打树花是河北省张家口蔚县暖泉镇的地方传统民俗文化活动，具有特色古老节日社火，至今已有500余年历史，是用熔化的铁水泼洒到古城墙上，迸溅形成万朵火花，因犹如枝繁叶茂的树冠而称之为“树花”，其壮观程度不亚于燃放烟花。后来，暖泉镇每逢元宵佳节期间“打树花”的习俗一直延续至今。据说当年暖泉镇有好多铁匠作坊，每逢年节，富人们燃放烟花庆祝，铁匠们也同样渴望着热闹喜庆，但铁匠买不起烟花，他们从打铁时四溅的火花中得到灵感，把熔化的铁水泼洒到古堡城门上方的砖墙上，好似朵朵烟花盛开。这种特别的“烟花”吸引了越来越多的普通老百姓，其热闹喜庆的氛围绝不输给拥有烟花的富人们，因此便有了每逢过年“富人放烟花，穷人打树花”的民俗。最早记录打树花活动的，是唐代诗人李白，他在《秋浦歌十七首》中写道：754年（唐天宝十三年）李白自广陵、金陵至宣城，往来于池、歙诸州，《秋浦歌十七首》即此时游秋浦所作。《唐书·地理志》记载：“秋浦固产银、产铜之区。”从李白的诗中可看出，唐代的冶炼工人倾倒铜渣时“打树花”的情景，紫烟中红星乱闪，极为美丽，并且有声有色，伴以歌舞。I travelled west of Beijing to a town which has preserved one of China’s most extraordinary ancient light shows. If you want to see a centuries old slice of China. Nuanquan is a good place to start. It’s name means warm spring town and it’s called that because it has a geothermal spring which never freezes. A bonus really here in the winter when the temperature dropped to minus 20 degrees. Because of this, Nuanquan has been inhabited for over 20,000 years. And much of what you can see here dates back to the Ming Dynasty and it’s over 500 years old. But it is not just these ancient building I’ve come to see, I’m come here because Nuanquan is a place where some of China’s oldest New Year traditions have also been perfectly preserved. One of the most spectacular and the most dangerous of them is called Dashuhua, which basically means cresting a canopy of flowers.
摄影：杨子
A canopy of flowers made from flying shards of molten metal. This tradition was started here 500 years ago as cheap alternative to fireworks by blacksmith like Mr Xue. His family have been blacksmiths here in Nuanquan for an incredible 14 generations and he is the last in a long line of Dashuhua masters.Mr Xue: It was passed down from my grandfather, I started learning at 14. I’ve been doing it for 20 years. Dashuhua is brave man’s game. The metal is 1600 degrees, it’ll burn your hand.摄影：杨子
Journalist: Are these wounds from your work?
Mr Xue: Yes.
Journalist: How painful is that?
Mr Xue: Painful.
Journalist: Normal people wouldn’t dare!
The tradition has been that the art is passed down from fathers to sons, and Mr Xue has two daughters.
Journalist: Who’s next? Who is gonna take over form you?
Mr Xue: I’m the 14th generation Dashuhua master, but my children don’t want to learn. It’s tough and dangerous and they think it’s hard! They want to go to university.
摄影：杨子
Creating a light show out of molten iron is a dangerous business, but Mr Xue has agreed to show me how it is done. The molten iron has been cooking for about 45 minutes and it is looking pretty hot, but before we let any sparks fly, Mr Xue has to get into protective clothing. If you think he is going to don a full asbestos suit with some goggles and helmets. Think again.Mr Xue: This is the protective clothing my grandfather left me and a straw hat. Let’s scoop some out and take a look.Ready to go in the most flammable protective gear I’ve ever seen. Mr Xue gives me my first ever demonstration of Dashuhua. That was a small-scale demonstration. If you want to see the full version you’ve got to inside tonight in the theatre.
