[ti:Fireworks] [ar:Rich Kleinfeldt] [al:WORDS AND THEIR STORIES] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]go to 51voa.com for more... [00:10.73]Now the VOA Special English program [00:14.36]WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. [00:17.25]I'm Rich Kleinfeldt. [00:19.11]Today we tell about [00:21.54]the word fireworks. [00:23.45]The expression fireworks [00:26.08]gets its meaning from the fireworks [00:29.22]that people shoot into the sky [00:31.31]when they are celebrating a great event. [00:34.86]Rockets explode to fill the dark, [00:38.40]night sky with bright reds and blues, [00:42.23]with yellows and greens and whites. [00:45.76]The expression also means [00:49.06]a great show of noisy anger, [00:52.14]or something exciting. [00:54.08]For example, a defense lawyer [00:57.71]in a court trial may become [01:00.16]very emotional in arguing [01:02.37]with the government lawyer [01:04.07]about evidence affecting the accused. [01:07.53]The judge finally [01:10.02]stops the loud argument [01:11.69]and calls the two lawyers forward. [01:14.93]He tells them, "I want no more [01:18.57]of these fireworks in my courtroom." [01:21.30]Another kind of fireworks [01:23.40]can be any event or activity [01:26.20]that is especially exciting. [01:28.54]One such event is falling in love. [01:32.87]If anything can produce fireworks, [01:36.61]it is a sweetheart's kiss [01:38.90]or the touch of a lover's hand. [01:41.95]Often movie or television [01:44.63]cartoons show fireworks [01:46.92]to represent the excitement of a kiss. [01:50.31]People use the expression fireworks [01:54.49]throughout the year. [01:56.48]But if you live in the United States [01:59.14]and want to see real fireworks, [02:01.72]the best time of the year is about now. [02:05.77]The Fourth of July is Independence Day [02:10.04]in the United States. [02:12.03]Americans traditionally celebrate [02:14.98]their nation's freedom with giant [02:17.96]public parties and fireworks at night. [02:21.30]In Washington, for example, [02:23.95]large crowds gather [02:26.89]near the Washington Monument [02:28.38]to listen to music and watch [02:30.83]a huge fireworks show. [02:32.73]In other cities and smaller towns, [02:36.57]local people listen to band concerts [02:40.06]and watch fireworks explode in a dark sky. [02:44.09]Many other countries around the world [02:48.13]also enjoy the tradition [02:50.37]of exploding fireworks on special days. [02:53.55]In Australia, the city of Sydney [02:57.64]begins each new year [02:59.92]with a fireworks show at midnight. [03:02.78]China is the birthplace of fireworks. [03:06.47]Large fireworks shows were held often [03:10.72]during earlier times in China. [03:13.06]Now, people use small fireworks [03:17.49]to help celebrate weddings and birthdays. [03:20.83]France also has a great fireworks tradition. [03:26.35]A large fireworks show always [03:30.28]takes place on Bastille day [03:32.54]which celebrates the beginning [03:34.83]of the French Revolution. [03:36.89]The French city of Cannes [03:39.78]holds an international fireworks competition [03:43.18]each year in July and August. [03:46.71]In India, people have been using fireworks [03:51.79]for more than five hundred years. [03:55.13]A great Indian fireworks show [03:58.37]takes place during the religious [04:00.87]celebration of Diwali, every autumn. [04:04.55]Fireworks shows are popular [04:08.00]around the world. [04:09.26]But if I do not end this program [04:12.64]right now, there will be [04:14.29]fireworks from my producer. [04:16.44](MUSIC) [04:28.29]This VOA Special English program, [04:31.54]WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, [04:33.29]was written by David Jarmul. [04:35.72]I'm Rich Kleinfeldt.