Students do their part

The grand military parade, mass pageant and evening gala were undoubtedly the highlights of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. For those who had the opportunity to take part in the events, they will be a lifelong memory.
盛大的阅兵式、群众游行以及联欢晚会无疑都是庆祝中华人民共和国成立70周年大会的亮点。对于有机会参与其中的人而言，这是一段终生难忘的回忆。

Ma Minyang, 16, from the Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, was one of the 100,000 people who glided through Tian’anmen Square with 70 floats. He was in a formation made up of teachers and students.
来自北京师范大学附属实验中学的16岁学生马民扬是与70辆彩车一同通过天安门广场的10万群众之一。他参加了由教师和学生组成的方阵。

Ma couldn’t hold back his excitement. Although he couldn’t see much of the parade, he was amazed by the sound of hundreds of tanks rolling down the street. He cheered loudly when aircraft flew above his head. “It’s really exciting to see how mighty our motherland is,” he said.
马民扬难掩其激动之情。尽管没有亲眼目睹多少阅兵式的过程，但他被数百辆坦克滚滚驶过街道的声音所震撼。当飞机在头顶上空翱翔而过时，他大声地欢呼起来。“看到祖国如此强大，我十分激动，”他说道。

Compared to the solemn ceremony in the morning, the evening gala was livelier. “The beautiful bloom of fireworks, the chorus of thousands of people singing together and bright symphonic music … all these still linger in my mind,” said Ma Congyuan, a 15-year-old student from Beijing No 4 High School. “Even though we had already rehearsed several times, the real performance wowed me like never before.”
和上午的庄严仪式相比，晚上的联欢活动更显轻松活跃。“绽放的绚丽烟火，数千人合唱以及欢快的交响乐……这些依然在我脑海中，久久挥之不去，”来自北京四中的15岁学生马从源说道。“尽管我们已经排练了好几遍，但现场表演依然令我感到前所未有的震撼。”

Ma Congyuan, together with his twin brother Ma Conglin, were both members of a choir that sang at the celebration gala. Over 1,000 students from schools ranging in size from primary school to college performed 16 songs that night.
马从源和他的双胞胎兄弟马从琳都是在庆祝联欢活动上演唱的合唱队成员。当晚，来自大中小学的一千多名学生表演了16首歌曲。

To give their best performance, they practiced very hard for months. Starting from July, they spent their summer vacation practicing.
为了呈现最佳的演出效果，他们已经辛苦排练了几个月。从7月开始，他们一整个暑假都在排练。

Jia Tianhe, 16, from Beijing No 55 High School, took part in a group dance. He recalled training in the rain, but said it was worth it. “It made our hearts bind together. We’re really honored to celebrate New China’s birthday here.”
来自北京第五十五中学的贾天和参演了一个集体舞节目。他回忆起了在雨中排练的时刻，但表示一切都很值得。“这让我们的心连在了一起。能够在此庆祝新中国的生日，我们倍感荣幸。”

The bad weather could not stop the students’ enthusiasm, nor did the physical challenges. Having to maintain their posture and stay up late were some other tests of their willpower. “The rehearsals in Tian’anmen Square needed be held at midnight and lasted for hours. I used to pat my face to keep my mind clear,” Ma Conglin said.
天公不作美以及体能上的挑战都不能阻挡学生们的热情。保持姿势、熬夜训练是对他们意志力的又一重考验。“天安门广场上持续几小时的排练都是在半夜进行的。我那会儿都是靠拍脸保持清醒，”马从琳表示。

When asked how they felt after the gala, the students said it was an honor to attend such a grand event. “When we started performing, the tension left and we felt immersed in joy and wild excitement. We witnessed a big moment for our country and felt really proud,” Ma Congyuan said.
当学生们在联欢活动后被问及自身感受时，他们都表示很荣幸能参加如此盛大的活动。“当上场表演时，紧张感都消失了，我们都沉浸在了喜悦和狂欢之中。我们见证了祖国的一个重大时刻，深感自豪，”马从源说道。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高三691期