VOA标准英语2012--Cherry Blossom Festival Marks Centennial Event

Cherry Blossom Festival Marks Centennial Event

This year’s cherry blossoms provided a spectacular display. Aarti Kabade is enjoying her first Cherry Blossom Festival with friends. “We're really enjoying it. We are loving it. And these are beautiful colors to see," she said. 

This year's festival marks the 100th anniversary of the gift of the first trees by the mayor of Tokyo, as a token of friendship between Japan and the United States. A few more than 100 of the original 3,000 trees survive. The rest have been replaced by the Japanese government or grown from the original trees’ genetic¹ line.

Anne Ullberg came to the U.S. from France six years ago. She says she is happy to see more Japanese tourists in Washington, one year after an earthquake and tsunami² devastated³ Japan's coast. “So I think this year is going to be more beautiful than ever, because some of them are able to come back now," she said.

The festival includes a wide range of events, many celebrating the culture of Japan. 

Here at the National Building Museum in Washington, the Shizumi Kodomo Dance Troupe⁴ is performing. The multicultural⁵ children’s group, based in Maryland, promotes dance as an international language. It was started by dancer Shizumi Shigeto Manale, who combines Japanese movements with different types of American dance. "Being in America, I want to be Americanized, and then I developed this fusion⁶ American-Japanese side," he said. 

Other activities at the Building Museum include the opportunity to try on traditional Japanese clothing that came from the National Children’s Museum in Washington. Spokesperson Lisa Marie Ryder says the museum hopes children will get interested in Japanese culture. “One way to do that is to feel and touch those traditional items, we hope will get them excited to learn about Japan and the world around them," she said. 

The Cherry Blossom Festival also provides activities for children to learn crafts that reflect Japanese culture. Filipina Judytte Purdy is helping⁷ her daughter create a clothespin doll. "And this is actually my first time to make something like this," she said. 

Katelyn Hinkel is also having fun with a different project. "While you’re gluing the popcorn⁸ on, it makes it look like a cherry blossom tree with real popcorn on it," she said. 

The festival continues through April, emphasizing the enduring relationship between the United States and Japan.

1 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

2 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

3 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

4 troupe   

n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团

参考例句：

• The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。
• The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

5 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

6 fusion   

n.溶化；熔解；熔化状态，熔和；熔接

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc. 黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• This alloy is formed by the fusion of two types of metal.这种合金是用两种金属熔合而成的。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。