春节假期之后就是元宵节。元宵节也是我国重要的传统节日，各地都有一些欢庆元宵节的传统民俗。
Turning iron into fireworks
by Anna White
It is -15°C in Nuanquan, China, and a blacksmith dressed in a traditional straw hat and sheepskin vest hurls ladle after ladle of molten iron at a massive, icy wall. The collision between the 1600°C liquid metal and the frozen brick creates a waterfall of sparks cascading over him, equally beautiful and dangerous.
blacksmith /ˈblæksmɪθ/ n. 铁匠
traditional /trəˈdɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 传统的（由tradition加后缀-al变成形容词）
straw /strɔː/ n. 稻草（straw hat就是草帽）
sheepskin /ˈʃiːpskɪn/ n. 羊皮（由sheep和skin组成）
vest /vest/ n. 背心、马甲
hurl /hɜːl/ v. 用力扔
ladle /ˈleɪd(ə)l/ n. 长柄勺子
molten /ˈməʊlt(ə)n/ adj. 熔化的
massive /ˈmæsɪv/ adj. 巨大的
icy /ˈaɪsi/ adj. 结冰的（由ice加后缀-y变成形容词）
collision /kəˈlɪʒ(ə)n/ n. 碰撞
brick /brɪk/ n. 砖
waterfall /ˈwɔːtəfɔːl/ n. 瀑布、像瀑布的东西（由water和fall组成）
spark /spɑːk/ n. 火星、火花
cascade /kæsˈkeɪd/ v. 狂泻
equally /ˈiːkwəli/ adv. 相等地、同样地（由equal加后缀-ly变成副词）
This performance is a 500-year-old tradition in Nuanquan known as Da Shuhua, which translates literally to "beating down the tree flowers," a name borne from the agricultural practice of hitting fruit trees to stimulate growth. The fireworks resemble falling blossoms.
performance /pəˈfɔːməns/ n. 表演
tradition /trəˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 传统
translate /trænsˈleɪt/ v. 翻译
literally /ˈlɪt(ə)r(ə)li/ adv. 字面上
borne from 来自
agricultural /ˌæɡrɪˈkʌltʃ(ə)r(ə)l/ adj. 农业的（由agriculture加后缀-al变成形容词）
practice /ˈpræktɪs/ n. 实践、做法
stimulate /ˈstɪmjuleɪt/ v. 刺激、激励
firework /ˈfaɪəwɜːk/ n. 烟花、烟火
resemble /rɪˈzemb(ə)l/ v. 看起来像
blossom /ˈblɒs(ə)m/ n. 花朵
Located in Yu County, in the northwestern Hebei province, Nuanquan has a population of less than 20,000. But when the sun sets on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year celebrations, hundreds brave the freezing February temperatures to see the town's unusual pyrotechnic（烟火的） display, part of the annual Yu County Lantern Festival.
county /ˈkaʊnti/ n. 县（Yu County是蔚县）
northwestern /nɔːθˈwest(ə)n/ adj. 西北部的
province /ˈprɒvɪns/ n. 省
set /set/ v. 日落
lunar /ˈluːnə(r)/ adj. 月亮的（这里指阴历的）
celebration /ˌseləˈbreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 庆祝（由celebrate加后缀-ion变成名词）
brave /breɪv/ v. 冒着、顶着
lantern /ˈlæntən/ n. 灯笼（Lantern Festival就是元宵节）
Chinese culture has celebrated the Lunar New Year for over 3,800 years. Traditional rituals, like dining on dumplings and fish, wearing red and setting off fireworks, are intended to ensure a lucky year. However, fireworks weren't always widely affordable. In Nuanquan, Da Shuhua was developed as a way for the less wealthy residents to still celebrate with firework displays.
celebrate /ˈseləbreɪt/ v. 庆祝、欢庆
ritual /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ n. 仪式、礼节
dine /daɪn/ v. 用餐、吃饭
dumpling /ˈdʌmplɪŋ/ n. 有馅的面食（比如饺子、包子、锅贴等，这里指饺子）
set off 燃放
ensure /ɪnˈʃʊə(r)/ v. 确保
widely /ˈwaɪdli/ adv. 广泛地（由wide加后缀-ly变成副词）
affordable /əˈfɔːdəb(ə)l/ adj. 买得起的（由afford加后缀-able变成形容词）
wealthy /ˈwelθi/ adj. 富有的（由wealth加后缀-y变成形容词）
resident /ˈrezɪd(ə)nt/ n. 居民
A town with a highly developed steel industry, Nuanquan historically has been home to many blacksmiths. Throughout the year, local families would contribute scrap iron for these blacksmiths to melt down and hurl at the town's over-9-meter-high replica of the city's old gated wall to create their own "poor men's fireworks" on the night of the Lantern Festival.
