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U. S. Welcoming 2001
美国人迎接2001年

In the wake of a huge snowstorm, folks mobbed midtown Manhattan to see the 1,070-pound Waterford crystal ball drop from atop one Times Square, traditionally signaling the arrival of a new year. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali hit the button that sent the ball dropping.

　　Official estimates put the 2001 welcome crowd at about 500,000.

　　New York’s finest had everything under control, keeping people moving along, making sure they are all channeled into the crowd control areas.

in the wake of：尾随，紧跟；在新年来临前，纽约市经历了一场暴风雪。
crystal ball：水晶球；纽约时代广场上的水晶球在每年的新年夜降落一次，象征着新年的来临，今年拳王阿里按下按钮降下水晶球，在去年迎接新千年的盛典上，我国小姑娘桑兰按下按钮降落水晶球。
finest：最好的；纽约人把纽约警察称作“最好的”，New York's finest指的就是纽约警察。

In the post-snowstorm cold, revelers huddled in long coats, mittens, sturdy boots, hats and earmuffs. With temperatures falling through the 20s before midnight, mounds of snow and ice lined the curbs despite the day’s efforts at melting down as much snow as possible.

　　The blustery cold was quite a contrast with last year’s big millennium celebration, when it was a snow-free 40 degrees in Times Square as the ball came down.

mitten：拳击手套；因为天气寒冷，参加盛典的人们用大衣，手套，靴子，帽子和耳罩把自己捂得严严实实。
mound：雪堆。
blustery：狂风大作的。

While the ringing in of 2001 wasn’t as big as last year’s bash, which was attended by 2 million, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani predicted the snow would make it “even more beautiful.”

　　Like last year, the manhole covers in the area were welded shut, trash cans were removed as a security precaution, and thousands of police officers were assigned to surrounding streets.

predict：预言，预告；纽约市长朱里亚尼说大雪将使纽约变得更美丽。
manhole：下水道；为保证安全，纽约市把时代广场下水道的井盖全部焊死，把垃圾箱也全部运走了。
weld：焊接。