奧巴馬與兒童共迎聖誕
President Barack Obama got into the Christmas spirit Monday, stopping by a children's club to read a story and deliver some cookies, with the US capital cloaked in a deep snow.
Obama read aloud from "The Polar Express," the award-winning Christmas book also made into a film, and joked with youngsters, asking: "Have you guys been good?"
Sounding a bit like an avuncular television host, the visibly relaxed president asked some two dozen children, age six to 11, at the Boys and Girls Club what they wanted for Christmas.
He looked surprised by their pricey high-tech wishes, from MP3 players to cell phones and video games.
"Whatever happened to, like, asking for a bike?" Obama asked.
"Everybody has a bike!" one child informed him, as others nodded.
But the president made sure the children understood that the holiday was more than just about presents.
When he asked the children why Christmas is celebrated, one of them piped up: "The birth of baby Jesus."
Obama agreed, adding that "what he symbolizes for people all around the world is the possibility of peace, and people treating each other with respect."
本週一，美國首都華盛頓籠罩在一片皚皚白雪之中，而總統貝拉克•奧巴馬則沉醉在聖誕的節日氣氛中，他探訪了一家兒童活動中心，並給孩子們講故事，發餅乾。
奧巴馬爲孩子們朗讀了《極地特快》書中的一段，這本獲獎聖誕圖書還被拍成了電影。他還逗小朋友們說：“大家都乖不乖啊？”
當天“男孩女孩活動中心”共有約二十幾個孩子，年齡在6歲至11歲之間。奧巴馬明顯很放鬆，他問在場的小朋友們都想要什麼聖誕禮物，口氣聽起來像一個慈愛的電視節目主持人。
沒想到小朋友想要的禮物都是些昂貴的高科技產品，如MP3播放器、手機和視頻遊戲等，讓總統先生頗爲驚訝。
奧巴馬問道：“其它東西呢？比如自行車？”
一個小朋友說：“我們都有自行車。”其他小朋友紛紛點頭表示贊同。
但讓奧巴馬總統“放心”的是，孩子們都知道聖誕節不僅意味着禮物。
當他問大家爲什麼要慶祝聖誕節時，有個孩子脫口而出：“紀念耶穌誕生。”
奧巴馬錶示同意，並補充說“耶穌對全世界的人們來說象徵着和平，以及人與人之間相互尊重。”
Vocabulary:
cloak: to cover or conceal with or as if with a cloak（遮蓋，掩蓋）
avuncular: regarded as characteristic of an uncle, especially in benevolence or tolerance（慈愛的，長輩風範的）
pipe up: to make oneself heard; speak up, esp. as to assert oneself（開口說，開始大聲講話）
