英语博客：How small do they get?

　　Over the weekend, one of my sons had a couple of baseball games in a local park. It's that season again! It was actually a perfect day for the sport as well; it was sunny but cool. There were lots of people sitting and watching the event. In fact, there were more people than usual because there was a huge Mexican fair taking place in the same park. There was live music from various mariachi bands, lots of food stands selling authentic¹ dishes, toys and ceramics² to buy, and even bouncy castles for the little children. It was very colorful and fun, and more and more people came to it as the day went on. The place was packed by mid-afternoon. The fair was to commemorate³ the 200th anniversary of the independence of Mexico from Spain. So, as you can imagine, the parents and family members who were watching the baseball game, would smell the delicious Mexican food, and briefly⁴ disappear into the crowd to buy a plate of fresh tacos. It was unusual and quite amusing⁵, to watch a serious baseball match to the sound of loud mariachi music! One thing I noticed was that people were dressed up very smartly. Families had made the effort to look extra elegant⁶ for this event. And there were traditional costumes and flags everywhere. Accompanying the crowd, were a multitude⁷ of dogs, who also were very elegantly⁸ dressed! They were everywhere! There were dogs of all sizes, wearing all kinds of costumes! One caught my eye because she was so, so tiny. A 'tea-cup Yorky' called Daisy who belongs to a family I know, was showing off her pink, flowery dress near the game. I couldn't believe how small she was. She actually didn't look real, I think because the combination of her size and her dress made her look like a toy. How small do these animals get? And how fast she was! Her owner told me that if she escapes, no one can catch her. It's a good job that she was on a leash⁹ in that busy park, otherwise she would have been gone like a flash. Daisy is a cute name, but one that suits her better would be Mini Lightening!
Grammar notes.
Useful expressions: it's a good job that..., to suit (someone/ something), more/less than usual.
1. It's a good job that brought money; they don't accept credit cards in this restaurant.
2. Her dress suited her, but her hairstyle didn't at all!
3. It has been more windy than usual this month, and we have had less sun than usual, too.

1 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

2 ceramics   

n.制陶业；陶器

参考例句：

• an exhibition of ceramics by Picasso 毕加索陶瓷作品展
• The ceramics bore the imprint of Luca della Robbia. 陶器上印有卢卡·德拉·罗比亚的字样。

3 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

4 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

5 amusing   

adj.有有趣的，好玩的

参考例句：

• The girl was amusing herself with a doll.那女孩在玩洋娃娃自娱。
• He related some amusing stories in his childhood to his children.他向孩子们述说了他少年时代的一些趣事。

6 elegant   

adj.优美的，文雅的，简练的，简结的

参考例句：

• She was an elegant and accomplished woman.她是位优雅的才女。
• She has a life of elegant ease.她过着风雅悠闲的生活。

7 multitude   

n.众多，大量，大群，大众

参考例句：

• He has a multitude of friend.他有许多朋友。
• A growing economy covers a multitude of sins for the government.蓬勃的经济为政府掩盖种种见不得人的东西。

8 elegantly   

adv.优美地，雅致地，高雅地

参考例句：

• She turned on her elegantly shod heel. 她突然转身，迈开穿着雅致的皮鞋的双脚离去了。
• Susan always dresses very elegantly. 苏珊总是穿得很雅致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 leash   

n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住

参考例句：

• I reached for the leash,but the dog got in between.我伸手去拿系狗绳，但被狗挡住了路。
• The dog strains at the leash,eager to be off.狗拼命地扯拉皮带，想挣脱开去。