日本稻田里种出“贱熊泰迪”

 　　Summer in Japan means festivals, fireworks and a host of annual events designed to bring people together despite the searing heat. And as the sun beats down on fields across the nation, there’s one special rice paddy that’s slowly taking shape, transforming into a very unique piece of art ready to greet crowds of adoring admirers over the next two months.

　　尽管夏日灼热难忍，但在日本夏天意味着节日、烟花以及一系列年度活动，人们相聚一起共同庆祝。纵观烈日炎炎下日本的田野，有这么一处奇怪的稻田慢慢地变化着，渐渐变成一幅独特的画作，准备迎接接下来两个月慕名而来的崇拜者。

　　Rice paddy art has been growing in popularity over the years, with community group members using different strains of rice to create a variety of impressive designs.

　　稻田艺术（Rice paddy art）近些年来越来越受到大家的欢迎。各个相关团体的成员利用不同的水稻品种创作出各种各样令人印象深刻的稻田画。

　　贱熊泰迪

　　In Hokkaido, the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) Kitasorachi-Uryu Youth Group has been working on a very special collaboration¹ to celebrate the release of the Hollywood movie Ted² 2. The film’s opening date, August 28, coincides with the height of the rice-growing season in Japan, so it’s the perfect way to generate some publicity³ for the movie and their town as well.

　　在北海道，日本农业合作社（Japan Agricultural Cooperatives）北空知青年部雨竜支部一直都致力于集体创作一幅特殊的稻田画，以庆祝好莱坞电影《泰迪熊2》的上映。《泰迪熊2》将于8月28日在日本上映，正值日本水稻种植的高峰季节，正是为影片造势同时宣传该地的绝佳方式。

　　The group began planting their design in June. In July, the fresh, young seedlings⁴ will bring out a very green Ted, while in August, as the crops ripen⁵, the talking teddy bear will slowly take on his signature straw-brown colour.

　　该支部成员6月就开始种植用来展现他们设计的水稻。7月份，这些新鲜的水稻幼苗便会长出一个非常鲜绿的“泰迪”，8月份等稻子熟了，这只话多的“泰迪”就会渐渐显现出它和稻草一样的标志性棕色。

　　In September, Ted will be harvested to feed the people in the region. Before then, he’ll be entertaining the many crowds who come to pay him a visit.

　　等到九月份，“泰迪”会被收割以供当地人食用。在此之前，泰迪将招待慕名前来参观的许多游客。

　　Meanwhile, in Inakadate, Aomori Prefecture, they’ll be using two huge rice fields to celebrate two other famous international films: Star Wars and Gone With the Wind.

　　与此同时，在日本青森县田舍馆村，将会有两大片稻田用来纪念另外两部著名的国际影片：《星球大战》和《乱世佳人》。

　　Inakadate has become so well-known for their spectacular annual tanbo art (rice field art) displays that they even built a brand-new train station called “Rice Paddy Art Station” in 2013 to accommodate visitors to the area.

　　日本田舍馆村以一年一度的壮观稻田艺术节而闻名，当地人甚至在2013年建了名为“稻田艺术站”的新火车站以接纳到访的游客。

　　Vocabulary

　　paddy：稻田

　　rice paddy art：稻田画，稻田艺术

1 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

4 seedlings   

n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ninety-five per cent of the new seedlings have survived. 新栽的树苗95%都已成活。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• In such wet weather we must prevent the seedlings from rotting. 这样的阴雨天要防止烂秧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 ripen   

vt.使成熟；vi.成熟

参考例句：

• I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
• You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。