美国国家公共电台 NPR--This time of year, a train ride from Owosso, Mich., will get you to the North Pole

This time of year, a train ride from Owosso, Mich., will get you to the North Pole

Transcript¹

Every year a vintage steam locomotive in Michigan takes thousands of festive² families to the North Pole. With some imagination and hot cocoa — the spirit of Christmas is still on track.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Reaching the North Pole is hard, usually. People who live outside Detroit, Mich., for example, are more than 3,000 miles from the pole, and they'd have to travel across rough landscape and ice and water to get there. But in one small Michigan town, the journey just takes a short train ride. Here's Kevin Lavery from our member station WKAR.

KEVIN LAVERY, BYLINE³: Owosso, Mich. is a town that was born on the rails, and this is its heartbeat.

(SOUNDBITE OF RAILROAD CROSSING CHIMING)

LAVERY: Here, the irregular chime of the South Washington Street rail crossing welcomes visitors to the home of the most famous train in Michigan. For almost 25 years, thousands of people have come to the Steam Railroading Institute to board its iron steps for a sentimental⁴ journey. If you've never seen the Pere Marquette 1225 steam locomotive, you've probably seen the holiday film it inspired, the 2004 hit "The Polar Express." Institute director Dean Pyers says when the producers came looking for a vintage locomotive as their animation⁵ model, they found one that already bore the perfect Christmas number.

DEAN PYERS: This was the 1200 series. Engines are numbered 1201 through 1239. And when this one came off - out of the factory in Lima, Ohio, it was carrying 1225.

LAVERY: Destiny.

PYERS: Yeah, our Christmas miracle.

LAVERY: Normally, Pere Marquette 1225 carries passengers to the North Pole, which is cleverly disguised as a tiny village called Ashley, about 30 miles from Owosso. But this year, 1225 is sidelined for repairs. So the institute is using a diesel⁶ train instead. There were a lot of excited young riders, like 7-year-old Collins Moore (ph).

Ever been on a train like this before?

COLLINS MOORE: Kind of.

LAVERY: Kind of?

COLLINS: When I was a baby. Yeah.

LAVERY: What's exciting about this today, Collins?

COLLINS: Because it's a train.

LAVERY: It was Andrew Zimmerman's (ph) first trip too, and he wasn't quite sure what to expect.

ANDREW ZIMMERMAN: Well, we're going to the North Pole. That's all I know.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAIN WHISTLING)

LAVERY: Before long, we're underway. The hourlong trip includes hot chocolate on demand and games. When we finally arrive, the North Pole welcomes us with holiday shops, food and music.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SLEIGH RIDE")

JOHNNY MATHIS: (Singing) Just hear those sleigh bells jingling⁷, ring ting tingling⁸ too.

LAVERY: Transforming Ashley, Mich., population 500, into the North Pole is a year-round endeavor. Carol Stewart is in charge here - the head elf, you might say. She loves the looks on the kids' faces as they step off the train.

CAROL STEWART: You know, when they jump in and their eyes are so huge, it makes it worth your while.

LAVERY: Stewart has also seen her share of skeptics, too.

STEWART: All the time. If they're convinced that this is not the North Pole, we say, of course, it's not Christmas yet. You know, you're not going to see Santa till then, but we have Santa helpers.

LAVERY: Any lingering doubt quickly flies when the man himself arrives.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) Santa Claus is coming to town.

LAVERY: Everyone is smiling as we board our diesel train for the trip home. In 2023, the Pere Marquette 1225, Michigan's iconic coal-black sleigh, will be back on track.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAIN WHISTLING)

LAVERY: For NPR News, I'm Kevin Lavery in East Lansing, Mich.

(SOUNDBITE OF ALAN SILVESTRI'S "SUITE FROM THE POLAR EXPRESS)

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

5 animation   

n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作

参考例句：

• They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。
• The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

6 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

7 jingling   

叮当声

参考例句：

• A carriage went jingling by with some reclining figure in it. 一辆马车叮当驶过，车上斜倚着一个人。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Melanie did not seem to know, or care, that life was riding by with jingling spurs. 媚兰好像并不知道，或者不关心，生活正马刺丁当地一路驶过去了呢。

8 tingling   

v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• My ears are tingling [humming; ringing; singing]. 我耳鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My tongue is tingling. 舌头发麻。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》