VOA标准英语2012--Christmas Celebrations Underway Around the World
时间：2018-12-08 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(十二月)
Christmas Celebrations Underway Around the World
It is an annual tradition in Thailand -- elephants dressed as Santa Claus on parade, handing out toys to school children. And it is not just the children who get excited.
"Oh this is the best day of the year. This is the best day of the year when the elephants come,'' St. Clair said.
Halfway 1 across the world in Mexico, Santa takes a human form, going for a swim with the fishes, delighting children at a zoo in Guadalajara.
Elsewhere in Mexico, for the 115th year they are celebrating "Noche de Rabanos" - Night of the Radish - with Christmas sculptures carved out of, what else, radishes.
"It is brilliant how the artisans transform this pieces into magic, they make you dream and make your thoughts shine and transport them somewhere else with their images," said tourist Enedina Corona 2.
In frozen Moscow it is cold ... but not too cold for Grandfather Frost to make an appearance by bus and even call on a bit of holiday magic.
In Germany, families warm up before heading into the forest to cut down their own Christmas trees ... and lug 3 them back home.
Wherever you go there is plenty of shopping to do. American shoppers are packing into stores hoping to find last-minute gifts and deals.
In Lagos, Nigeria, decorations are up ... but many last-minute shoppers worry the celebrations will be dampened by frequent power outages.
"Nigeria is in a state where if you don't have, if you are not in some good estate that has their own power supply or their own generator 4 or you don't have the money to run your own generator, you can't enjoy these simple things that make Christmas enjoyable,'' said Lagos resident Ugomma Ugochukwu.
There are also the more traditional celebrations - like this one in Bethlehem, where bands play in Manger Square as crowds gather to celebrate Midnight Mass.
Even in war-ravaged Syria, there are signs of Christmas, though onr Christian 5 woman says this year the holiday is more about hope than joy.
"Our only hope is that our God will be with us and help us to do something to heal the wounds of those displaced and sad families, and to make them happy, even with symbolic 6 things,'' said housewife Nimir.
A Syrian choir 7 is finding reasons to sing as many in Syria and across the world pray for a safer and happier new year.
- We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
- In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。
- The corona gains and loses energy continuously.日冕总是不断地获得能量和损失能量。
- The corona is a brilliant,pearly white,filmy light,about as bright as the full moon.光环带是一种灿烂的珠白色朦胧光，几乎像满月一样明亮。
- Nobody wants to lug around huge suitcases full of clothes.谁都不想拖着个装满衣服的大箱子到处走。
- Do I have to lug those suitcases all the way to the station?难道非要我把那些手提箱一直拉到车站去吗？
- All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
- This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。
- They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
- His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。