Traditionally, Dashuhua was performed outside but the demand is too big today, that a specially built venue parks in 1500 each night. The old city walls have been recreated and through molten iron onto those ancient walls was where Mr Xue’s forefathers invented the art. The dancing and singing are just warm up before the massive Dashuhua finals. And now for Mr Xue’s big moment. Protected only by his grandfather’s sheepskin and a straw hat. Mr Xue is the eye of a storm of molten metal. That was amazing and the effect is beautiful. I know fireworks have come a long way in 500 years, but for me, Dashuhua still holds its own. I fell really privileged have witnessed an ancient tradition performed by the last of the Dashuhua Masters.1. preserve [prɪˈzɜːrv] v.保护;维护;保留;维持…的原状;保存;保养;贮存;保鲜 n.(某人或群体活动、工作等的)专门领域;果酱;腌菜;泡菜pre 预先 + serv 服务；保持 + e → 预先保留 → 保存He was anxious to preserve his reputation.2. geothermal [ˌdʒiːoʊˈθɜːrml] adj.地热的geo 地，地球 + therm 热 + al 形容词后缀 → 地热的Increasing use will be made of geothermal and solar energy for heating and cooling.geo 地，地球 + centr 中心 + ic …的 → 以地球为中心的geo 地，地球 + graph 写；画 + er 人 → 地理学家geo 地，地球 + graph 写；画 + y 性质，状态，情况，行为 → 画地层的图 → 地理〔学〕geo 地，地球 + logist …学家 → 地质学家geo 地，地球 + magnetic 磁的 → 地磁的geo 地，地球 + metry 测量 → 测量地面 → 几何学geo 地，地球 + physics 物理学 → 地球物理学geo 地，地球 + therm 热 + al …的 → 地热的 3. inhabit [ɪnˈhæbɪt] v.居住在;栖居于Woodpeckers inhabit hollow trees.4. spectacular [spekˈtækjələr] adj.壮观的;壮丽的;令人惊叹的 n.壮观的场面;精彩的表演spectacle 景象，奇观 + cular …的 → 引人入胜的spectacle [ˈspektəkl] n.精彩的表演;壮观的场面;壮观的景象;奇特的现象;出人意外的情况spect 看 + acle 表抽象名词 → 戴上眼镜让你看到幻觉 → 奇观；眼镜It was a spectacular achievement on their part.The sunset was a stunning spectacle.5. canopy [ˈkænəpi] n.(床、座位等上面的)罩篷，遮篷，罩盖;顶篷;天篷;(尤指森林里)天篷似的树荫;(飞机的)座舱盖 v.用华盖遮蔽The technique of celery safety living through the winter covered with multilateral materials in plastic canopy was studied.在塑料大棚内，对西芹多层覆盖安全越冬技术进行了研究。词源：canopy←希腊语konopeion（带蚊帐的埃及床）←希腊语konops（蚊虫）在古代埃及，人们夏天晚上睡觉时，为了避免蚊虫叮咬，就用渔网或其他材料把床围起来，这就是最初的蚊帐。希腊人见到埃及人的这种四周围有蚊帐的床，觉得十分有用，就将其复制到希腊，并将这种床叫做konopeion，来自konops（蚊虫），字面意思就是“避免蚊虫叮咬（的床）”。这种埃及床的最大特点就是有一个顶，可以用来撑开蚊帐。因此，单词canopy就逐渐衍生出“顶、盖、天蓬、华盖”等含义。
6. shard [ʃɑːrd] n.(玻璃、金属等的)碎片Eyewitnesses spoke of rocks and shards of glass flying in the air.7. alternative [ɔːlˈtɜːrnətɪv] n.可供选择的事物 adj.可供替代的;非传统的;另类的altern 改变状态 + ate 动词后缀 + ive形容词后缀 → 交替〔选择的方法〕→ 二者择一alternate [ˈɔːltərnət , ˈɔːltərneɪt] adj.交替的;轮流的;间隔的;每隔(…天等)的 v.使交替;使轮流;交替;轮流 n.代替者;代理人;候补者altern 改变状态 + ate 动词后缀 → 更换着做事 → 交替alter [ˈɔːltər] v.(使)改变，更改，改动;修改(衣服使更合身)The landscape has been radically altered, severely damaging wildlife.8. blacksmith [ˈblæksmɪθ]n.铁匠(尤指打马蹄铁者)合成词：black(color of iron) + smish(related to smite)The blacksmith is hammering the red-hot metal.9. asbestos [æsˈbestəs] n.石棉词源：古希腊和古罗马人用asbestos（石棉）制作餐巾，脏了不洗，直接扔进火里，再拿出时，餐巾又变得洁白无瑕。他们还用asbestos作灯芯，这种耐火的灯芯永远也点不完，罗马皇帝兴建的雅典娜神殿里的长明灯就是用asbestos制作的灯芯。Asbestos，在希腊语中原写作amiantos lithos，（纯洁之石），意思是“弄不脏的石头”。后来，罗马自然学家Pliny把它命名为asbestos，a即not；sbestos是“可熄灭的”，合起来指这种石头是“不可熄灭的”、“烧不完的”。There are basically two types called, in layman's terms, blue and white asbestos.10. goggles[ˈɡɑːɡlz] n.护目镜;风镜;游泳镜 v.(尤指由于惊奇而)瞪大眼睛看 goggle的第三人称单数和复数N. You must wear goggles and a mask that will protect you against the fumes.11. helmet [ˈhelmɪt] n.头盔;防护帽Put on a helmet, fire up your engine and head out on the open road.12. privilege [ˈprɪvəlɪdʒ] n.特殊利益;优惠待遇;(有钱有势者的)特权，特殊待遇;荣幸;荣耀;光荣 v.给予特权;特别优待priv单个 + i 连字符 + leg 法律 + e → 有个人法律 → 特权You can enjoy all the benefits and privileges of club membership.你可以享受俱乐部成员的一切福利和优惠。