新西兰英语 549 Buskers Festival

 　　Once again, Christchurch is hosting the Buskers Festival. This time it is the 19th year. Buskers are street performers¹. Listen to January 24th 2011 to hear about last year’s events.

　　This year it will be “different but the same,” said organizers². The venues³ are different because in the past the buskers have performed in the city streets. Nearly all of the CBD has been closed since the February earthquake so instead the buskers will be performing in Hagley Park. However, the performances are similar to other years. There are jugglers, acrobats⁴, trapeze artists, comedians⁵ and many other amazing shows. During the day they perform outdoors. In the evening, shows will be held in tents.

　　This year there will be 500 performances over 10 days. Performers come from 10 different countries. Many performers come back again each year because they love the crowds who come to the shows in Christchurch.

　　Because earthquakes are still continuing, people feel safer in Hagley Park.

　　Vocabulary

　　to host an event – provide facilities and make arrangements

　　venues – places where they perform

　　CBD – central business district

　　jugglers throw many balls and other objects into the air and catch them

　　acrobats do difficult physical movements like standing⁶ on the shoulders of another person

　　trapeze – high swings; performers fly in the air from one swing to another

　　Questions

　　Do you enjoy watching street performers?

　　Sometimes buskers ask a person in the crowd to help them in the show. If you were asked to take part in a show, would you refuse?

1 performers   

n.演出者( performer的名词复数 )；演奏者；表演者；履行者

参考例句：

• The boss kissed the other performers off as mere amateurs. 老板认为其他的演员只有业余水平而把他们打发掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They manage to sign up all the best performers. 他们设法跟所有最佳演员签订合同。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 organizers   

n.组织者( organizer的名词复数 )；备忘记事本，电子笔记本

参考例句：

• We need fewer organizers and more doers. 我们需要的是少些组织者，多些实干者。
• The organizers of the march were charged with assault and riotous assembly . 游行组织者被控侵犯人身及暴乱性非法集会。

3 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

4 acrobats   

n.杂技演员( acrobat的名词复数 )；立场观点善变的人，主张、政见等变化无常的人

参考例句：

• I was always fascinated by the acrobats at the circus. 我总是着迷于马戏团里的杂技演员。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The acrobats' performance drew forth applause from the audience. 杂技演员的表演博得了观众的掌声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 comedians   

n.喜剧演员，丑角( comedian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The voice was rich, lordly, Harvardish, like all the boring radio comedians'imitations. 声音浑厚、威严，俨然是哈佛出身的气派，就跟无线电里所有的滑稽演员叫人已经听腻的模仿完全一样。 来自辞典例句
• He distracted them by joking and imitating movie and radio comedians. 他用开玩笑的方法或者模仿电影及广播中的滑稽演员来对付他们。 来自辞典例句

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。