The magic of Cirque du Soleil

2020-06-18黄忠雪

疯狂英语·新悦读 2020年4期

关键词：中作点石成金先行

难词探意

1. aroma /əɪrəʊmə/ n. 芳香；香味

2. acrobatic /'ækrəɪbætɪk/ adj. 杂技的

3. feat /fiːt/ n. 技艺表演

4. recruit /rɪɪkruːt/ v. 吸收（新成员）

Hundreds of audiences recently filed into a popular arena in downtown Atlanta. Thearomaof popcorn and cotton-candy filled the air as guests began to take their seats. They were eager to see Cirque du Soleil performers in “Volta”, a show that spotlights extreme sports.

As the lights dimmed， the crowd grew silent. Extraordinary performers dressed in brightly-colored costumes took the stage， putting onacrobaticdisplays of strength， speed， and skill. Unicycles， trampolines， roller skates， and even BMX bikes were part of the act.

Cirque du Soleil， or “Circus of the Sun”, was founded in 1984 in Montreal， the largest city in Canada's Québec province. After 30 years of constant evolution， Cirque du Soleil is very different from traditional shows. Cirque du Soleil combines a variety of thrilling technical performances and stage installations beyond imagination； it brings the audience more entertainment than usual performance with the accompaniment of the live band. “It's not your regular circus，” said 11-year-old Chelsea from Suwanee， Georgia， who attended the show. She enjoyed watching gravity-defyingfeatsthat bordered on superhuman.

Cirque du Soleil mainlyrecruitsprofessional or high-level athletes to their cast， and they also like to hire people in their early 20s， valuing the energy and fresh ideas they bring. “Cirque du Soleil looks for the best performers it can find，” said publicist Steven Ross， “and seek talents at circus shows， sports festivals， anywhere around the world.”Performers who are selected travel to theCirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal，where they learn their routines and are fitted for costumes. Once their acts have been approved as safe， they get the opportunity to go before a live audience.

Intensive training is used to develop their acrobatic skills， artistic performance， and most importantly， teamwork awareness and skills. Performers are required to practice a certain number of hours per week， both on and off the stage. Cirque du Soleil has more than 5，000 employees ranging from gymnasts and musicians to engineers and chefs. “You name it， and we have it，” Ross said. “Anyone who would like to work for Cirque， there's going to be a position for them.” When asked what aspiring performers should do to prepare， Ross said, “It's really about following your passion and dreams，and then it can happen.”