappointment. Cuando Lisa lleg para encontrrseme, ella era mi desilusin. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Que hay de malo?" ella pregunt. "This isn't what I expected," I replied. "Esto no es lo que yo esper," yo contest. "I expected a town that's full of history, not pizzerias" "Yo esper un pueblo que est lleno de historia, no pizzeras" Lisa laughed. Lisa se ri. "There is a lot of history here," she said. "Hay mucha historia aqu," ella dijo. "You just have to look for it." "Usted apenas lo ha buscado." The next day Lisa had classes all day, so I went for a walk to find the "real" Oxford. El prximo da Lisa tena clases todo el da, de modo que yo di un paseo para encontrar el "real" Oxford. It didn't take long. No tard mucho tiempo. I soon found all the different colleges that form Oxford Unviersity. Yo encontr pronto todas las universidades diferentes que forman Oxford Unviersity. I walked past buildings that were centuries old, all with beautiful gardens. Yo camin ms all de edificios que eran siglos viejo, todos con jardines bonitos. I walked through the gardens in Magdalen College, down to the river. Yo atraves los jardines en *Colegio de estudios superiores* de Magdalen, abajo al ro. Magdalen (pronounced "Maudlin") has a very beautiful bell-tower, next to a medieval bridge.

Magdalen (pronunciado "Llorn") tiene una campanilla-torre muy bonita, al lado de un puente medieval. By 1.00 pm, I was hungry and decided to have some fish and chips, a typically British meal. A travs de 1.00 pm, yo tuve hambre y decid tener algn pez y astillas, una comida tpicamente britnica. I walked back towards the town centre to find a traditional pub that served fish and chips, but it wasn't easy. Yo camin atrs hacia el centro del pueblo para encontrar una taberna tradicional que sirvi peces y astillas, pero no era fcil. The centre of the town was full of restaurants and cafeterias that offered everything except what I was looking for. El centro del pueblo estaba lleno de restaurantes y cafeteras que ofrecieron todo excepto lo para el que yo estaba buscando. I continued walking until I reached a working-class neighborhood that had a few traditional-looking pubs. Yo continu caminando hasta que yo alcanzara un vecindario de clase trabajadora que tenan unas tabernas tradicionalpareciendo. I stopped outside one of them and looked at the menu. Yo detuve fuera uno de ellos y mir el men. They had fish and chips! Success! Ellos tenan peces y astillas! xito! I was completely unprepared for the reception that I received when I walked into the pub. Yo estaba completamente desprevenido de la recepcin que recib cuando yo camin hacia la taberna. Everyone stopped talking and looked at me in silence. Todos dejaron de hablar y me miraban en silencio. The barman took my order and walked away. El mozo de taberna tom mi orden y se alej. He didn't ever say hello. l nunca no dijo hola. I was confused by everyone's cold attitude. Yo estaba desconcertado por la actitud fra de todos. Normally, British people are friendly in pubs. Normalmente, las personas britnicas son amistosas en tabernas. I tried to begin a conversation when the barman brought me my food. Yo intent empezar una conversacin cuando el mozo de taberna me trajo mi comida. "Thanks," I said. "Las gracias," yo dije. "This is a nice pub. "sta es una taberna buena.(agradable...) It's my first time in Oxford and I wanted to eat somewhere that wasn't a pizzeria!" Es mi primer tiempo en Oxford y yo quise comer eso en alguna parte no era un pizzera!" The barman looked surprised. El mozo de taberna pareca sorprendido. "You mean you're not a student?" "Usted quiere decir que un estudiante no es?" "No, I'm just visiting," I replied. "No, yo simplemente estoy visitando," yo contest. The barman finally smiled. El mozo de taberna sonri finalmente. "Sorry, mate," he said. "Perdoneme, compaero," l dijo. "We thought that you were a student from the university." "Nosotros pensamos que usted era un estudiante de la universidad." "I don't understand," I said. "Yo no entiendo," yo dije. "Townspeople and university students haven't got on well with each other for more than 600 years," the barman explained.

