Circus Vocabulary

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a balancing act - un juego de malabares / a difficult situation when you try to achieve different things at the same time. 
e.g. She had to perform a balancing/juggling act between work and family

a cage - una jaula

(to do) a cartwheel -  dar una voltereta lateral

a clown - un payaso

a custard pie - una tarta de crema pastelera / thrown in the face of a clown to make people laugh

(to do) a handstand - hacer el pino (only hands touch the ground)

(to do) a headstand - hacer el pino (head touches the ground)

a hoop - un aro

to juggle / a juggler - hacer juegos malabares / un malabarista 
e.g. She had to juggle her career with looking after her two young children.

a knife thrower - un lanzador de cuchillas

the ring - la pista

a rope ladder - una escalera de cuerda

a safety net - una red de seguridad

a somersault - una voltereta

(to walk on) stilts - caminar con zancos

a stunt - una escena peligrosa

a sword swallower - un tragador de sables

tame (adj/v) / a lion tamer - manso / domar / un domador de leones

(to walk) a *tightrope / a tightrope walker - la cuerda *floja / un funambulista
*tight - estrecho, *floja - slack (rope) / loose (clothes)

a trapeze artist - un trapecista

whip (n/v) - un látigo / dar latigazos


Should circuses with animals be banned?

Read this story: Anne the Elephant and the end of circus animals

Comments

José said…
Hi Graham,

I’m going to do my opinion about whether circuses with animals should be banned. First of all it’s necessary to point to that we have to be on this matter from a perspective of animals. When I talk about relationship between animals and human being, I'm interested in that, then, I can’t be impartial.
Everybody knows that animals have to suffer much to learn make a somersault or another stunk. The tamer whips to the lion, the tiger and the elephant. Animals in the circus are nervous, stressed and tense. In general speaking, animals are very sad.
On other hand, animals live in cages, they aren’t treated by carers well. If I were animal, I wouldn't like live like them. I would prefer live freely.
Nevertheless, if the circus didn’t exist, they wouldn't live.
My answer is that we must ban the circus with animals.

See you.
Graham said…
Hi José,

It is hard to believe that in the 21st century that the undignifying spectacle of the circus still exists.

However, I am hopeful that one day humans will treat the animal kingdom with the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, I think that this day is still a long way off.


I’m going to give my opinion about whether circuses with animals should be banned.

First of all, it’s necessary to point out that we have to deal with this matter from the perspective of animals.

When I talk about relationship between animals and human beings, it's a subject that I am interested in, and so I can’t be impartial.

Everybody knows that animals have to suffer greatly to learn how to do a somersault or any other stunt. The tamer whips the lion, the tiger and the elephant. ... In general / Generally speaking, animals are very sad.

On the other hand, (this is used for contrasting) What is more (this is used to give extra information) animals live in cages, and they are mistreated by their "carers". If I were an animal, I wouldn't like to live like them. I would prefer to live freely.

Nevertheless, if the circus didn’t exist, they wouldn't live.(I doubt you really believe that - it's what they say about the bulls)

My answer is that we must ban circuses with animals.