Culture: Professional Witch 文化: 职业巫婆 Would you dress like this for 50,000 a year? Do you ever fancy a career change? Well if you can cast spells, fly on a broomstick and have a good cackle, then you might be interested in becoming a professional witch. And if you become the Witch of Wookey Hole you could even earn a good salary. Legend has it that the haunted caves of Wookey Hole in the south of England were home to a witch who laid a curse on the local villagers, until she was turned to stone by a monk. These days the caves are a tourist attraction which bring in thousands of visitors a year. And they have just appointed a new witch. On Tuesday, Carole Bonahan beat over 300 applicants with pointy hats, capes and hooked noses to win the 50,000-a-year (around 500,000 RMB) post as Wookey Hole’s resident witch. Carole, who will now be known by her witch’s name Carla Calamity, will give up her job as an estate agent in order to become a full-time witch. Her main duty will be welcoming visitors to the caves. Miss Calamity wears stilettos and describes herself as a “glamorous witch”. She said that her old job wasn’t perhaps as different to being a witch as you might imagine: “I am going to be a great witch. All it takes is a little bit of magic and a little pizzazz. It’s a natural progression from my old job as an estate agent. I have been using my witching skills to sell houses for a long time.” Handing over the broomstick was Jane Brenner who has been Wookey’s witch for the past six years. She said: “We didn’t want anyone who would scare the children. We wanted a good witch to meet and greet people and to act as an ambassador for the attraction. This isn’t a cushy job.” Indeed, Carla Calamity had to overcome a wide range of people from all walks of life in order to get the job. Teachers, a photographer, and even an accountant all threw their hats in the ring. So next time you feel like introducing a little magic into your life, you might want to think about a career in witching. GLOSSARY 词汇表 cast spells 用符咒镇住(某人或某物) cackle 邪恶的笑声 legend has it 传说中讲 tourist attraction 旅游景点 capes 披风,斗篷 calamity 大灾难 stilettos 细高跟鞋 pizzazz 活力 meet and greet 欢迎 all walks of life 各行各业 broomstick 扫把 earn a good salary 挣一份好的年薪 laid a curse 诅咒 appointed 被任命 hooked noses 鹰钩鼻 estate agent 房产销售员 glamorous 富有魅力的 natural progression 自然发展 a cushy job 一个容易做的工作 threw their hats in the ring (比喻)参加竞争 (责任编辑:admin) |