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独立記念日を祝う
アメリカの独立記念日の7月4日には、全米各地で祝賀行事が催されます。マサチューセッツ工科大学(MIT)のあるケンブリッジ市と隣町のボストンの間を流れるチャールズ川沿いでも、さまざまなイベントが行なわれ、多くの人が詰めかけます。桑木さんはボストンで過ごす最後の夏を、友人とのピクニックや花火で楽しみました。
Celebrating Independence Day
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この日のチャールズ川周辺は、祝日を満喫しようとする多くの人々で混雑する
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The summer is always a time of relaxation for students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Many choose to return home for the vacation, but many students also choose to stay on campus. Students might work, do research, take summer classes or simply remain to be near their friends.
A major event during this time is Boston's Fourth of July (Independence Day) festivities. Thousands of people gather on this day to celebrate America's birthday. Along the banks of the Charles River, which divides
Cambridge from Boston, people put up tents and prepare for picnics to enjoy the day off with friends and family. Hot dog stands, snow cone and ice cream trucks, barbecue grills, balloons, colorful umbrellas and face painting set the mood for celebration.
This year, I gathered with my friends for a picnic on the banks of the Charles. The Harvard Bridge spans the river and we often walk across it to get to the Boston side. The view from this bridge is spectacular when the weather is nice; the Boston skyline lies between the clear blue skies and the sparkling water, with numerous white sailboats
in the foreground.
On July 4 this year, sailboats, kayaks and floats, decorated red, white and blue, floated comfortably on the waters of the Charles River. Even though the Charles is notorious for the poor quality of its water, some people were diving in for a quick swim to escape the heat. In addition to the sailboats and kayaks, we even saw someone on a self-constructed float made of wooden boards and old metal parts.
Once we arrived on the Boston side, we immediately ran into a crowd of people all walking towards the Esplanade. The Esplanade is a semi-dome-shaped stage where many musical groups put on performances, and where movie showings take place on the weekends. Every year, the Boston Pops put on their Fourth of July concert performance on the Esplanade. Founded in 1885, the Boston Pops is a highly acclaimed orchestra, and they have put on numerous tours both in and out of the country. The Boston Pops concert is followed by fireworks, which are completely computerized and involve hundreds of colorful explosions that decorate the evening skies.
This year I was fortunate to find a spot on the deck of the Sailing Pavilion to watch the fireworks. The Pavilion is located right in front of the boat from which the fireworks are released. Prior to the fireworks, we took out a sailboat. Two of my friends who had taken sailing classes at MIT were able to skillfully maneuver the boat, and they took us out on a refreshing ride on the calm waters of the Charles.
After four hours of playing cards and board games and nibbling on snacks on the deck, the fireworks suddenly commenced with five, bright fireballs shot vertically into the night sky to loud cheers and whistling from the crowds. The fireworks continuously blossomed and faded. Our eyes stayed pinned to the massive rings of light in the darkness, soon followed by a deep pounding that we could feel in our stomachs. The most emotional moment of the evening came with the finale, a show of hundreds of scattering lights and explosions accompanied America's national anthem, "Star-Spangled Banner."
It was sad to think that this would be my last summer in Boston and my last time seeing the Fourth of July fireworks with my friends at MIT who will all be graduating with me next year. However, this has become a moment to remember for all of us who gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July. With each additional year I spend in this country, I know that this annual celebration will continue to take on a deeper meaning.
Shukan ST: July 25, 2003
(C) All rights reserved
- Independence Day
- アメリカ合衆国の独立記念日(7月4日、祝日)
- festivities
- 祝賀行事
- Thousands of 〜
- たくさんの〜
- gather
- 集まる
- banks
- 土手
- divides 〜 from 〜
- 〜と〜を分けている
- Cambridge
- MITがある市
- put up tents
- テントを張る
- day off
- 休日
- 〜 stands
- 〜の屋台
- snow cone
- 氷菓子
- 〜 trucks
- 〜を売るバン
- spans 〜
- 〜に架かる
- spectacular
- 見事な
- skyline
- 建物の輪郭
- sparkling
- きらきら光る
- with 〜 in the foreground
- 〜を前景にして
- numerous
- 非常に多くの
- sailboats
- 帆船
- kayaks
- カヤック
- floats
- 浮遊版
- floated comfortably
- 気持ちよさそうに浮かんだ
- Even though 〜
- 〜だが
- is notorious for 〜
- 〜で評判がよくない
- escape 〜
- 〜を逃れる
- In addition to 〜
- 〜に加えて
- self-constructed
- 手作りの
- wooden boards
- 木の板
- metal parts
- 金属部品
- Once 〜
- 〜してすぐ
- Esplanade
- 「遊歩道」の意
- semi-dome-shaped
- ドームのような形をした
- put on performances
- 公演する
- movie showings take place
- 映画が上映される
- Boston Pops
- ボストン・ポップス
- Founded in 〜
- 〜に創設されて
- highly acclaimed
- 高い評価を受ける
- orchestra
- オーケストラ
- 〜 is followed by 〜
- 〜の後に〜が続く
- fireworks
- 花火
- (are)computerized
- コンピューターで操作される
- completely
- 完全に
- involve 〜
- 〜がある
- hundreds of 〜
- たくさんの〜
- explosions
- (花火の)爆発
- was fortunate to 〜
- 運良く〜した
- deck
- 甲板
- 〜 are released
- 〜が打ち上げられる
- Prior to 〜
- 〜の前に
- took out 〜
- 〜に乗り込んだ
- skillfully
- 上手に
- maneuver 〜
- 〜を操縦する
- refreshing
- すがすがしい
- calm
- 静かな
- playing cards
- トランプで遊ぶ
- nibbling on 〜
- 〜をつまむ
- suddenly
- 急に
- commenced
- 始まった
- fireballs
- 火の玉
- vertically
- まっすぐ上に
- cheers
- 歓声
- whistling
- 口笛
- continuously
- 絶え間なく
- blossomed and faded
- 花火の輪が開いては消えた
- stayed pinned to 〜
- 〜にくぎ付けになった
- massive
- 巨大な
- pounding
- ドンという音
- stomachs
- 腹
- scattering
- 散らばった
- accompanied 〜
- 〜が伴った
- America's national anthem, "Star-Spangled Banner"
- アメリカ合衆国国歌 『星条旗』
- annual
- 毎年恒例の
- take on 〜
- 〜を持つようになる