AS IT IS 2016-03-30 Trending Today: #BirdieSanders

AS IT IS 2016-03-30 Trending Today: #BirdieSanders

This is What’s Trending Today...

Last Friday, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders held a rally in the state of Oregon. During the event, an unexpected guest joined the Vermont senator on stage: a bird. 

The tiny bird flew around Sanders. Then, it landed on the podium where Sanders was speaking.

Sanders and the bird, a house finch¹, stared at one another for several moments. Smiling, Sanders told the crowd he believed the bird’s presence was symbolic².

"I know it doesn't look like it, but that bird is really a dove asking us for world peace."

The crowd went wild. And so did the Internet. The play-on-words hashtag #BirdieSanders soon trended. Five days later, the hashtag is still a trending topic on social media.

People quickly called it, the most “heartwarming moment” of the 2016 presidential election. Indeed, in an election season dominated by insults and negative campaigning, the sweet moment between Sanders and the tiny bird was a welcome change.

Social media users enjoyed artwork and graphics³ inspired by the event. Some graphics even showed Sanders as a bird himself.

Senator Sanders tweeted a drawing of him and the bird looking at one another, with the word “together.”

The Late Show host Stephen Colbert joked about the viral event on his show Monday night.

Colbert suggested the Birdie Sanders moment helped the senator win caucusus in three states over the weekend: Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Then he joked, “"What are the odds⁴ that a bird would be attracted to an old man who looks like he has bread in his pockets?"

Words in This Story

podium - n.  a stand with a slanted⁵ surface that holds a book, notes, etc., for someone who is reading, speaking, or teaching

heartwarming - adj. causing pleasant feelings of happiness

odds - n. the possibility that something will happen

attracted - v. to cause (someone) to like or be interested in something

pocket - n.  a usually small cloth bag that is sewn into a piece of clothing, and that is open at the top or side so that you can put things into it

1 finch   

n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等)

参考例句：

• This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
• In Australia,it is predominantly called the Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚，它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。

2 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

3 graphics   

n.制图法，制图学；图形显示

参考例句：

• You've leveraged your graphics experience into the video area.你们把图形设计业务的经验运用到录像业务中去。
• Improved graphics took computer games into a new era.经改进的制图技术将电脑游戏带进了一个新时代。

4 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

5 slanted   

有偏见的； 倾斜的

参考例句：

• The sun slanted through the window. 太阳斜照进窗户。
• She had slanted brown eyes. 她有一双棕色的丹凤眼。