介绍： Welcome Back, Pandas! Two Furry Diplomats Are Headed to the D.C. Zoo.

It was a long and terrible six months without giant pandas, but this unbearable (sorry) drought will soon be over.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute announced on Wednesday that two new fuzzy diplomats will ...

介绍： Welcome Back, Pandas! Two Furry Diplomats Are Headed to the D.C. Zoo.

It was a long and terrible six months without giant pandas, but this unbearable (sorry) drought will soon be over.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute announced on Wednesday that two new fuzzy diplomats will soon be on their way to the United States from China. The pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, will be flown over before the end of the year, the zoo said in a statement.

They are both 2 years old - young for a Washington power couple - and their anticipated arrival is after the departure in November of two adult pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, who are the grandparents of the male, Bao Li.

If pandas of Washington's past are any indication, the two newbies, who will arrive aboard a special FedEx aircraft, will be touching down to much fanfare.

At the entrance to the "Asia trail" that leads to the exhibit where the pandas lived and will return, a small sign hailing the new arrivals was posted. Inside a nearby shop, merchandise was already available, including a $3 sticker with a simple promise: "The pandas are coming."

James Reeves, 44, who works at the shop outside the panda exhibit, said he was used to fielding questions from visitors about where the pandas were and when they were coming back. Now he finally had an answer.

"November is around the time we should be getting them here," Mr. Reeves said. "Then they go through a quarantine process. It should be open around the beginning of next year."

furry
英 [ˈfɜːri] 美 [ˈfɜrːi]
adj. 毛茸茸的
拓展:
fur n. （动物身上浓厚的）软毛
small furry animals 毛茸茸的小动物

diplomat
英 [ˈdɪpləmæt] 美 [ˈdɪpləmæt]
n. 外交官

unbearable
英 [ʌnˈbeərəbl] 美 [ʌnˈberəbl]
adj. 无法忍受的
拓展:
词缀：否定前缀 un- 表示"没有"
bear v. 忍受，承受；n. 熊
The pain was almost more than he could bear.
这种痛苦几乎令他无法忍受。
unbearable pain 无法忍受的疼痛

drought
英 [draʊt] 美 [draʊt]
n. 干旱；（本文）长期缺乏、严重短缺
拓展:
a drought of creativity 创造力枯竭

conservation
英 [ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃn] 美 [ˌkɑːnsərˈveɪʃn]
n. 节约资源；（本文）（对大自然和野生动植物的）保护
拓展:
conserve v. 节省；保护
conserve energy 节省能源
conserve forests 保护森林
energy conservation 能源节约
wildlife conservation 野生动物保护

announce
英 [əˈnaʊns] 美 [əˈnaʊns]
v. 宣布，宣告
拓展:
announce something 宣布某事
They announced their engagement in Weibo.
他们在微博上宣布了订婚。
announce something to somebody 向某人宣布某事
She announced the winner of the competition to an excited audience.
她向兴奋的观众宣布了比赛的获胜者。

power couple
英 [ˈpaʊər ˌkʌpəl] 美 [ˈpaʊər ˌkʌpəl]
n. 权力夫妇，明星夫妇（在某个领域或行业中具有很高地位和影响力的一对恋人或夫妇）
拓展:
After Mr. Obama leaves office, he and the first lady are likely to remain a Washington power couple.
奥巴马卸任后，他和第一夫人很可能会继续成为华盛顿的"权力夫妇"。

touch down
着陆，抵达

fanfare
英 [ˈfænfeə] 美 [ˈfænfer]
n. （欢迎仪式上的）号角齐名；（媒体上的）大肆宣传
拓展:
The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide.
这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

field questions
处理、回答问题
拓展:
field n. 田地；场地；有......的大片的地方；v. 处理，应付
a field of wheat 麦田
a landing field 降落场
gas fields 天然气田
The press office fielded numerous calls from the media.
新闻处回应了媒体的无数电话