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A Splash of Color in Spring: Canada’s Tulip Festival 春色无边的郁金香节

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

繁體中文譯本

Tulips announce the coming of spring like no other flower. Within vivid shades of yellow, red, pink, purple, and orange, tulips are a feast for eye weary of the dull, grey skies of winter.

郁金香宣告春天来临的方式比其他花都来的特别。郁金香有鲜艳的黄、红、粉红、紫及橙的颜色，为已经看腻了冬季沉闷灰暗天空的眼睛，提供了一场丰富的视觉飨宴。

The history of the tulip is as colorful as the flower itself. First introduced to the Western world in the 1500s from Turkey, these unique flowers caused an immediate sensation in the Netherlands. Trading in tulip bulbs was a big business, and some tulip bulbs were worth more than gold itself. The flower was so highly regarded that it became the national symbol of the Netherlands. Now, the tulip is popular the world over, but surprisingly, it is not in the Netherlands but in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, that you’ll find the world’s largest tulip festival.

郁金香的历史和花朵本身一样多采多姿。公元1500年代首次从土耳其引进西方国家时，这种独特的花卉马上在荷兰造成轰动。当时买卖郁金香球茎是桩很大的生意，有些郁金香球茎甚至比黄金还值钱。郁金香因受到很高的评价而成为荷兰的国家象征物。如今，郁金香在全世界都受到欢迎，但令人惊讶的是，你会发现世界上最大的郁金香庆典不是在荷兰，而是在加拿大的首都渥太华。

During World War II, the Dutch Royal Family was forced to live in exile in Ottawa. After the war, Princess Juliana gave 100,000 tulip bulbs to the people of Canada in gratitude for their friendship and help in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi rule. The bulbs were planted, and soon after, dazzling pictures of the blooming tulips were published in newspapers across the country. The tulips became a major tourist attraction that grew rapidly over the following years, and in 1953, the Ottawa Board of Trade formally organized the first Canadian Tulip Festival.

第二次世界大战期间，荷兰的皇室流亡到渥太华。战后，荷兰茱莉安娜公主送加拿大人十万颗郁金香球茎，以感谢他们的友谊及帮助荷兰从纳粹统治中解放出来。他们种下这些球茎，不久后，郁金香盛开的亮丽图片刊登在全加拿大的报纸。接下来几年，郁金香很快就跃升为主要的观光胜景。1953年，渥太华贸易局正式举办了第一届的加拿大郁金香节。

Hundreds of thousands of tulip enthusiasts around the world attend the Canadian Tulip Festival annually. Now in its fifty-third year, Canada’s most colorful event has become the world’s largest tulip festival. A tradition that grew from a Dutch gift of friendship, the Canadian Tulip Festival has become an important symbol of international harmony and the beauty of spring.

每年有成千上万来自世界各地的郁金香同好来参加加拿大郁金香节。这个加拿大最缤纷的盛事今年正逢第五十三周年，已经成为全世界最大的郁金香庆典。加拿大郁金香节最初是一个来自荷兰表示友谊之礼的传统，如今已成为国际和谐与春天之美的重要象征。

Vocabulary

weary [ˋwɪrɪ] adj. 厌倦的，厌烦的[F][（+of/with）]

sensation [sɛnˋseʃən] n. 轰动

exile [ˋɛksaɪl] n. 流放；流亡

gratitude [ˋgrætə͵tjud] n. 感激之情，感恩

liberate [ˋlɪbə͵ret] v. 解放，使获自由

dazzling [`dæzꨅɪŋ] adj. 给人印象深刻的; 特别吸引人的

enthusiast [ɪnˋθjuzɪ͵æst] n. 热衷者﹐热心的人

harmony [ˋhɑrmənɪ] n. 和谐

More Information

shade [ʃed] n.（色彩的）浓淡，色度

dull [dʌl] adj. 乏味的，单调的

bulb [bʌlb] n. 球茎

highly regarded 受到重视

Reading Questions

1. According to the article, which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A. When introduced from Turkey, tulips didn’t make a favorable impression on people in the Netherlands.

