VOA常速英语2018--布朗纳：一年四季都是圣诞节

Visiting Bronner’s Christmas wonderland is more than a shopping trip, it’s an experience. At roughly the size of 8 Olympic swimming pools, it’s a lot for siblings¹ Rollin and Rain Marturello to grasp. It’s huge, totally I can say, it’s really huge. A trip to Bronner’s often starts with a commemorative photo. From there, customers are given a map to help navigate² the store. Dazzling lights and outdoor decor cascade³ from the ceilings that had to be raised to accommodate the taller Christmas tree displays.

参观布朗纳的圣诞仙境不只是为了购物，也是为了体验。这里差不多有8个奥林匹克游泳池的大小，够哥俩罗林和瑞恩·马图雷洛逛的了。我可以说，这里整体很大，非常之大。来到这里，首先要拍照留念。然后，游客们会获得一张地图，引导他们到处逛。炫目的灯光、户外装饰从天花板上垂下，其高度一定是抬高过的，以适应更高的圣诞树。

Rollin says he likes the old-fashioned Dickens’ characters, Christmas villages and Nutcrackers that cover the showroom floor but the modern electronic displays are the best. We have over 50,000, just over 50,000 items here. Everything from artificial trees and wreaths and garlands, all kinds of lighting⁴, the LED lights. We have ornaments⁵, we have about 8000 styles of ornaments, about 1500 of those can be personalized. In fact, says Media Relations Chief Lori Libka, the ornaments are the stars of the store, everything from hand-blown glass bottles to sports themed pieces and even movie motif⁶ ornaments.

瑞恩说，他喜欢狄更斯笔下的老式人物、圣诞村庄、摆满展厅的胡桃夹子。不过，现代电子显示屏是最好的。我们在这里有5万多样物品，从人造树、花环、彩环、各种各样的照明设施、LED灯，不一而足。我们也有很多装饰品，有近8000种装饰风格，其中近1500中都可以做个性化设置。媒体关系主管洛里表示，实际上，这些装饰品才是这家店的明星。无论是手工吹制的玻璃瓶、运动主题的物品，还是电影主题的装饰品，都是店里的镇山之宝。

A definitely favorite are the international ornaments, which makes sense, because the store guest book reflects visitors from more than a hundred countries. We do see a lot of international folks, and it’s not unusual to walk around and be here several different languages being spoken any given day this time a year.

最受欢迎的当属国际饰品。这也说得通，因为这家店的顾客来自100多个国家。我们确实能看到很多国际友人，这里很常见的景象是——每年的这个时候，人来人往，每一天都能听到不同的语言。

Founder⁷ Wally Bronner was a teenager when he started a sign painting business. After a businessman asked him to create Christmas signs for the city of Claire Michigan, he recognized a niche⁸ market, and in 1945 opened a store specializing in the holiday. Because his faith and family were important to him, Bronner worked tirelessly to blend the religious meaning of Christmas with e commercial aspect.

创始人沃利·布朗纳年少就初创了标牌绘画业务。一位商人请他为克莱尔·密歇根市制作圣诞标志，之后，他就发现了一个利基市场。1945年，他开办了一家专门销售圣诞节标志的商店。因为他的信仰和家人对他很重要，所以他不懈地努力，将圣诞节的宗教意义与商业结合在一起。

He also made sure Bronner is a place for customers of all ages to enjoy. That’s why young customers who need a break from shopping can visit with Santa. You know, I like being at Bronner’s because it gives me a chance to really talk about what Christmas means, you know, when I give out one of those little ornaments that has Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. Because the store is open 361 days a year, it’s the one place kids of all ages can get a little Christmas anytime they want.

他还确保了布朗纳可以让各个年龄段的顾客感受快乐。因此，一些年轻的顾客如果需要通过购物来稍事休息，就可以拜访圣诞老人。我喜欢来布朗纳，因为这里让我有机会真正地探讨圣诞节的含义，每次我分发带有马利亚、约瑟和耶稣的小饰品时都是如此。因为这家店每年营业361天，所以，在这里，各个年龄段的孩子都可以随时来体验圣诞气息。

1 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

2 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

3 cascade   

n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下

参考例句：

• She watched the magnificent waterfall cascade down the mountainside.她看着壮观的瀑布从山坡上倾泻而下。
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls.她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。

4 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

5 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 motif   

n.(图案的)基本花纹，(衣服的)花边；主题

参考例句：

• Alienation is a central motif in her novels.疏离感是她小说的一个重要的主题。
• The jacket has a rose motif on the collar.这件夹克衫领子上有一朵玫瑰花的图案。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。