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The Story of a Bunny Named Miffy 青春活力米飞兔

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She has a cross for her nose and mouth. Her eyes, merely two black beads, are set wide apart on her face. Her ears are always erect, like two antennas scanning for signals. And this simple bunny has done it all, from driving little cars to downhill skiing to sitting and swinging on the moon. Born in 1955 in the Netherlands to her “father” Dick Bruna, Miffy is as recognizable an icon as the similarity wide-eyed Hello Kitty.

她脸上的叉叉代表鼻子和嘴巴，眼睛只是脸上两个相隔很远的小黑点，耳朵总是竖着，像是两根正在扫描信号的天线。从开小型车、下坡滑雪，到坐在月亮上荡秋千，这只简单的兔子无所不能。米飞兔是荷兰人迪克．布鲁纳在1955年创造的，她的图案辨识度极高，几乎和双眼同样开开的凯蒂猫不相上下。

As with Kitty, Miffy has her own worldwide fan club. Her popularity stretches from her home in the Netherlands all the way to Japan, where all things cute are inevitably a hit. The items celebrating her existence include T-shirts, toys, pillowcases and key chains. The quantity of them is probably only surpassed by items with the Hello Kitty logo.

如同凯蒂猫，米飞兔在全球各地也有自己的粉丝俱乐部，她的知名度由故乡荷兰一路远播到日本。只要是可爱的东西，在日本必定会成为抢手货。米飞兔的周边商品包括T恤、玩具、枕头套及钥匙圈，数量大概仅次于凯蒂猫商品。

Miffy was born while the Bruna family was on a holiday. Bruna was drawing, as he usually did, while his son played. Bruna, who had had many pet bunnies as a child, started drawing one. It turned out to be a little girl bunny simply because that day he felt like drawing a dress instead of pants. Then and there, Miffy was born. It took twenty years, however, for the book series starring that bunny to really take off. It was then that Bruna decided to dedicate himself full-time to his art. Since then, he has produced dazzling 109 books.

米飞兔是在布鲁纳一家人度假时诞生的。当时布鲁纳一如往常地画画，他的儿子则在玩耍。孩提时期拥有许多兔子宠物的布鲁纳开始画一只兔子，结果画出一只小母兔，只因那天他想画洋装而不想画裤子。米飞就在那一刻诞生了。然而，直到二十年后，以她为主角的系列丛书才真正开始大卖。同时布鲁纳也决定投注所有时间在其艺术创作上。从那时开始，他推出了109本令人赞叹的创作。

Today, Miffy still embarks on new and exciting adventures. She may more than fifty years old now, but she still has the bouncy youth she came into the world with.

时至今日，米飞兔仍从事刺激的探险活动。尽管她现在可能已经五十几岁，却仍跟她问世时一样充满青春活力。

−by J. Michael Cole

Vocabulary

erect [ɪˋrɛkt] adj. 直立的，垂直的，竖起的

scan [skæn] v. 扫描

surpass [sɚˋpæs] v. 胜过

embark [ɪmˋbɑrk] on  着手, 开始

More Information

set apart 分开

antenna [ænˋtɛnə] n. 天线

wide-eyed [ˋwaɪdˋaɪd] adj. 睁大着眼睛的 having the eyes completely opened, as in wonder.

popularity [͵pɑpjəˋlærətɪ] n. 受欢迎

stretch [strɛtʃ] v. 延伸

pillowcase [ˋpɪlo͵kes] n. 枕头套

then and there: 当时当地; 立即 at that precise time and place; on the spot

take off:【口】(指观念、产品等)突然大受欢迎; (指产品的销售量)急升 to start selling well

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

adventure [ədˋvɛntʃɚ] n. 冒险活动

bouncy [ˋbaʊnsɪ] adj. 快活的；精神饱满的

youth [juθ] n. 朝气；青春

Reading Questions

1.   What happens to cute things in Japan, according to the article?

A.  They definitely become popular.

B.  There’s a chance they may be well-received.

C.  There’s a 50/50 chance they might be well-liked.

D.  They won’t be liked by people.

2.   Which of the following is NOT true?

A.  Miffy is over 50 years old.

B.  Miffy’s popularity stretches across the globe.

C.  Miffy’s success was instant.

D.  Miffy’s face is on a variety of merchandise.

3.   What is the writer’s main purpose for writing this article?

A.  To inform readers of a rivalry between Miffy and Hello Kitty.

B.  To talk about the success of cute things in Japan.

C.  To tell people about Dick Bruna’s love of drawing.

D.  To show people the history and future potential of Miffy.

Answer