highly /ˈhaɪli/ adv. 高度地（由high加后缀-ly变成副词）
steel /stiːl/ n. 钢、钢铁
historically /hɪˈstɒrɪk(ə)li/ adv. 历史上（由historical加后缀-ly变成副词）
throughout /θruːˈaʊt/ prep. 从…的开始到结束
contribute /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/ v. 捐献
scrap /skræp/ n. 废品、废料（scrap iron就是废铁）
melt /melt/ v. 熔化
replica /ˈreplɪkə/ n. 复制品
gated wall 指带有城门的城墙
Today in China, the constraints on residents celebrating the New Year with pyrotechnics（烟火展示） are environmental, not financial. The explosion of fireworks releases PM2.5, or fine particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, into the air, causing the pollutant to reach dangerous levels of up to 650 micrograms per cubic meter – well over the limit of 500 on China's air quality index.
constraint /kənˈstreɪnt/ n. 限制、约束
environmental /ɪnˌvaɪr(ə)nˈment(ə)l/ adj. 环境的（由environment加后缀-al变成形容词）
explosion /ɪkˈspləʊʒ(ə)n/ n. 爆炸
release /rɪˈliːs/ v. 释放、放出
fine /faɪn/ adj. 细小的
particulate /pɑːˈtɪkjulət/ adj. 微粒的
matter /ˈmætə(r)/ n. 物质（PM2.5中的PM就是particulate matter的缩写）
diameter /daɪˈæmɪtə(r)/ n. 直径
micrometer /ˈmaɪkrəʊˌmiːtə(r)/ n. 微米（1微米是1米的百万分之一，前缀micro-在用于计量单位时表示百万分之一）
cause /kɔːz/ v. 导致
pollutant /pəˈluːt(ə)nt/ n. 污染物
level /ˈlev(ə)l/ n. 数量、浓度
microgram /ˈmaɪkrəʊɡræm/ n. 微克（1微克是1克的百万分之一）
cubic /ˈkjuːbɪk/ adj. 立方的（cubic meter就是立方米）
well /wel/ adv. 远远（表示强调）
quality /ˈkwɒləti/ n. 质量
index /ˈɪndeks/ n. 指数
As of 2018, the Chinese government has issued bans on fireworks in 444 Chinese cities in an effort to reduce pollution. These restrictions, along with concerns with safety and lack of space, have caused the popularity of traditional fireworks to wane among younger generations in China's larger cities.
issue /ˈɪʃuː/ v. 公布、宣布
ban /bæn/ n. 禁令
pollution /pəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ n. 污染
restriction /rɪˈstrɪkʃ(ə)n/ n. 限制（由restrict加后缀-ion变成名词）
along with 加上
concern /kənˈsɜːn/ n. 担心、担忧
safety /ˈseɪfti/ n. 安全
popularity /ˌpɒpjuˈlærəti/ n. 流行、受欢迎（由popular加后缀-ity变成名词）
wane /weɪn/ v. 衰落、减弱
generation /ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 一代人
Meanwhile, Nuanquan's Da Shuhua "fireworks" are more popular than ever. Due to an influx of tourists clamoring to see the unique tradition, the town's blacksmiths have upgraded their performances. While the performers still favor traditional sheepskin and cotton clothing rather than modern and safer firefighting suits, Da Shuhua exhibitions now feature singers, dancers, and professional lighting and sound systems.
meanwhile /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ adv. 与此同时
influx /ˈɪnflʌks/ n. 涌入
clamor /ˈklæmə(r)/ v. 吵着闹着要某个东西
unique /juːˈniːk/ adj. 独一无二的
upgrade /ʌpˈɡreɪd/ v. 升级（由up和grade组成）
performer /pəˈfɔːmə(r)/ n. 表演者
favor /ˈfeɪvə(r)/ v. 更喜欢、偏爱
cotton /ˈkɒt(ə)n/ n. 棉花、棉线
firefight /ˈfaɪəfaɪt/ v. 救火（由fire和fight组成）
exhibition /ˌeksɪˈbɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 展示、表演
feature /ˈfiːtʃə(r)/ v. 以…为特色
professional /prəˈfeʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 专业的、职业的
lighting /ˈlaɪtɪŋ/ n. 照明、布光
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