VOA文化艺术2022--拜登为款待马克龙首设国宴,都吃了啥?

What's Being Served at US State Dinner for French President?

France's President Emmanuel Macron is the special guest at the first state dinner of President Joe Biden's administration.

A state dinner is a high honor for the leaders of the closest allies of the United States.

The decorations are red, white and blue to show off the shared colors of the two countries.

First Lady Jill Biden worked to organize the event. She said the two nations have common values of freedom, democracy, equality and friendship.

"These form the bedrock upon which our enduring friendship was built," she said.

The meal includes American cheeses, lobster¹ from the northeastern state of Maine, and beef. The dessert, or sweet course, is ice cream, fruit and an orange cake.

Biden said the dinner includes beautiful decorations and plates. She said she remembered when her mother would set the table and light candles even if the meal was fish taken from the freezer and heated in the oven.

"I learned that setting a table can be an act of love," she said.

Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrived in the U.S on Tuesday night.

Carlos Elizondo is the White House social secretary. He said "making people feel comfortable and at home" matters most to the Bidens.

Dark blue cloths covered tables for 300 guests. They are decorated with red candles and red, white and blue flowers. The white flowers are irises², the official flower of France.

The two presidents are speaking in front of an image of the Statue of Liberty. The sculpture was a gift to the United States from France in the 1800s. Guests are drinking sparkling wine served in French champagne³ glasses.

The state dinner comes just days after the lighting⁴ of the national Christmas Tree. The White House has been decorated for the holidays.

Jon Batiste, a Grammy-winning singer, is the head of the musical program.

The Bidens ate dinner with the Macrons on Wednesday at a restaurant in the Georgetown area of Washington.

It is the first state dinner in three years, but not the first state dinner for the French leader and his wife. They attended a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump⁵ in 2018.

Words in This Story

guest –n. a person invited to visit or stay at someone's home

decoration –n. an object that is made to look nice and often linked with a holiday or special event

equality –n. a state of having the same rights and social level as others

endure –v. to go on without end

oven –n. a device used for cooking

sparkling –adj. producing small flashes of light

sculpture –n. a piece of art usually made by forming clay, stone or metal

1 lobster   

n.龙虾，龙虾肉

参考例句：

• The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。
• I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾，但它不适宜于我的健康。

2 irises   

n.虹( iris的名词复数 )；虹膜；虹彩；鸢尾（花）

参考例句：

• The cottage gardens blaze with irises, lilies and peonies. 村舍花园万紫千红，鸢尾、百合花和牡丹竞相争艳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The irises were of flecked grey. 虹膜呈斑驳的灰色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

4 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。

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。