(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
This is Steve Ember with a VOA Special English holiday program.
Music fills the air. Colorful lights shine brightly in windows. Children and adults open gifts from loved ones and friends. These are all Christmas traditions.
Another tradition is snow. Christmas in the northern part of the world comes a few days after the start of winter. In many places, a blanket of clean white snow covers the ground on Christmas Day. This is what is meant by a "White Christmas."
Of course, many places do not get snow at Christmas. In fact, they may be very warm this time of year. People who like snow, but live where it is warm, can only dream of having a white Christmas.
American songwriter Irving Berlin captured these feelings in his song "White Christmas." It is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. The opening words explain why the singer is dreaming of a white Christmas. Most people never hear these words, so they never really understand the true meaning of the song. Here's how it starts:
The sun is shining.
The grass is green.
The orange and palm trees sway.
I've never seen such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it's December the 24th
And I'm longing to be up north.
Up north, where it is cold and snowy.
Not south, where it is warm and sunny.
Over the years, hundreds of singers and musicians have recorded "White Christmas." But the version most people still know best was sung by Bing Crosby.
Songwriter Irving Berlin was born in Russia in 1888. He did not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. He was Jewish.
But his song celebrates an idea of peace and happiness that anyone, anywhere -- snowy or not -- can enjoy.
To all of you, best wishes this holiday season from all of us in VOA Special English.
This is Steve Ember.
词汇解释
1.palm n. 手掌；棕榈树；掌状物 vt. 将…藏于掌中
A bird settled on his palm.
一只鸟停落在他的手掌上。
2.blanket n. 毛毯，毯子；毯状物，覆盖层 adj. 总括的，全体的；没有限制的 vt. 覆盖，掩盖；用毯覆盖
She huddled herself in the blanket.
她用毯子紧紧裹住自己。
参考译文
这里是史蒂夫·恩伯主持的美国之音特别英语周末栏目。
音乐在空气中欢唱，无彩缤纷的颜色光彩夺目的照耀在窗户玻璃上。孩子们和大人们打开至爱的人和朋友送来的礼物。这是圣诞节的传统习俗。
圣诞节另一个传统便是雪。在北方的世界里，冬季开始几天之后便迎来了圣诞节。许多地方，圣诞节期间，世间万物包裹在洁白的雪被之中。这就是“白色圣诞节的”涵义所在。
当然，世界还有些地方圣诞节期间并不下雪。实际上，在这一时节，这些地区还会非常暖和。人们大都喜欢白雪，但是对于那些生活在此时正值温暖时节的人来说，只能梦想拥有一个白色的圣诞节。
美国词作者欧文·伯林在他的歌词中描绘了这种感情，“白色圣诞节”，一直以来，这是最受欢迎的一首圣诞节之歌。
这首歌开头的几句歌词解释了为什么演唱者梦想白色的圣诞节。大多数人没听过歌词，所以不会真正懂得这首歌的真实含义。开头的几句是这样的：
太阳照耀着大地。绿色荫荫。桔子树的棕榈树的树叶随风摇曳。
在洛杉矶的比佛利山庄, 我经历了从未经历的这一天，这一天是12月24日。
我向往着去北方，去雪花飘舞的寒冷的北方，而不是在阳光普照的温暖的南方。
这么多年来，数百位歌手和音乐家录制了这首 “白色圣诞节”, 但是由平·克劳斯贝演唱的版本人们至今仍然最为熟悉。
歌词作者欧文·伯林于1888年生于俄罗斯。他并不是以宗教假日的方式来庆祝圣诞节的，他是犹太人。
但是他的歌曲所歌颂的和平和幸福的思想是任何地方的任何人，无论下雪抑或不下雪，都能体会的幸福。
VOA特别英语的所有人员为大家的圣诞季送上最美好的愿望。我是史蒂夫·恩伯。
