《美国加州威特每日新闻》近日报道，加州帕萨迪纳市玫瑰游行中用以庆祝北京2008年奥运会的花车已准备就绪。

　　世界节庆艺术家公司位于美国加利福尼亚阿苏萨市，主要负责承办玫瑰游行中所有46辆花车的准备工作。近日，该公司工人正在对来自中国庆祝北京2008年奥运会的花车做最后的着色和准备工作。世界节庆艺术家公司负责人表示奥运花车已完成85%左右，下一步，志愿者将为所有花车增加鲜花和其他有机材料，以确保鲜花在游行之日依旧新鲜。

　　北京奥运花车，由著名的文具公司艾利丹尼森(Avery Dennison)公司和一个美国华人协会联合主办，是中国第一个进入加利福尼亚州帕萨迪纳市119年历史的玫瑰花车游行的花车。作为精选参与帕市元旦玫瑰游行的46辆花车之一，北京奥运花车因作为批评中国人权记录避雷针而备受关注。

　　10月8日清晨，一群法轮功分子在玫瑰花车游行组委会所在的“玫瑰宫”前举牌抗议，以所谓政治原因要求组委会放弃“奥运花车”参加玫瑰游行的决定。10月29日，加州帕萨迪纳市议会否决了企图阻止奥运花车而采取行动的提议。随后，法轮功分子以所谓“人权信息平衡”为由，又试图在玫瑰花车游行举行之前的两小时，先在同一线路举行一个百人乐队和所谓的“人权圣火”传递。12月22日，法轮功分子再次提出将于1月1日上午7：59，即玫瑰花车游行开始的前一分钟，在科罗拉多林荫大道举办一个百人抗议游行，此举被帕萨迪纳市警察局长马力健（Bernard Melekian ）以安全为由最终否绝。

China float nearly done for Pasadena's Rose Parade

At Festival Artists in Azusa, workers are doing final painting and prep work on a float from China, which celebrates the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

One of about 46 float entries to be featured in the Rose Parade on New Year's Day, it's received the most publicity, acting as a lightning rod for critics of China's human-rights record.

The float, jointly sponsored by Pasadena-based label maker Avery Dennison Corp. and the Roundtable of Southern California Chinese-American Organizations, is the first entry from China in the 119-year history of the Rose Parade. It's about 85 percent completed, said Festival Artists officials. 

Next, volunteers will add flowers and other organic materials to all of the floats at Festival Artists, a tradition that begins the week after Christmas Day to ensure that the flowers are still fresh on parade day, officials said.

Festival Artists is building the controversial Beijing 2008 Rose Parade Float in Azusa Saturday, December 15, 2007 in Azusa. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SXCITY)

Catherine Nwosu, of Riverside, paints pieces of the fireworks display for the Beijing 2008 Rose Parade Float in Azusa Saturday, December 15, 2007 at Festival Artists in Azusa. Nwosu was volunteering on behalf of the San Bernadino County Probation Department. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SXCITY)

Maria Jimenez, of Festival Artists, builds one of the characters for the controversial Beijing 2008 Rose Parade Float at Festival Artists in Azusa Saturday, December 15, 2007. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SXCITY)

(Whittier Daily News, December 16, 2007)

Original text form: http://www.whittierdailynews.comews/ci_7739766