VOA慢速英语2018 美国万圣节最受欢迎的糖果

The Most Popular Halloween Candies Across America

The Halloween holiday is October 31. Tens of millions of children will put on costumes that night and visit their neighbors’ homes. The neighbors will give them candy.

10月31日是万圣节。数以千万计的孩子将在当晚穿上特殊的服装，到邻居家做客。邻居们会给他们糖果。

Americans are expected to spend about $9 billion on Halloween this year.Most of the money is spent on costumes, decorations and candy.

预计今年美国人在万圣节期间的花费将达90亿美元。大部分钱都花在了服装、装饰品和糖果上。 

The National Retail¹ Federation² estimates that more than 175 million Americans are planning to take part in Halloween activities this year.

美国零售联合会估计，今年有超过1.75亿美国人计划参加万圣节活动。 

The online candy seller CandyStore.com looked through 11 years of data to learn which Halloween candy is most popular in each American state.The company found that, overall, Skittles, M&M’s and Snickers are the most popular candies.

在线糖果销售商CandyStore为了获悉美国各州最受欢迎的万圣节糖果，查阅了11年的数据。该公司发现，总体而言，彩虹糖、M&M’s巧克力豆和士力架是最受欢迎的糖果。

The favorite candy of Texans, though, is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.And candy corn came in first in the states of Alabama, Michigan, Idaho and New Mexico.

然而，德州人最喜欢的糖果是里斯的花生酱杯。在阿拉巴马州、密歇根州、爱达华州和新墨西哥州，玉米糖排名第一。

But children who live in Oregon may be among the luckiest in America; larger-size candy bars are a usual treat in the northwestern state.

但住在俄勒冈州的孩子可能是美国最幸运的孩子之一；在这个西北部的州，要到大块的糖果已经成为常态。

What will children wear this Halloween?The National Retail Federation says princess, superhero and Batman costumes are the most popular choices among kids.

今年万圣节孩子们会穿什么?美国零售联合会表示，公主服、超级英雄和蝙蝠侠服是孩子们最喜欢的服饰。

Adults, however, favor frightening characters, like witches and vampires⁴.

然而，成年人喜欢恐怖的角色，比如女巫和吸血鬼。 

Even America’s animals are getting into the action.Dog and cat owners plan to dress their animal friends as pumpkins⁶, hotdogs and bumblebees, the retail group says.

甚至美国的宠物也开始装扮起来。该零售联合会表示，狗和猫的主人计划将他们的宠物朋友装扮成南瓜、热狗和大黄蜂。

Words in This Story

costume - n. the clothes that are worn by someone (such as an actor) who is trying to look like a different person or thing

candy - n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate

decoration - n. ?something that is added to something else to make it look more appealing?

witch - n. ?a woman who is thought to have magic powers?

vampire³ - n. ?a dead person who leaves the grave at night to bite and suck the blood of living people?

pumpkin⁵ - n. ? a large, round, orange vegetable used as food and sometimes as a decoration?

hot dog - n. ?a small cooked sausage that is mild in flavor and is usually served in a long roll (called a hot dog bun)?

bumblebee - n. ?a large, hairy kind of bee; (bee. a black and yellow flying insect that can sting⁷ and that is often kept in hives for the honey that it produces?)

1 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 vampire   

n.吸血鬼

参考例句：

• It wasn't a wife waiting there for him but a blood sucking vampire!家里的不是个老婆，而是个吸人血的妖精！
• Children were afraid to go to sleep at night because of the many legends of vampire.由于听过许多有关吸血鬼的传说，孩子们晚上不敢去睡觉。

4 vampires   

n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 )；吸血蝠；高利贷者；（舞台上的）活板门

参考例句：

• The most effective weapon against the vampires is avampire itself. 对付吸血鬼最有效的武器就是吸血鬼自己。 来自电影对白
• If vampires existed, don`t you think we would`ve found them by now? 如果真有吸血鬼，那我们怎么还没有找到他们呢？ 来自电影对白

5 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

6 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

7 sting   

vt.激怒，刺痛，刺伤，蛰伤；n.刺痛，刺伤

参考例句：

• Most flies do not sting.大多数苍蝇不叮人。
• The scorpion has a sting that can be deadly.蝎子有可以致命的螫针。