swan-upping
noun /ˈswɒn ʌpɪŋ/
/ˈswɑːn ʌpɪŋ/
[uncountable]- a ceremony that takes place every summer on the Thames, in which groups of people in boats mark swans (= large white water birds with long necks) to show who owns them. Most swans in Britain belong to the queen, but in the 15th century a few groups of swans on the Thames were given to two of the City of London's livery companies. The young birds descended from these groups are marked each year to distinguish them from the royal swans.
天鹅上升：每年夏天在泰晤士河上举行的仪式，其中一群人在船上标记天鹅，以表明谁拥有它们。英国的大多数天鹅都属于女王，但在15世纪，泰晤士河上的几只天鹅被分给了伦敦金融城的两家涂装公司。每年都会对来自这些群体的幼鸽进行标记，以区别于皇家天鹅。