VOA慢速英语--新冠疫情下的狂欢节 有蛋糕没人群

In the American city of New Orleans, the Carnival¹ season began – as it always does - on January 6. But the coronavirus crisis has put an end to the huge celebrations that bring thousands of people to the city each year.

The Mardi Gras season runs until Fat Tuesday, which this year falls on February 16. The season is usually marked by colorful parties and large parades. Costumed riders throw small gifts, like plastic jewelry², to the massive crowds of people that walk along parade paths.

The coronavirus has halted those big events. But that has not stopped highly creative people in New Orleans from coming up with socially distant ways to celebrate.

The Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc offers one example. It is a club that pays honor every Mardi Gras to the fallen French warrior³ hero. The group normally parades through the French Quarter neighborhood at the official start of the Carnival season.

But this year, the group held a "Tableaux⁵ de Jeanne d'Arc" event. The word "tableau⁴" is a French term for "living picture." A tableau is a costumed group of people who do poses. This year, members of the public drove by the many "living pictures" of the Jeanne d'Arc. These tableaux included stations where members dressed as warriors⁶, sharpened their weapons and ate at a fireplace with a pig roasting nearby.

"Life as usual is gone, so we had to look for different ways of doing things this year," said Antoinette de Alteriis. She is one of the club's leaders.

The Phunny Phorty Phellows is another Mardi Gras krewe, or club. Members usually gather at the beginning of the season for a costumed party on a streetcar. Crowds of people gather at the place where the streetcar starts the club's parading. But this year, people were asked to spread out along the streetcar's path and watch from there instead.

However, people can still eat cake — king cake that is. The sweet cakes are a tradition that is more than 100 years old. They are decorated with the official Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold and eaten during the Carnival season.

In Mobile, Alabama, dozens of parades, balls and other events also have been canceled. The city, which sits in the Gulf⁷ of Mexico, calls itself the birthplace of Mardi Gras. That is because celebrations began there a few years earlier than in New Orleans.

Coastal⁸ Alabama usually begins its season later in January than New Orleans. So the current rise in coronavirus infections could be easing by the time events are set to start. But many organizations began announcing cancellations last month to protect the health of members and party-goers.

Words in This Story

costumed – adj. wearing clothes to try to look like a different person

club – n. a group of people who meet to participate in an activity (such as a sport or hobby)

pose – n. the position in which someone stands, sits, lies down, etc., especially as a model for a photograph, painting, etc.

streetcar – n. a vehicle that travels on streets on metal tracks and that is used for carrying passengers

cake – n. a sweet baked food made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and other ingredients, such as eggs and butter

decorate – v. to make (something) more attractive usually by putting something on it

1 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

2 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

3 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

4 tableau   

n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面）

参考例句：

• The movie was a tableau of a soldier's life.这部电影的画面生动地描绘了军人的生活。
• History is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.历史不过是由罪恶和灾难构成的静止舞台造型罢了。

5 tableaux   

n.舞台造型，（由活人扮演的）静态画面、场面；人构成的画面或场景( tableau的名词复数 )；舞台造型；戏剧性的场面；绚丽的场景

参考例句：

• He developed less a coherent analysis than a series of brilliant tableaux. 与其说他作了一个前后连贯的分析，倒不如说他描绘了一系列出色的场景。 来自辞典例句
• There was every kind of table, from fantasy to tableaux of New England history. 各种各样的故事，从幻想到新英格兰的历史场面，无所不有。 来自辞典例句

6 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

7 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

8 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。