Who let the tigers out?
谁把老虎放出来了？
Featuring sculptured lanterns of tigers and their cubs growing from strength to strength, this year’s Chinese New Year light-up in Chinatown expresses hopes that Singapore will stay united and emerge stronger from the pandemic.
今年唐人街的中国春节灯饰以老虎和茁壮成长的幼虎造型的灯饰为特色，表达了新加坡将保持团结并在疫情中变得更加强大的愿望。
Set-up for the annual event started weeks ago as organisers and volunteers continued to uphold tradition despite the Covid-19 challenges.
这项一年一度的活动从几周前就开始筹备了，尽管面临新冠肺炎疫情的挑战，但组织者和志愿者仍继续保持这一传统。
The centrepiece, comprising a family of five tigers symbolising reunion, harmony and prosperity, stands at the intersection of Upper Cross Street and New Bridge Road. The father tiger is poised on top of a huge rock, a display of his strength and steadfast nature, while the nurturing mother tiger is on a lower elevation, surrounded by her three adorable cubs playing with one another.
最引人注目的中央灯饰由象征着团圆、和谐和繁荣的五只老虎组成，矗立在上十字街和新桥路的交叉口。虎爸爸摆好姿势立在一块巨大的岩石上，展示它的力量和坚韧的本性，而虎妈妈则在位置较低的地方，被三只正在嬉戏的可爱幼崽围绕着。
A spread of peonies around them adds to the vibrancy and festivity, while multi-coloured koi fish frolic in the foreground among the waves, signifying prosperity and success. According to Chinese beliefs and feng shui, water also implies the flow of wealth and fortune.
牡丹围绕在它们周围，增添了活力和节日气氛，还有五颜六色的锦鲤在海浪中嬉戏，象征着繁荣和成功。按照中国人的说法和风水，水也意味着财源广进。
重点词汇
1. cub /kʌb/ a young lion, bear, wolf, etc. 幼兽
- The older bears will teach the cub how bears are supposed to behave in the wild.
2. uphold /ʌpˈhəʊld/ to keep or defend a principle or law 维护
- When he took office he swore to uphold the laws of the land.
3. centrepiece /ˈsen.tə.piːs/ the most important or attractive part or feature of something 重头部分
- The centrepiece of the shopping centre is a giant fountain.
4. poised /pɔɪzd/ If an object or a part of your body is poised, it is completely still but ready to move at any moment 摆好姿势的
- My pencil was poised over the page, ready to take down her words.
5. steadfast /ˈsted.fɑːst/ staying the same for a long time and not changing quickly or unexpectedly 坚韧不拔的
- The group remained steadfast in its support for the new system, even when it was criticized in the newspapers.
6. nurture /ˈnɜː.tʃər/ to take care of, feed, and protect someone or something, especially young children or plants, and help him, her, or it to develop 哺育
- She wants to stay at home and nurture her children.
7. peony /ˈpiː.ə.ni/ a garden plant with large red, pink, or white flowers 牡丹
- This peony can reach between 30 and 60 centimeters in height.
8. frolic /ˈfrɒl.ɪk/ to play and behave in a happy way 嬉戏
- A group of children were frolicking on the beach.
重点句型
…that Singapore will stay united and emerge stronger from the pandemic.
- 该句是that引导的同位语从句，引导词that无实义且在句中不充当成分，可省略。
延伸阅读
The light-up, organised by the Chinatown Festivals Organising Committee and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, had concept input from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) students.
这次亮灯活动由唐人街节日组织委员会组织，新加坡旅游局支持，新加坡科技与设计大学的学生设计。
Workers used a crane to hoist the gigantic tiger lantern on top of a rock structure that is part of the centrepiece.
工人们用起重机将这个巨型虎灯吊到中心灯饰的一块岩石上。
They also aligned the cables and electrical wiring for the lanterns before other workers on a cherry picker secured them on the elevated platform.
他们还将灯笼的电缆和电线捋顺，然后其他工人用采摘机将它们固定在高架台上。
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