新西兰英语 680 Frankfurt Book Fair

 　　“We New Zealanders regard ourselves as practical … sports-loving people but we are also dreamers, writers and prolific¹ readers.” This is the beginning of the speech made by Deputy² Prime³ Minister Bill English, at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany last week. Many New Zealanders love to read and we have a number of excellent writers.

　　This year New Zealand has been chosen as the Guest of Honour at the book fair. Seventy New Zealand writers attended. They gave talks on topics like: books for young adults, crime writing, comedy writing, poetry, short stories, Pacific stories, and cooking. They read from their books. Their books were also for sale, some in English and some in German translation.

　　It was not just writers at the book fair. New Zealand also sent artists, actors, dancers, musicians and chefs. Chefs prepared New Zealand food for the crowds. The New Zealand hall was very popular, with queues of people wanting to attend performances.

　　While the book fair is mostly for people who work in the book business, like publishers, there is now more interest in the digital media, film, food and culture. New Zealand hopes to encourage young Germans to visit our country, to study here and to find out more about our culture.

　　Vocabulary

　　?practical – can make things or fix things that don’t work

　　?prolific – a great many

　　?queue – a line of people

　　?digital media e.g. electronic books

1 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

2 deputy   

n.代理人，代表，副职；adj.代理的，副的

参考例句：

• John will act as a deputy for me during my absence.我离开期间，约翰将代理我的职务。
• She is the deputy headmistress of the school.她是那所学校的代理校长。

3 prime   

adj.首要的，主要的；最好的，第一流的

参考例句：

• The prime minister spoke of the general insecurity in the country.总理谈到了全国普遍存在的不安全。
• He met with the Prime Minister of Japan for an hour.他和日本首相会见了一个小时。