VOA标准英语2009年-Holidays Bring Magic to Botanic Garden

Nine garden trains tantalize¹ children and adults

Zulima Palacio | Washington, DC 09 December 2009
Children are amazed by the trains and the characters from children's stories and fables²

"Holiday Magic" is the title of this year's holiday exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden in the nation's capital. While the trains meander³, the magic of children's literature comes alive in the gardens, mesmerizing⁴ young and old.

Holiday joy comes through loud and clear in the faces of children.  There are many joyful⁵ faces here,  at the annual holiday exhibit of the National Botanic Garden.

The rich colors, the magical buildings -like this teddy bear factory- and the mini trains, win the undivided attention of young and old.

Behind the scenes, Jack⁶ Frost is in charge of keeping all nine trains running.  "We control four from here.  This is the big transformer for the big passenger train up there," he explained.

He says everything --including speed and lights-- can be controlled from here, except the whistle.  "There are little magnets in the track, when the train goes over the magnet, it blows the whistle," he said.

Frost has loved miniature trains since childhood.  He has a large collection at home. During the holidays at the Botanic Garden, he makes sure the trains keep running.

Frost says his efforts are rewarded when he sees how amazed the children are by the trains and the characters from children's stories and fables.
  
Lindsey has visited the train exhibit two years in a row with her children. "It is wonderful to be here, the trains are beautiful and its magical," she said. "We love it!"

Near the train exhibit, the garden court displays miniature replicas⁷ of Washington monuments such as the Capitol, the Jefferson Memorial and the Smithsonian Castle. 

Botanic Garden director Holly⁸ Shimizu says the replicas are unique. "They are all made out of natural plant parts, plant material, so the amazing use of things like egg corn and grape leaves and vines and pinecones and they are one of a kind, you cannot see these anywhere else," she said.

This year, artist Paul Busse made some changes to the building collection -- especially the White House. 

"The new vegetable garden that we are so proud to show, and the swing set the Obamas put in for their children," Shimizu said.

With thousands of visitors every day, this is the busiest time of the year for the U.S. Botanic Garden. The beauty and exuberance⁹ of the annual holiday exhibit has turned the Botanic Garden into another Washington monument.

 

1 tantalize   

vt.使干着急，逗弄

参考例句：

• The boy would come into the room and tantalize the dog with his feed.那个男孩会到房间里拿狗食逗弄狗。
• He tried to tantalize me by revealing that the Soviet Union was prepared to discuss a package deal.他想要逗弄我，于是就露出口风说，苏联愿意讨论一揽子交易。

2 fables   

n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说

参考例句：

• Some of Aesop's Fables are satires. 《伊索寓言》中有一些是讽刺作品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Little Mexican boys also breathe the American fables. 墨西哥族的小孩子对美国神话也都耳濡目染。 来自辞典例句

3 meander   

n.河流的曲折，漫步，迂回旅行；v.缓慢而弯曲地流动，漫谈

参考例句：

• Visitors and locals alike meander along the sidewalks of the Seine River.游客与当地人沿着塞纳河岸漫步聊天。
• They tumble down mountainsides and meander through flat farmlands.它们滚滚冲下山脊，蜿蜒穿过平坦的农田。

4 mesmerizing   

adj.有吸引力的，有魅力的v.使入迷( mesmerize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I think you must be mesmerizing me, Charles. 查尔斯，我想你一定在对我施催眠术啦。 来自辞典例句
• The attendant one-dimensional wave equation has mesmerizing harmonic properties. 伴生的一元波平衡具有迷人的和谐特性。 来自电影对白

5 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 replicas   

n.复制品( replica的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His hobby is building replicas of cars. 他的爱好是制作汽车的复制品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The replicas are made by using a thin film of fusible alloy on a stiffening platen. 复制是用附着在加强托板上的可熔合金薄膜实现的。 来自辞典例句

8 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

9 exuberance   

n.丰富；繁荣

参考例句：

• Her burst of exuberance and her brightness overwhelmed me.她勃发的热情和阳光的性格征服了我。
• The sheer exuberance of the sculpture was exhilarating.那尊雕塑表现出的勃勃生机让人振奋。