B. Trading in tulip bulbs was so worthwhile that the flower became the national symbol of Canada.

C. The Canadian Tulip Festival originated in a tradition growing from a Dutch gift of friendship.

D. Today’s biggest tulip festival in the world started in the Netherlands.

2. How long has the Canadian Tulip Festival been celebrated?

A. For about half of century.

B. Since the end of World War II.

C. Since the sixteenth century.

D. For about one hundred years.

3. What can be inferred from the article?

A. Had it not been for princess Juliana, Canada would not have so many tulips.

B. Canadians find it profitable to trade in tulip bulbs with Dutch people.

C. The climate of Canada is more suitable for growing tulips

D. Canadians like tulips better than Dutch people.

課文中英文講解

Right now, throughout the Ottawa region, tulips are erupting from their flowerbeds in a blaze of color and beauty. To celebrate, this year’s Canadian Tulip Festival is being held from May 5 to 23. All around the region, millions of tulips can be seen. However, Ottawa’s Commissioners Park, with over 300,000 tulips___1___, may be the best place to witness this overwhelming display of color.

此刻，整个渥太华地区的郁金香正争奇斗艳地在花圃中绽放。今年的加拿大郁金香节，从五月五号至二十三号，正展开一系列的庆祝活动。整个地区可以看到上百万朵的郁金香。然而，在渥太华的委员公园展示着超过三十万朵的郁金香，可能是观赏这场五彩缤纷色彩飨宴的最佳的去处。

The festival opens every year ___2___ a swirl of ballroom gowns, dancing, and fine food and wine at the Tulip Ball. The festivities also feature ___3___to see who can create the most beautiful gowns and hairstyles that incorporate flowers into their unique designs. ___4___, to celebrate Ottawa’s 150^th anniversary this year, 150 one-and-a-half-meter fiberglass tulips, each designed and decorated by a local artist, will grace the front of City Hall. Outdoor markets also provide handmade and local goods ___5___tulip themes. Plus, you can even sample dished ___6___ with edible tulips!

这个花节每年都是以绚丽的礼服、精彩的舞蹈及佳肴美酒在郁金香舞会厅揭开序幕。庆祝活动也以一项竞赛为号召，要选出将花卉融入个人的独特设计，创造出最美的礼服及发型的人。此外，为了庆祝渥太华建城一百五十周年，一百五十株一点五公尺高、玻璃纤维制、每一株都由一位当地艺术家设计与装饰而成的郁金香，将把市政厅前面装饰得花团锦簇。露天市集也提供以郁金香为主题的手工制品及当地艺品。此外，你甚至可以品尝到以可食用的郁金香所做成的菜肴。

On the last Saturday of the festival, beautifully decorated boats join the flotilla on Rideau Canal. They float down the canal to the lake alongside Commissioners Park. As night falls, the boats light up, and the lake ___7___ as the Parade of Lights begins. The evening concludes with a spectacular fireworks display. The colors exploding high in the night sky will only ___7___ to the wonderful and colorful magic of the Canadian Tulip Festival.

在花节的最后一个星期六，装饰精美的船只会加入里多运河上的游行船队，它们会顺着运河漂流到委员公园旁的湖。夜幕低垂时，这些船会亮起灯来。当花灯游行开始时，湖面便会变得光彩夺目。这个夜晚以壮观的烟火表演画下句点，划过夜空的这几道璀璨色彩增添了加拿大郁金香节奇妙又多彩的魔力。

－By Ben Andrews

Vocabulary

erupt [ɪˋrʌpt] v. 喷出；爆发

witness [ˋwɪtnɪs] v. 目击; 证明

overwhelming [͵ovɚˋhwɛlmɪŋ] adj. 势不可挡的,占压倒优势的

feature [fitʃɚ] v. 以……为特色；是……的特色

incorporate [ɪnˋkɔrpə͵ret] v. 把……合并；使并入

canal [kəˋnæl] n. 运河；河渠

spectacular [spɛkˋtækjəlɚ] adj. 壮观的；壮丽的

More Information

flowerbed [`flaʋɚˏbɛd] n. 花圃

blaze [blez] n. 鲜明的色彩，灿烂; 迸发，爆发[S][（+of）]

commissioner [kəˋmɪʃənɚ] n.（委员会的）委员

swirl [swɝl] n. 打旋，旋转

gown [gaʊn] n. 女礼服，（妇女穿的）长礼服

ball [bɔl] n. 舞会

festivity [fɛsˋtɪvətɪ] n. 庆祝典礼

grace [gres] v. 使增光

flotilla [floˋtɪlə] n.（小）船队；（小）舰队

dim [dɪm] v. 使变暗淡

Canadian  Tulip Festival -  Ottawa -2012

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