英闻天下——260 NY's Empire State Lights up for Spring Festival

 　　The Empire State Building in New York is lighting¹ up the sky with red and yellow, the colours of China, to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year.

 

　　The lights will be shining from the top of the building for three nights, starting Friday.

 

　　The Consul² General of China in New York, Sun Guoxiang, attended the lighting ceremony at the Empire State.

 

　　"The Chinese New Year lighting ceremony of the Empire State Building has been conducted for more than ten years. I believe this annual event is held not only for the Chinese community but also for people from all over the world. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our past achievements and look forward to new horizons."

 

　　Melanie Maasch, is the Director of Brand Development and Public Relations for the Empire State.

 

　　"The Lunar New Year brings in the Year of the Snake, a symbol of rebirth and longevity³. It is believed to have the power of bringing good luck and good health to people's lives. Our tower will illuminate⁴ the city sky throughout the weekend, bringing good fortune in the New Year for all."

 

　　The red and yellow lights at the top of the tower are to represent the longstanding Chinese tradition of letting off fireworks at the turn of the new lunar year.

1 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。

2 consul   

n.领事；执政官

参考例句：

• A consul's duty is to help his own nationals.领事的职责是帮助自己的同胞。
• He'll hold the post of consul general for the United States at Shanghai.他将就任美国驻上海总领事(的职务)。

3 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

4 illuminate   

vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释

参考例句：

• Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。
• They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。