VOA慢速英语2019 全世界对2019年说“你好”,对令人不安的一年说“再见”

The World Says ‘Hello’ to 2019, ‘Goodbye’ to an Unsettling Year

People around the world are saying goodbye to what many considered to be a troubling year.

世界各地的人们都在告别很多人认为令人烦恼的一年。

Here’s a look at how people are celebrating the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019.

下面我们来看看人们如何庆祝2018年的结束和2019年的开始。

Kiribati

基里巴斯

The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first in the world to ring in the new year. In the capital Tarawa, many celebrated¹ with church services and mostly quiet private events.

太平洋岛国基里巴斯是世界上第一个敲响新年钟声的国家。在该国首都塔拉瓦，很多人都以去教堂做礼拜和通常安静的私人聚会来庆祝新年。

New Zealand

新西兰

In Auckland, New Zealand, tens of thousands of people gathered around the 328-meter Sky Tower to watch a fireworks show. In other places, huge crowds gathered on beaches and streets as fireworks went off above city centers and seaports².

在新西兰的奥克兰，数万人聚在328米高的天空塔周围观看烟花表演。在其它地方，随着烟花在市中心和海港的上空绽放，大量人群聚在海滩和街道上。

Australia

澳大利亚

An estimated one million people crowded the Sydney Harbor, as Australia’s largest city began the new year with a memorable³ fireworks celebration. More than 1 billion people around the world were expected to watch the fireworks on television. This year’s fireworks show was one of the most complex in Australia’s history.

预计有100万人挤在悉尼港，这座澳大利亚最大的城市以令人难忘的烟花庆祝活动迎来新年，预计全球有超过10亿人在电视上观看这场烟花，今年的烟花表演是澳大利亚历史上最为复杂的一次。

North and South Korea

朝鲜和韩国

Thousands of South Koreans were expected to fill the streets of the capital Seoul for a traditional bell ringing ceremony near City Hall.

预计成千上万的韩国人将会挤满首都首尔市的街道，参加市政厅附近举行的传统的新年敲钟仪式。

And North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to give his yearly address on New Year’s Day. In his New Year’s speech last year, Kim spoke⁴ of talks with South Korea to reduce tensions and said the North would be willing to take part in South Korea’s Winter Olympics.

朝鲜领导人金正恩预计会在元旦当天发表年度讲话。在去年的新年演讲中，金正恩谈到了与韩国减轻紧张局势的谈判，并表示朝鲜有意愿参加在韩国举行的冬奥会。

China

中国

New Year’s Eve is not celebrated widely in mainland China. The lunar New Year in February is a more important holiday. But countdown events were being held in major cities.

中国大陆并未广泛庆祝元旦，二月的农历新年是更为重要的节日。但是各大主要城市都举行了新年倒计时活动。

Beijing held an event with important guests at the main site of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The event looked ahead to the 2022 Winter Games, which will also be held in the Chinese capital.

北京在2018年夏季奥运会主场馆与重要来宾举行了一场活动。该活动展望了2022年也将在中国首都举行的冬奥会。

In Hong Kong, the city’s tallest building was brightly lit. There also was a show of fireworks, music and lights over Victoria Harbor. About 300,000 people were expected to gather along the port.

在香港，这座城市最高的建筑灯火通明。维多利亚港还有烟花、音乐和灯光表演，预计会有30万人聚集在这个港口。

Thailand

泰国

Hundreds of Thais traveled to a Buddhist⁵ religious center near the capital Bangkok to lie inside coffins⁷ for traditional funeral rituals. Those who take part believe the ceremony removes bad luck and permits them to be born again for a fresh start in the new year.

数百名泰国人前往首都曼谷附近的一处佛寺，躺进棺材里举行传统的葬礼仪式。参与者认为这个仪式可以消除厄运，并让他们在新年伊始得到重生。

New York City

纽约市

Famous musicians and people from all over the world will gather in Times Square in New York City to welcome 2019.

世界各地的著名音乐家和人们将会聚集在纽约时代广场迎接2019年新年。

Watchers are expected to start gathering⁸ early in the afternoon Monday. The celebration will take place under strict security, as people wait for the traditional midnight crystal ball drop.

预计现场观众会在周一下午早些时候开始聚集。该庆祝活动将在严格安保的情况下进行，人们都在等待传统的午夜水晶球掉落。

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

lunar – adj. of or relating to the moon

coffin⁶ – n. a box in which a dead person is buried

ritual – n. a formal ceremony or series of acts that is always performed in the same way

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 seaports   

n.海港( seaport的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Airports have joined seaports as ports of entry for the visiting foreigner. 机场和海港一样成为来访的外国人的入境关口。 来自互联网
• Sanya has 16 seaports, 10 islands and 180km of coastline. 三亚有16个港口、10个海岛和180公里的海岸线。 来自互联网

3 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

6 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

7 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

8 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。