美国国家公共电台 NPR What The Ba-kaaaawk? Activist Behind #TrumpChicken Isn't Done Yet

 

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

A giant, inflatable chicken which looked oddly like President Trump¹ appeared outside the White House on Wednesday. It created a sensation and then disappeared. With her curiosity piqued², NPR's Vanessa Romo went to investigate.

VANESSA ROMO, BYLINE³: There it was just hovering⁴ in the background of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Eventually it became so distracting that even Fox News host Shepard Smith on live TV couldn't help himself.

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SHEPARD SMITH: Before we go, behind the White House, over your shoulder, there - we see this shot all the time. But what is that?

JOSH LEDERMAN: Shep, it appears to be a very large chicken display.

SMITH: A what - seriously?

ROMO: Seriously. It turns out the 30-foot inflatable chicken, with its swoopy, golden coif and tie-shaped red waddle⁵, was actually glowering⁶ at President Trump's home in protest.

TARAN SINGH BRAR: The messaging is that the president's too afraid; he's a weak and insecure leader and playing a game of chicken with North Korea.

ROMO: That's Taran Singh Brar, the man behind the bird behind the White House. I caught him on his cellphone. He knows Trump wasn't there to see it. He's on a work vacay in New Jersey⁷. But, Brar says...

BRAR: The president himself is, like, so visibly obsessed⁸ that I know something like this, like, has potency⁹.

ROMO: Apparently¹⁰ it took the 31-year-old documentary filmmaker four months to sort out all of the paperwork for his one-chicken demonstration¹¹. And he spent hours studying cable news channels to figure out the bird's best camera angles because...

BRAR: I understood that if I positioned it correctly, I would be in full view of the cameras, which I knew would be what would take it viral globally.

ROMO: He was not wrong. Within hours of erecting¹² the fowl¹³ on the lawn, the bird had achieved ultimate made-it status - #TrumpChicken. So where did the chicken come from in the first place?

CASEY LATIOLAIS: I'm Casey Latiolais, and I created the Trump chicken.

ROMO: Why did the world need a Trump chicken?

LATIOLAIS: So...

ROMO: Latiolais says a Chinese real estate company contracted him to come up with the design to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This is the year of the rooster. Officially, the company won't acknowledge that it is in fact supposed to strike a resemblance to the 45th president. But when I asked Latiolais what makes it so Trumpy (ph), he said...

LATIOLAIS: Probably just a combination of all the things - the golden hair, the hand gestures and the eyebrows¹⁴. Plus, it's a little plump.

ROMO: The chicken is not done with D.C. Brar, the activist¹⁵, is planning another spectacle.

BRAR: What we have planned next is probably going to be more of a visual feast. It's a mock military parade.

ROMO: That's right, a mock military parade. Vanessa Romo, NPR News, Washington.

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1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 piqued   

v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心）

参考例句：

• Their curiosity piqued, they stopped writing. 他们的好奇心被挑起，停下了手中的笔。 来自辞典例句
• This phenomenon piqued Dr Morris' interest. 这一现象激起了莫里斯医生的兴趣。 来自辞典例句

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 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

5 waddle   

vi.摇摆地走；n.摇摆的走路(样子)

参考例句：

• I am pregnant.I waddle awkwardly and my big stomach pressed against the weight of the world. 我怀孕了，我滑稽可笑地瞒珊而行，大肚子上压着全世界的重量。
• We waddle and hop and have lots of fun.我们走起路来摇摇摆摆，还一跳一跳的。我们的生活很有趣。

6 glowering   

v.怒视( glower的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The boy would not go, but stood at the door glowering at his father. 那男孩不肯走，他站在门口对他父亲怒目而视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then he withdrew to a corner and sat glowering at his wife. 然后他溜到一个角落外，坐在那怒视着他的妻子。 来自辞典例句

7 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

8 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

9 potency   

n. 效力，潜能

参考例句：

• Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
• Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天，就有可能失效。

10 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

11 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

12 erecting   

v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立

参考例句：

• Nations can restrict their foreign trade by erecting barriers to exports as well as imports. 象设置进口壁垒那样，各国可以通过设置出口壁垒来限制对外贸易。 来自辞典例句
• Could you tell me the specific lift-slab procedure for erecting buildings? 能否告之用升板法安装楼房的具体程序？ 来自互联网

13 fowl   

n.家禽，鸡，禽肉

参考例句：

• Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。
• Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后，我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉，少吃红色肉类。

14 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

15 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。