Spain has over 4，000km of coastline with innumerable number of harbors and beaches. Most of the beach resorts in Spain have excellent facilities for waterskiing， windsurfingwindsurfing n. 〈体〉帆板运动 and other water sports. Spain，s premier windsurfing resort is the strait of Gibraltar where the world championships are held. There are also opportunities for whitewater rafting and canoeingcanoeing n.划独木舟， 玩独木舟 in the the rapids in northern Spain.
Bullfight
Bullfightingbullfight n.斗牛(流行于西班牙和南美) is certainly one of the best known， although at the same time most polemicalpolemical adj.辩证法， 辩论术， 好辩的， 挑起争端的 Spanish popular customs. This Fiesta could not exist without the Toro Bravo， a species of bull of an archaical race that is only conserved in Spain. Formerly this bull，s forebears， the primitive urus， were spread out over wide parts of the world. Many civilizations revered to them， the bullcultus at the Greek island Creta is quite wellknown. The Bible reports on sacrificessacrifice n.牺牲， 献身， 祭品， 供奉 v.牺牲， 献出， 献祭， 供奉 of bulls in honour to the divine justice.
Also in the religious ceremonies of Iberian tribes living in Spain in prehistorical times bulls played an important part. The origins of the Plaza， bullring， probably are not the Roman amphitheatersamphitheater n.古罗马的圆形剧场， 竞技场， 似圆形剧场的场所 but the CeltIberian temples where those ceremonies were held. In the province of Soria， close to Numancia， one of them is conserved and it is supposed that there bulls were sacrificed to the Gods.
Also in the religious ceremonies of Iberian tribes living in Spain in prehistorical times bulls played an important part. The origins of the Plaza， bullring， probably are not the Roman amphitheaters but the CeltIberian temples where those ceremonies were held.
While the religious cultus to the bull goes back to Iberians， it were the Greek and Roman influences that converted it into a spectacle. During the middleages it was a diversiondiversion n.转移， 转换， 牵制， 解闷， 娱乐 for the aristocracyaristocracy n.贵族， 贵族政府， 贵族统治 to torear on horse，s back. In 18th century this tradition was more or less abandoned and the poorer population invented the bullfight by foot. Francisco Romero was a keyfigure in laying the rules for that new sport.
What a Corrida Is About
If you are not familiar to Corridas， you will find here listed chronologically everything that happens. So you may decide by yourself if you want to see one when you are visiting Spain. A Corrida starts with the paseillo， with everybody involved in the bullfight entering the ring and presenting themselves to the public.
Two Alguacilillos， on horse，s back， direct themselves to the presidencypresidency n.任期 and symbolically ask for the keys to the “puerta de los toriles”. Behind that door there are the bulls. With the door being opened and the first bull entering the ring the spectacle starts. It consists of three parts， called tercios， being separated by hornsignals. There are three toreros in each Corrida， by the way， and each will have to torear two bulls. In the first tercio the bullfighter uses the capotecapote n.有帽子的斗篷， 车篷， a quite large rag of purplepurple adj.紫色的 n.紫色 and yellow color. Now enter two picadores， on horse，s back and armed with a sort of lance. The second part is la suerte de banderillasbanderilla n.斗牛用的带有倒钩的短标枪. Three banderilleros have to stick a pair of banderillas into the attacking bull，s back. In the final “suerte suprema” the bullfighter uses the muletamuleta n.（西）斗牛士用的红布， a small red rag. He has to show his faenafaena ［西］(斗牛的)连续劈刺(斗牛士在击杀牛前炫示技能的劈刺动作)， his masterity to dominate the bull， and to establish an artistical symbiosissymbiosis n.［生］共生(现象)， 合作(或互利，互依)关系 between man and beast. The Corrida ends with the torero killing the bull by his sword.
