VOA慢速英语--疫情期间 成千上万的人装饰他们的家来庆祝狂欢节

Each year, the city of New Orleans in the State of Louisiana holds a celebration known as Mardi Gras. This year, traditional activities have been canceled because of the coronavirus health crisis¹. But, many houses around the city are now preparing for the special week.

The Mardi Gras celebration often involves a parade with people dressing² in colorful clothes and special vehicles covered in decorations called floats. What is known as Carnival³ season begins in early January and ends in February.

Mardi Gras is one of several Carnival celebrations in traditionally Roman Catholic⁴ parts of the world. The celebrations are held the day before Catholics begin the religious observance of Lent.

The house float movement

Even before the city announced its plans, some groups decided⁵ they would not be parading for the 2021 Mardi Gras. Safer choices include handing out gifts from a streetcar and organizing outdoor art and virtual⁶ parades.

The "house float" movement started in November after a government official said the parade would be canceled. The term "house float" describes homes decorated as if they were Mardi Gras floats.

Megan Joy Boudreaux lives in New Orleans. She started the Krewe of House Floats group. She wrote on Twitter: "We're doing this. Turn your house into a float and throw all the beads⁷ from your attic⁸ at your neighbors walking by."

Her Tweet was meant as a joke. But, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she liked the idea. When she created the Krewe of House Floats, she thought only a few friends and family would join. But there are now 39 smaller groups to help plan for different areas in the city.

"I didn't think I was starting a Mardi Gras krewe. Here I am," Boudreaux said. "I've got myself a second full-time⁹ job."

January 6 was the official first day of Carnival season and the group already has more than 9,000 members. Three thousand of the members are from other states or countries. There is even an online map of people who are decorating their houses. Charlotte "Charlie" Jallans-Daly is one of two mapmakers for the project. She said people as far away as England and Australia are showing their houses online.

This year, the Mardi Gras celebration will be on February 16. Houses are to be decorated at least two weeks before. The hope is that people will spread out widely and see the homes during different times.

The Facebook group includes people teaching¹⁰ each other skills and discussions¹¹ about advertisements and neighborhood themes. Artists are also giving lessons over the internet.

Some neighborhoods want to show an idea behind their decorations. Katie Bankens wanted the theme for her neighborhood to be based on Shark Week, a week of television programs about sharks.

Artists decorate homes and businesses

Boudreaux, of the Krewe of House Floats, suggested people help employ and buy from out-of-work Carnival artists and suppliers. They were affected¹² by the parade cancellation¹³. Many more artists have gotten involved.

Dominic "Dom" Graves¹⁴ is an artist who has organized more than 20 five-person classes in professional paper-mache methods. Each person pays $100 to learn how to create art for the celebration out of paper, water and flour.

Devin DeWulf is an artist from New Orleans. He started two aid groups to help the community during the health crisis. He runs another social group: the Krewe of Red Beans.

Caroline Thomas is an expert float designer and is working with DeWulf. They created the "Hire a Mardi Gras Artist" program. They are collecting money for groups of artists to help decorate 11 houses and seven businesses.

One of the houses to be decorated is rented by Sisters Mary Ann Specha and Julie Walsh. They are Catholic religious workers who operate a shelter for homeless women with children. They received permission for the project from their organization in Dubuque, Iowa.

DeWulf said decorations made by the artists could be sold to raise more money.

"We've put about 40 people to work, which is nice," DeWulf said.

Words in This Story

decorations –n. (pl.) artwork added to something to make it more interesting or attractive

beads –n. (pl.) small completely round pieces of glass, metal or other material that are often strung together and worn or used to decorate objects

app – n. a computer program that performs a special function

attic – n. a room or space that is just below the roof of a building and that is often used to store things

themes – n. the main subject that is being discussed or described

rent –v. to pay the owner of a property for its use

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

3 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。

4 catholic   

adj.天主教的；n.天主教徒

参考例句：

• The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。
• She was a devoutly Catholic.她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 virtual   

adj.实质上的，事实上的，实际上的

参考例句：

• This reply is a virtual acceptance of our offer.这一回答实质上是接受了我们的建议。
• At that time the East India Company was the virtual ruler of Bengal.那时东印度公司是孟加拉的实际统治者。

7 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

8 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

9 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

10 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

11 discussions   

n.讨论( discussion的名词复数 )；商讨；详述；论述

参考例句：

• Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department. 讨论限于在本部门内非正式地进行。
• Her specialist input to the discussions has been very useful. 她在这些讨论中提供的专家建议很有助益。

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

13 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

14 graves   

n.（法国）格拉芙葡萄酒；坟墓( grave的名词复数 )；死亡；钝重音符；沉音符v.坟墓( grave的第三人称单数 )；死亡；钝重音符；沉音符

参考例句：

• He went to visit the graves of his forefathers. 他去拜谒他祖先的墓地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were eating themselves into their graves. 他们吃喝过度，在自找死路。 来自《简明英汉词典》