New Year Parade 2012

The script of this programme 本节目台词

Neil: Hello. Welcome to On the Town from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Helen: 大家好，我是 Helen, 欢迎收听都市掠影。祝大家新年愉快。

Neil: Yes, a big happy new year to everyone! Barely hours after the huge celebration on New Year's Eve, thousands lined the streets of central London to take part in the New Year's parade.

Helen: 新年游行，the London New Year's parade. 这是伦敦每个新年开始时最大的庆祝活动。

New year 123! Happy New Year! Give them a wave and a cheer as they go past.

Neil: This is the 25th anniversary of London's New Year Parade. It's bigger and brighter than ever.

Helen: 是的，今年的游行真的是气势蓬勃，热闹非凡。

Neil: To make a parade really stand out you need lots of people and great marching bands. And there were plenty of both on New Year's Day.

There were lots of marching bands at the parade

Helen: 伦敦市中心的道路上都站满了人，而且游行队伍中的行进乐队 marching bands的 演奏特别鼓舞人心。BBC新闻记者 Ayesha Buksh 从现场报道：

10,000 people took part; performers represented every London borough and 20 countries. Many of the marching bands flew over from the United States of America.

Helen: Every London borough was represented in the parade. 伦敦的每一个区都有代表。Borough 就是一个地区。

Neil: And Helen, do you know how many boroughs there are in London?

Helen: Oh, I'm terrible with general knowledge. I'm going to have to have a guess, maybe 30?

Neil: Well, that's nearly the correct answer. It's 33, although one of them, the City of London, isn't really counted as a borough.

Helen: Oh, thanks for the information. 在新年游行中，33个区都派代表队参加。不过这可不仅仅是本地的表演者。有来自其他20多个国家的乐队或者是歌舞团。

Neil: It really has become an international event; many of the marching bands and cheerleading teams are from the United States of America.

Lots of cheerleading teams from America took part in the parade

Helen: And they were fantastic. 今年的游行队伍中有17支美国中学和大学的表演乐队 marching bands 和拉拉队 cheerleading teams.

Neil: These young Americans were full of enthusiasm and wowed the crowds with their music and energetic dance moves.

Helen: 这些美国学生们的出色表演充满了生气和色彩，赢得了路边观众不停的掌声和欢呼声。能参加伦敦新年游行对他们来说也是一次难忘的经历。

Every time I just look around and I'm like "Wow! I'm in London and I'm an international drum major". I keep saying that to my mum, "Mum, I'm a drum major in another country". It's fantastic!

Neil: This young lady is a drum major; she is the leader in the band.

Helen: Drum major 是乐队的领队，走在最前面，指挥乐队的方向和行进速度。

Neil: She was very excited to be in London and very proud of her achievement. I am sure her mum is watching the parade like millions of other Americans at home.

Helen: That's right. 有很多国家都对今年的游行进行了实况转播。Dan Kirkby 是游行组织人之一，他介绍说：

We're expecting half a million people on the streets today, and I think we've exceeded that already. And it's going live around the world. We are getting messages from Perth, western Australia, New Mexico, right across USA, and its been relayed to something like 600 TV stations.

Neil: My goodness! That is quite a lot of TV coverage then. 600 TV stations are relaying the parade.

Helen: 实况转播就是 relay, 600 多家电视台都转播了游行。可想而知人们对这次活动的兴趣很浓。

Neil: And for the spectators on the street, they had a visual feast and everyone was in high spirits.

Helen: 除了乐队之外，我们还看到了各种浮动舞车 floats. 双层公共汽车 double-decker bus.

The Pearly Kings and Queens wear clothes decorated with pearl buttons

Neil: There were Chinese fan dancers, horse riders, Pearly Queens and Kings, you name it, we've seen it.

Helen: Absolutely, there were all sorts of interesting things. 中国扇舞 fan dance, 不同的马车 horse carriages, 还有伦敦特有的珍珠女王和国王 Pearly Queens and Kings, 他们的服装好多都是祖传下来的。

Neil: And it's great fun for the people in the parade.

Q: What is it like taking part in today's parade?

A: I haven't missed one. I was on the first one and I've been on every other one since.

Q: What do you enjoy about it?

A: Just being part of London.

Helen: 这位老先生是位珍珠国王，他参加过每一年的游行。

Neil: He is a veteran and to him the best thing about it is being part of London.

Helen: 对参观的人来说，他们的感觉是什么呢？

Man 1: I think it's a great experience, showing London at its best.

Man 2: For everybody to get together. It's a day out, a family day out. It's getting over the New Year celebrations.

Woman: I'm a bit cold, but it's fun, I love the spirit, and that the fact that everybody here is mostly from other countries shows what a cosmopolitan city we're living in.

Helen: 有人说这是难忘的经历 a great experience. 展示伦敦最美好的一面。

Neil: Getting people together, a great day out for a family.

Helen: 还有让我们感受到伦敦是一个现代多元化的城市 a cosmopolitan city.

Neil: And best of all, in 2012, we have the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration to look forward to.

Helen: 是啊，伦敦奥运马上就要到了，还有今年也是英女王登基60年的钻石纪念。We shall have a very busy year to look forward to.

Neil: And the London parade has to be the most positive way to start the New Year for all of us.

Helen: 希望将来大家也有机会来伦敦，感受英国首都特别的新年气氛。再次祝大家新年快乐！谢谢收听。

Neil: Bye.

Helen: Bye.