2006年VOA标准英语-A Street Shines with the ‘Miracle of Lights’

By June Soh
Baltimore, Maryland
21 December 2006
 
watch Miracle of Lights report

Jingle¹ bells and Christmas trees. Houses and buildings covered with lights and ornaments².  These are all part of the holiday season in the United States -- meant to boost people's spirits.   This is especially true in one small neighborhood in the eastern U.S. state of Maryland -- where there is a unique tradition that the people there call "The Miracle of Lights".  VOA's Melinda Smith narrates³.

 
A Christmas street, animatronic display
It is the time of year again when a block of 34th Street in Baltimore, Maryland, transforms itself into "The Miracle" -- as it is called in the community.   Entire households in this little block in the Hampden neighborhood adorn⁴ their rooftops, lawns and porches with elaborate lights and animatronic displays.

Daniel Brewer⁵ has lived on the block for 20 years. "This is our 18th year," he says.  "It's our gift to the community.  It's our gift to the city.  It's our gift to the all the people who come to see it, especially the children."

The collaborative gift, which has become one of the most famous and glittering attractions for the holiday season in Baltimore, strikes wonder in children and adults alike, and draws quite a crowd.

Joan Maenner, who lives in a nearby suburb, says her family has come to see the decorations every year for 11 years. "It is a family tradition and it is a Baltimore tradition. And it's just part of being in Baltimore.  Come in here, be with everybody, lights and Christmas. Everybody is in a Christmas spirit."

Each household demonstrates its creativity: a Christmas tree made entirely⁶ of hubcaps; a lawn covered with teddy bears; decorations centered on a peace theme with the word "peace" in several languages under lines of flags.     

The residents are not required to participate in the tradition but they do it willingly, says Jeanette Middlesworth, who moved into a 34th Street home four years ago.  "Oh yeah, oh yeah. It was the decorating thing that I wanted to buy the house -- because of the tradition."

 
'Miracle of Lights', a Christmas display in Baltimore, Maryland
The block is lit up on the weekend after Thanksgiving.   It stays lit every night from dusk until about 11 o'clock and all night on Christmas Eve.   Long-time resident Sharon Burke is called the mayor of the neighborhood.  She coordinates⁷ the neighbors' efforts. "Without working together this would have never happened.  Everybody has worked together on this.  And it made neighbors a lot closer.  Since this has happened we know pretty much everybody by name."

Burke says the residents do have one concern. That is the complaints from near-by neighbors about the traffic jams caused by visitors. "But hey, it is only for six weeks out of the year. So it's worth every minute of it."

Burke says the amount of time the residents put into the decorations is nothing compared to the enjoyment⁸ that every one gets out of it. 

And she says they are confident there is no better way to celebrate the holiday season than the "Miracle of Lights" in Hampden.

1 jingle   

n.叮当声，韵律简单的诗句；v.使叮当作响，叮当响，押韵

参考例句：

• The key fell on the ground with a jingle.钥匙叮当落地。
• The knives and forks set up their regular jingle.刀叉发出常有的叮当声。

2 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

4 adorn   

vt.使美化，装饰

参考例句：

• She loved to adorn herself with finery.她喜欢穿戴华丽的服饰。
• His watercolour designs adorn a wide range of books.他的水彩设计使许多图书大为生色。

5 brewer   

n. 啤酒制造者

参考例句：

• Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
• I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

6 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

7 coordinates   

n.相配之衣物；坐标( coordinate的名词复数 )；（颜色协调的）配套服装；[复数]女套服；同等重要的人（或物）v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的第三人称单数 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• The town coordinates on this map are 695037. 该镇在这幅地图上的坐标是695037。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。