"La gente de la ciudad y estudiantes de la universidad tienen no se llevan bien entre s desde hace ms de 600 aos," el mozo de taberna explic. He told me that the problem began with the Scholastica Massacre in 1355. l me dijo que el problema empez con la Matanza Escolstica en 1355. "A fight began between two drunken students and a tavern owner," he said. "Una lucha empez entre dos estudiantes ebrios y un dueo de la taberna," l dijo. "Most of the townspeople and students soon joined in the fight and hundreds of people were killed. "La mayora de los habitantes del pueblo y estudiantes pronto se unieron a la lucha y cientos de las personas fueron matados. Since then, relations between the townspeople and the students haven't been very good." Desde entonces, las relaciones entre los townspeople y los estudiantes no han sido muy buenas." * * * * * * * * * * On my way back to Lisa's flat. I passed a sign marking the place where the original tavern of the massacre had been to think any more about the Scholastica Massacre. En mi direccin atrs al piso de Lisa. Yo pas una seal que marca el lugar donde la taberna original de la matanza haba sido pensar ms sobre la Matanza de Scholastica. But when I got to Lisa's flat, I didn't have much time to think any more about the Scholastica Massacre. Pero cuando yo llegu al piso de Lisa, yo no tena mucho tiempo para pensar ms sobre la Matanza de Scholastica. We had to get ready for one of Oxford's more pleasant traditions, the May Ball and May Morning. Nosotros tenamos que prepararnos para uno de las tradiciones ms agradables de Oxford, la Pelota del mayo y Maana del mayo. This medieval tradition celebrates the arrival of spring. Esta tradicin medieval celebra la llegada de primavera. The May Balls are very elegant dances where the men wear dinner suits, called `"black tie", and the women wear formal dresses. Las Pelotas del mayo son bailes muy elegantes donde los hombres llevan que la cena satisface, llam ` "el tie" negro, y las mujeres llevan vestidos formales. I really enjoyed the Ball. Yo realmente disfrut la Pelota. There was plenty of good food and champagne and I spent most of the night dancing with lots of different people. Haba la comida buena suficiente y champn y yo gastado la mayora del bailar nocturno con muchas personas diferentes.)sentiende( By 4.00 am, I was tired. A las 4 am, yo estaba cansado. I went and found Lisa, who was talking to some of her friends. Yo fui y encontr Lisa que estaba hablando con algunos de sus amigos. "I'm a little tired," I said. "Yo estoy un poco cansado," yo dije. "How do you feel? "Cmo se siente usted? Do you want to go home soon?" Quiere usted ir pronto a casa?" "I'm quite tired too," she answered. "Yo tambin estoy bastante cansado," ella contest. "But we've got to stay until the Ball ends. "Pero nosotros tenemos que quedarnos hasta los fines de la Pelota. We have to see the sunrise." Nosotros tenemos que ver la salida del sol." "Why?" "Por qu?" "Because it's tradition, silly," she replied. "Porque es tradicin, tonto," ella contest. Just before sunrise, the Ball ended and everyone walked together to Magdalen Bridge. Simplemente antes de la salida del sol, la Pelota acab y todos caminamos juntos al Puente de Magdalen.

A large crowd of people was already there. Una muchedumbre grande de las personas ya estaba all. At 6.00 am, a boys' choir appeared at the top of the college tower and began to sing madrigals to the people standing on the bridge. A las 6.00 es, el coro de unos muchachos apareca a la cima de la torre de la universidad y empez a cantarles madrigales a las personas que estn de pie en el puente. It was one of those moments that you never forget for the rest of your life. Era uno de esos momentos de los que usted nunca se olvida para el resto de su vida. The beautiful singing of the choir complemented the beautiful sunrise that we saw. La bonita cancin del coro complementaron la salida del sol bonita que nosotros vimos. It was magical. Era mgico. The sun, big and red, was rising on the horizon and illuminating the sky with a wide variety of colours - yellow, orange, red, blue, violet. El sol, grande y rojo, estaba subiendo en el horizonte y estaba iluminando el cielo con una variedad ancha de colores amarillo, la naranja, rojo, azula, violeta. Suddenly, a couple of people from the Ball jumped from the bridge into the river. De repente, un par de personas desde la Pelota se metida del puente en el ro. "Are they mad?" I asked. "Estn ellos locos?" Yo pregunt. "They're jumping into the river in their expensive clothes!" "Ellos estn metindose en el ro en su ropa cara!" "No, they're not mad," Lisa answered. "No, ellos no estn locos," Lisa contest. "That's the tradition. "sa es la tradicin. Come on!" Venga!" She smiled at me and jumped into the river. Ella me sonri y salt al rio. I didn't hesitate and jumped in after her. Yo no dud y me met despus de ella. Within minutes, most of the people who had been on the bridge were in the river. En unos minutos, la mayora de las personas que haban estado en el puente estaban en el ro. Everyone was laughing, screaming and singing. Todos estbamos rindonos, estbamos gritando y estbamos cantando. "Do you want a drink?" "Quiere usted una bebida?" I heard someone next to me say. Yo o a alguien cerca de mi dicindomelo. I turned round in the water and saw a young man in a dinner suit offering me a bottle of champagne. Yo me volv alrededor en el agua y vi a un hombre joven en un traje de la cena que me ofrece una botella de champn. "You didn't jump off the bridge with that bottle, did you?"I asked. "Usted no salt fuera del puente con esa botella, lo hizo?"Yo pregunt. "You must be crazy, champagne's very expensive!" "Usted debe estar loco, champn muy caro!" Of course I did," he replied. Por supuesto yo hice," l contest. "It only happens once a year. "Slo pasa una vez un ao. Do you want a drink? Quiere usted una bebida? I laughed and took the bottle. Yo me re y tom la botella.

Then I saw that there were a lot of people in the river with bottles of champagne in their hands! Entonces yo vi eso haba muchas personas en el ro con botellas de champn en sus manos! British people never stop surprising me. Las personas britnicas nunca dejan de sorprenderme. Afterwards, everyone changed into dry clothes and went into the city centre. Luego, todos cambiamos en ropa seca y entramos en el centro de la ciudad. All the restaurants and pubs are given special permission to open early on that day. Se dan todos los restaurantes y tabernas el permiso especial para abrir temprano en ese da. There were many acrobats performing in the street and Oxford was one big carnival. Haba muchos acrbatas que actuaban en la calle y Oxford era un carnaval grande. I finally went to sleep at 1.00 pm! Yo fui a dormir a 1.00 pm finalmente! Lisa and I separated soon after my visit to Oxford. Lisa y yo separamos mi visita a Oxford para poco despus. However, the best memories of my relationship with her are the ones that I have from my visit to this lovely old town. Sin embargo, los recuerdos ms buenos de mi relacin con ella son los ones que yo tengo de mi visita a este pueblo viejo encantador.