Margaret, retired teacher, 67
I've lived in this neighborhood街区 /ˈneɪ.bɚ.hʊd/ for forty years. Every generation代 /ˌdʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ has held this annual ceremony典礼 /ˈser.ə.moʊ.ni/ in the park公园 /pɑːrk/, and today was no different. I came early早 /ˈɝː.li/ to help帮忙 /help/ organize组织 /ˈɔːr.ɡən.aɪz/ the flower花朵 /ˈflaʊər/ stalls摊位 /stɔːlz/. The tradition传统 /trəˈdɪʃ.ən/ of gathering together gives me something I cannot name命名 /neɪm/ — a warmth温暖 /wɔːrmθ/ that no screen屏幕 /skriːn/ can replicate重现 /ˈrep.lə.keɪt/. When I see children running奔跑 /ˈrʌn.ɪŋ/ across横穿 /əˈkrɔːs/ the grass草地 /ɡræs/, I feel感觉 /fiːl/ a pride自豪 /praɪd/ that this place地方 /pleɪs/ still依然 /stɪl/ holds its spirit精神 /ˈspɪr.ɪt/.
Omar, cook厨师 /kʊk/, 26
The district区域 /ˈdɪs.trɪkt/ council委员会 /ˈkaʊn.səl/ asked our restaurant餐馆 /ˈres.tə.rɑːnt/ to contribute贡献 /kənˈtrɪb.juːt/ to the food charity慈善 /ˈtʃær.ɪ.t̬i/ stall — all funds资金 /fʌndz/ raised筹集 /reɪzd/ go to the local food bank食品银行. I cooked for eight hours straight连续地 /streɪt/ and I'd do it again. Watching people gather聚集 /ˈɡæð.ɚ/ around a hot dish菜肴 /dɪʃ/ and actually celebrate庆祝 /ˈsel.ɪ.breɪt/ food — that's why I became a cook. My contribution贡献 /ˌkɑːn.trɪˈbjuː.ʃən/ is small, but it represents代表 /ˌrep.rɪˈzents/ something real to me.
Jack, student, 15
I came mainly because the newspaper报纸 /ˈnjuːz.peɪ.pɚ/ asked me to cover报道 /ˈkʌv.ɚ/ the event活动 /ɪˈvent/. But once一到……以后 /wʌns/ I was there, I forgot about the article文章 /ˈɑːr.t̬ɪ.kəl/ for a while一会儿 /waɪl/. There was a talent才艺 /ˈtæl.ənt/ stage舞台 /steɪdʒ/ where residents居民 /ˈrez.ɪ.dənts/ could perform表演 /pɚˈfɔːrm/ for five minutes. A ten-year-old played violin, an elderly老年的 /ˈel.dɚ.li/ man demonstrated展示 /ˈdem.ən.streɪ.tɪd/ origami折纸 /ˌɔːr.ɪˈɡɑː.mi/. The unity团结 /ˈjuː.nɪ.t̬i/ in the crowd人群 /kraʊd/ felt genuine真诚的 /ˈdʒen.ju.ɪn/. I thought想到 /θɔːt/ about what it means to participate参与 /pɑːrˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/ — not just observe观察 /əbˈzɝːv/. Next下一个 /nekst/ year I want to volunteer志愿者 /ˌvɑː.lənˈtɪr/ properly真正地 /ˈprɑː.pɚ.li/.
Isabel, photojournalist, 31
I've covered events in twelve十二 /twelv/ countries, and I can tell in the first ten minutes whether a community社区 /kəˈmjuː.nɪ.t̬i/ celebration is real or performed for the camera相机 /ˈkæm.ər.ə/. This one was real. People came to display展示 /dɪˈspleɪ/ their identity身份认同 /aɪˈden.tɪ.t̬i/ and to welcome欢迎 /ˈwel.kəm/ newcomers. There was no single faith宗教信仰 /feɪθ/ or tradition传统 /trəˈdɪʃ.ən/, but there was shared共同的 /ʃerd/ joy喜悦 /dʒɔɪ/. I took over two hundred shots照片 /ʃɑːts/. The best最好的 /best/ one shows a girl in a wheelchair轮椅 /ˈwiːl.tʃer/ holding拿着 /ˈhoʊl.dɪŋ/ a handmade手工制作的 /ˌhændˈmeɪd/ sign标牌 /saɪn/: I belong属于 /bɪˈlɔːŋ/ here.
David, disabled残障的 /dɪsˈeɪ.bəld/ volunteer志愿者 /ˌvɑː.lənˈtɪr/, 38
People sometimes ask how I manage设法做到 /ˈmæn.ɪdʒ/ to participate参与 /pɑːrˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/ so actively. I use a wheelchair轮椅 /ˈwiːl.tʃer/, but I inspire激励 /ɪnˈspaɪr/ nobody — that's not why I come. I come because I encourage鼓励 /ɪnˈkɜːr.ɪdʒ/ myself to stay保持 /steɪ/ connected. Today I helped promote推广 /prəˈmoʊt/ the charity慈善 /ˈtʃær.ɪ.t̬i/ raffle抽奖 /ˈræf.əl/ and organized安排；组织 /ˈɔːr.ɡə.naɪzd/ the seating座位安排 /ˈsiː.t̬ɪŋ/ for elderly年长的 /ˈel.dɚ.li/ visitors. Being useful gives me a faith信任；信心 /feɪθ/ in people that I need. This district区域 /ˈdɪs.trɪkt/ is not perfect, but it tries — and that warmth温暖 /wɔːrmθ/ is enough足够 /ɪˈnʌf/.
At noon, Jack followed the event活动 /ɪˈvent/ coordinator协调员 /koʊˈɔːr.də.neɪ.t̬ɚ/ through穿行于 /θruː/ the festival for one final round. A local vendor摊主 /ˈven.dɚ/ was decorating a craft stall手工艺品摊位 when a sponsor赞助方 /ˈspɑːn.sɚ/ announced that every public donation捐款 /doʊˈneɪ.ʃən/ would be matched等额配捐 /mætʃt/. Near the stage舞台 /steɪdʒ/, David tested the accessible无障碍的 /əkˈses.ə.bəl/ path in his wheelchair轮椅 /ˈwiːl.tʃer/ and asked a volunteer志愿者 /ˌvɑː.lənˈtɪr/ to move one row of seating座位安排 /ˈsiː.t̬ɪŋ/.
"The musicians音乐家；乐手 /mjuˈzɪʃ.ənz/ need five more minutes for their rehearsal排练 /rɪˈhɝː.səl/," the coordinator协调员 /koʊˈɔːr.də.neɪ.t̬ɚ/ said. "Then I will cover报道 /ˈkʌv.ɚ/ the regional cuisine地方菜肴 and the inclusive包容的 /ɪnˈkluː.sɪv/ sports contest比赛 /ˈkɑːn.test/ first," Jack replied. When the young musicians音乐家；乐手 /mjuˈzɪʃ.ənz/ finally performed, the applause掌声 /əˈplɔːz/ reached the far end of the park公园 /pɑːrk/. Jack closed his notebook. No single award奖项 /əˈwɔːrd/ or ceremony典礼 /ˈser.ə.moʊ.ni/ represented the day; the connection联结 /kəˈnek.ʃən/ came from hundreds of useful, ordinary contributions贡献 /ˌkɑːn.trəˈbjuː.ʃənz/.