The information about “Circus”

“Circus” （马戏团）is a word with a long interesting history. It is a Latin word that means “ring” or “circle”. One of the most famous places in ancient Rome （古罗马）was the Circus Maximus. It was a kind of round stadium(体育馆) with rows of seats all around the inside of it. Roman people gathered there to watch races, games and violent(激烈的) bloody fights. 
     The modern circus developed in the nineteenth century. It was a traveling show of animals and people working under a large tent(帐篷), later known as the “Big Top”. 
     Traveling circuses were popular in the United States and Britain before 1830. A circus moved from town to town, putting on shows with trained animals, acrobats（杂技演员） doing difficult tricks（诡计） and funny colorful clowns.（小丑） Circuses still travel from place to place and they still have trained animal acts, acrobats and clowns. 
     Today's circuses usually have three rings. Something different takes place in each of the three rings at the same time. The heads of people watching a circus turn back and forth as they try to see every exciting act in each ring. 
 

 The circus has been popular for so long that it is not surprising that words and expressions connected with it are part of everyday speech. For example, the word “circus” is used to describe any noisy place with a lot of activities going on. A teacher may use it when he or she walks into a room where the students are playing and talking instead of studying. He or she might say, “This place is a circus. Calm down and get your work done.” And if the room is really noisy, he or she may say, “it is a three-ring circus.”
Clowns are a very special part of the circus. They look funny with their big red noses, painted faces and clothes that are much too large for them. Everyone at a circus loves to watch the clowns do tricks on each other. Clowns have a real purpose, to make people laugh. They always succeed.