我爱烟火!

They are awesome!

它们超棒的!

And they go "BOOM."

而且它们会“砰”地爆开。

Even after thousands of years, fireworks still captivate, amaze, and terrify spectators around the globe. Fireworks date back to ancient China before the invention of gunpowder. Over the centuries, the desire for bigger and better explosions has fueled much experimentation.

即便过了几千年，烟火仍吸引、惊艳、且震慑着世界各地的观众。烟火起源于火药发明前的古代中国。几世纪来，对于更壮观、更精彩爆炸的渴望激发了许多实验。

Fireworks made their way to Europe when Italian explorer, Marko Polo, brought them from the Orient in 1292. During the Renaissance in Europe, the Italians developed fireworks displays into a true art form. And when they came to America, they brought their fireworks with them.

在意大利探险家--马可波罗--于 1292 年将它们从东方带回时，烟火得以前进到欧洲。在欧洲文艺复兴期间，意大利人将烟火秀发展成一种真正的艺术形式。而当他们来到美国时，他们带着他们的烟火一起。

One such man was Vincenzo Sorgi, who came to America in 1899. In 1902, he started the American Fireworks company. Today, the Sorgi family continues his legacy, bringing smiles to another generation of Americans. Eric Stewart is the company's lead technician.

这样的一个人是 Vincenzo Sorgi，他在1899 年来到美国。在1902 年，他创立了美国烟火公司。如今，Sorgi 家族延续他的留下的产业，将欢笑带给另一代的美国人民。Eric Stewart 是公司的首席技师。

That is uh... Right now, I have the crew, basically running the guns out to build the show.

那是，唉...现在，我要工作人员，基本上是要把抱筒运出去打造这场秀。

On this day, his crew is hard at work in the town of Colonial Beach, Virginia. The set-up for a spectacular fireworks display not only takes muscle but teamwork. After all, these pyrotechnicians are handling explosives, and enjoying every bit of it.

这天，他的组员在维吉尼亚州殖民海滩的小镇里努力工作着。一场精彩烟火表演的搭建不只花费力气还要团队合作。毕竟，这些烟火专家正在处理的是爆裂物，并且享受其中的一点一滴。

At first, of course you get the jitters, but then that all works out. And now, it's show time.

起初，当然你会有些紧张不安，但然后那一切都顺利进行。而现在，好戏上场了。

Eric said that in his 10-plus years of experience with pyrotechnics, fireworks displays choreographed with music are hands down the favorite with Americans. While pyrotechnic crews will at times still light the shells by hand, most of them are ignited electronically, which makes them safer. Like the Colonial Beach show, it's all done by switch panel.

Eric 表示，在他十多年来的烟火经验中，加上音乐编排的烟火表演毫无疑问是美国人的最爱。尽管烟火技术员们有时仍会手动点燃抱弹，但大多数抱弹是电子引燃的，那使它们更加安全。像殖民海滩这场表演，一切就是经开关控制板完成的。

What makes a perfect show would be when the show goes off flawlessly, and the crowd goes crazy at the very end of the show.

成就一场完美演出的，会是当表演完美无瑕地进行，然后群众在演出的最后一刻陷入疯狂之时。

Today, we celebrate our country's independence, and we'll end our celebration with this spectacular fireworks display, just as those early patriots did over 200 years ago.

今天，我们庆祝我们国家的独立，而我们会用这场壮观的烟火演出为我们的庆祝结尾，就像超过两百年前那群早期的爱国者们做的一样。