香港龙舟节纽约开幕

 　　NEW YORK, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The oldest and most traditional dragon boat festival in America, the Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York (HKDBF-NY), kicked off Saturday, with a record number of teams competing from across the United States and Canada.

　　With a record number of more than 180 teams participating, involving more than 2,500 participants, this year's festival is expected to be notable¹ in its scale and fierce competition.

　　The festival keeps up the age old tradition of Dragon Boat Racing² in colorful, custom made teak boats, which are piloted by up to 20 crewmen, including 18 paddlers, a drummer and steers³ person.

　　"I love this sport pretty much, that's why I do it. I have my own team, and I do with my family, my wife is the manager and I'm the captain of the team," said Perter Gin, team leader of one of the participating teams, Fierce Dragons, told Xinhua.

　　HKDBF-NY, an international, multi-cultural celebration and sporting event, is the largest multi-cultural Festival in New York and the largest festival of its kind in the United States. For 22 successful years, it has attracted a diverse, multi-cultural audience of more than 50,000 attendees throughout North America.

　　The tradition of Dragon Boat Racing is an annual Chinese rite⁴ commemorating⁵ the idealistic poet and reformer Qu Yuan who drowned himself in the third century B.C. to protest against his emperor's policies.

　　The locals raced in their boats in an attempt to rescue the poet. To prevent fish and water dragons from eating his body, the locals beat their drums and splashed⁶ their paddles. This was the beginning of Dragon Boat Racing.

1 notable   

adj.值得注意的，著名的；n.名人，要人

参考例句：

• His achievement is very notable.他的成就是非常显著的。
• He wrote and published the essay under notable's name.他假托名人写文章发表。

2 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

3 steers   

n.阉公牛，肉用公牛( steer的名词复数 )v.驾驶( steer的第三人称单数 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• This car steers easily. 这部车子易于驾驶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Good fodder fleshed the steers up. 优质饲料使菜牛长肉。 来自辞典例句

4 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

5 commemorating   

v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements. 他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The post office issued a series commemorating famous American entertainers. 邮局发行了一个纪念美国著名演艺人员的系列邮票。 来自互联网

6 splashed   

v.使（液体）溅起( splash的过去式和过去分词 )；（指液体）溅落

参考例句：

• Water splashed onto the floor. 水哗的一声泼洒在地板上。
• The cowboy splashed his way across the shallow stream with his cow. 牧童牵着牛淌过浅溪。 来自《简明英汉词典》