(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Kite-Flying Gives a Lift to People of All Ages
When Americans Kay and Larry Day found a store selling kites nearly 20 years ago, they decided to buy a few kites for their family.
For fun, Larry bought one for himself.
"He went out and flew it and decided he needed to go back and get a better one," Kay remembered.
Since then, she and her husband have loved kite flying. They own many kites and plan trips around flying them. They also organize a kite-flying event each winter in their hometown in Iowa.
"I'm at peace when I'm flying," said Larry.
Kite-flying has a long history as an activity for adults and children. The custom of flying a piece of cloth high in the sky began more than 2,000 years ago in China. Since then, kites have been used to do scientific experiments, power boats, take pictures from the air and much more.
"There is a kind of a kite for everybody out there," said Nic O'Neill, president of the American Kitefliers Association.
O'Neill told the Associated Press that kite flying can be done alone or with friends and family. Kites appeal to people who like to create works of art to fly in the sky; to engineers who try to improve on the kite's design; and to those who like to combine kite-flying with music, she explained.
"The best thing about it is you can come at it from different points in your life and have it be a completely different experience," she said.
Grant Lovett began flying simple kites as a child, but moved on to more costly and complex kites as an adult. Among the latter is a nearly 13-meter long inflatable kite.
Today, Lovett likes making his own kites. He builds them from strong, lightweight materials and products designed for sailboats.
"I've always been interested in stuff that flies," he said.
Lovett likes taking his creations to public events and sharing them with others. He attends kite-making classes and looks for new models on the internet.
"I don't make tons and tons of the same thing," he said. "I like making new kites, finding new designs."
Lovett makes kites of different shapes and sizes because flying conditions can differ greatly.
Flying kites requires skill, but also a little artistry, he noted. Experience makes a difference, as does the weather.
"Part of the reason I love kiting is that you have to risk trying and not succeeding. The best way to learn is to go out, undo the string and let your kite fly," O'Neill said.
Ideally, you want a nice steady wind and a place away from trees and buildings, O'Neill said.
Sometimes the best flying conditions happen in winter — on a frozen lake, said Kay Day, who with her husband organizes the Color the Wind Kite Festival. It takes place every February on Clear Lake in Iowa.
The festival adds color to the winter sky and gives people a reason to go outside, she added. The Days invite expert fliers to come share their love for kites with locals and visitors. This year, more than 100 children attended a kite-making class.
"Kiters are a really good group of people. It's a family," said Larry Day.
The kiting community makes everyone feel welcome, said PV Nguyen of Portland, Oregon. She says her two children started flying kites about three years ago after attending a kite festival. "The kite fliers we know want to teach the kids everything they can," she said. "They like that there's a new generation coming up."
Her sons, Dylan, and Cardin, fly with kiters of all ages. "I do enjoy seeing different people," Dylan said.
The 13-year-old also likes the happy feelings that he experiences when his kite moves through the sky.
"It's really calming," he said.
I'm Susan Shand.
重点解析
1.at peace 处于和平状态
Once I knew I was forgiven I could be at peace with myself at last.。
一旦我知道自己得到了宽恕，便可以心平气和了。
2.moves through 穿过
When a charged particle moves through the air, there are sparks.
当带电的粒子在空气中运动时，会产生火花。
3.go outside 外出
Could we go outside just for a second?
我们出去呆一小会儿行吗？
4.takes place 发生；举行
The meeting takes place against a background of continuing political violence.
这次会议是在政治暴力连续不断的背景下召开的。
5.Experience makes a difference, as does the weather.
makes a difference 有意义；有影响
I can make a difference in this word.
世界会因我而不同。
You can make a difference with the looks of your eyes.
你可以让你的眼睛看起来不一样。
6.Kite-flying has a long history as an activity for adults and children.
has a long history ...历史悠久
Jazz has a long history in America.
爵士乐在美国有很久远的历史了。
This house has a long history.
这所房子有一段悠久的历史。
参考译文
放风筝能让人心情平静愉悦
大约20年前, 美国人凯（Kay）和拉里·戴（Larry Day）发现一家商店出售风筝时, 他们决定给家人买几只风筝。
为了解闷, 拉里自己也买了一个。
凯回忆道：“他到户外放飞风筝后决定再去店里买个更好的。”
从那以后, 她和丈夫都喜欢上了放风筝。他们拥有很多风筝，还计划到全球各地放风筝。每年冬天，他们都会在爱荷华州的家乡组织一次放风筝活动。
拉里说：“放风筝时，我感到内心平静。”
作为一项老少皆宜的活动，放风筝有着悠久的历史。放绢鸢的习俗早在2000多年前的中国就开始盛行了。在那之后，风筝还被用来做科学实验、驱动汽艇、航拍等等。
美国风筝协会会长尼克·奥尼尔（Nic O'Neill）说：“每个人都能找到一款心仪的风筝。”
奥尼尔告诉美联社记者，放风筝可以单独进行，也可以跟亲友合力完成。她解释道：对于那些喜欢创造能在天空飞翔的艺术品的人、试图改进风筝设计的工程师们以及喜欢把放风筝与音乐相结合的人来说，风筝充满了吸引力。
奥尼尔还说：“风筝最大的优点在于，你可以从生活中的不同角度来看待它，并且会得到完全不同的体验。”
格兰特·洛维特（Grant Lovett）打小就开始放简单的风筝，成年后，他开始选择更加昂贵、工艺更复杂的风筝。其中就包括一个约13米长的充气式风筝。
如今，洛维特喜欢自制风筝。他用专为帆船设计的坚固、轻质材料和产品来制作风筝。
他说：“我一直对飞行类物品感兴趣。”
洛维特喜欢把他的作品带到公共场合与他人分享。他参加制作风筝的课程，还上网发掘新的款式。
他说：“我不喜欢重复单调的风格。我喜欢打造新风筝，发明新的设计。”
由于飞行条件存在巨大的差异，因此洛维特制作的风筝形状各异，大小不一。
他指出：放风筝需要技巧，同样也需要一点艺术性。经验和天气都会影响（放飞的效果）。
奥尼尔说：“我爱放风筝的部分原因是哪怕不一定成功，你也要放手一搏。最好的学习方法就是到户外，解开绳子，放飞手里的风筝。”
奥尼尔说：“放风筝的理想环境是：风向稳定并且远离树木和建筑物。”
凯·戴说：“有时候，最好的放飞环境是冬天结冰的湖面。”凯和丈夫组织了“五彩乘风”风筝节。每年2月份，爱荷华州的克里尔湖上会举办该风筝节。
她补充说：风筝节让冬日的天空色彩缤纷，也让大家趁机走出户外。戴氏夫妇邀请放风筝专家与当地居民和游客分享他们对风筝的喜爱。今年，100多名儿童参加了风筝制作课程。
拉里·戴说：“风筝爱好者是一群很和善的人，就像一家人一样。”
来自俄勒冈州波特兰市的安格纽说：“风筝社群让每个人都感觉宾至如归。”她说，三年前，她的两个孩子参加完一个风筝节后开始放风筝。她说：“我们认识的风筝爱好者们对孩子们倾囊相授。他们很高兴培养新一代风筝爱好者。”
她的儿子迪伦（Dylan）和卡丁（Cardin）跟各个年龄段的风筝爱好者一起玩耍。迪伦说：“我真的很享受接触不同的人的感觉。”
这为13岁少年同样喜欢空中放飞风筝带来的快乐感受。
他说：“放风筝真的能让人舒缓。”
苏珊·尚德为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
