Summer in Japan means festivals, fireworks and a host of annual events designed to bring people together despite the searing heat. And as the sun beats down on fields across the nation, there’s one special rice paddy that’s slowly taking shape, transforming into a very unique piece of art ready to greet crowds of adoring admirers over the next two months.
盡管夏日灼熱難忍，但在日本夏天意味著節日、煙花以及一系列年度活動，人們相聚一起共同慶祝。縱觀烈日炎炎下日本的田野，有這么一處奇怪的稻田慢慢地變化著，漸漸變成一幅獨特的畫作，準備迎接接下來兩個月慕名而來的崇拜者。

Rice paddy art has been growing in popularity over the years, with community group members using different strains of rice to create a variety of impressive designs.
稻田藝術（Rice paddy art）近些年來越來越受到大家的歡迎。各個相關團體的成員利用不同的水稻品種創作出各種各樣令人印象深刻的稻田畫。

In Hokkaido, the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) Kitasorachi-Uryu Youth Group has been working on a very special collaboration to celebrate the release of the Hollywood movie Ted 2. The film’s opening date, August 28, coincides with the height of the rice-growing season in Japan, so it’s the perfect way to generate some publicity for the movie and their town as well.
在北海道，日本農業合作社（Japan Agricultural Cooperatives）北空知青年部雨竜支部一直都致力于集體創作一幅特殊的稻田畫，以慶祝好萊塢電影《泰迪熊2》的上映。《泰迪熊2》將于8月28日在日本上映，正值日本水稻種植的高峰季節，正是為影片造勢同時宣傳該地的絕佳方式。

The group began planting their design in June. In July, the fresh, young seedlings will bring out a very green Ted, while in August, as the crops ripen, the talking teddy bear will slowly take on his signature straw-brown colour.
該支部成員6月就開始種植用來展現他們設計的水稻。7月份，這些新鮮的水稻幼苗便會長出一個非常鮮綠的“泰迪”，8月份等稻子熟了，這只話多的“泰迪”就會漸漸顯現出它和稻草一樣的標志性棕色。

In September, Ted will be harvested to feed the people in the region. Before then, he’ll be entertaining the many crowds who come to pay him a visit.
等到九月份，“泰迪”會被收割以供當地人食用。在此之前，泰迪將招待慕名前來參觀的許多游客。

Meanwhile, in Inakadate, Aomori Prefecture, they’ll be using two huge rice fields to celebrate two other famous international films: Star Wars and Gone With the Wind.
與此同時，在日本青森縣田舍館村，將會有兩大片稻田用來紀念另外兩部著名的國際影片：《星球大戰》和《亂世佳人》。

Inakadate has become so well-known for their spectacular annual tanbo art (rice field art) displays that they even built a brand-new train station called “Rice Paddy Art Station” in 2013 to accommodate visitors to the area.
日本田舍館村以一年一度的壯觀稻田藝術節而聞名，當地人甚至在2013年建了名為“稻田藝術站”的新火車站以接納到訪的游客。

Vocabulary

paddy：稻田

rice paddy art：稻田畫，稻田藝術

英文來源：RocketNews 24

譯者：白潔

審校&編輯：劉明