Cranes are large birds with long legs and necks. 
鹤是一种腿和颈都很长的大型鸟类。

In Japan and other East Asian cultures, they represent luck and long life.
在日本和其他东亚国家文化中，鹤代表吉祥和长寿。

Japanese tradition says a person who folds 1,000 paper cranes gets the right to make a wish. 
日本传说称，折一千只纸鹤，就能许下一个愿望。

Some schoolchildren in the United States have been folding cranes. 
美国的一些学生正在折纸鹤，

They want to show they care about the victims of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
这些学生想要对3月11日日本地震和海啸的灾民表示他们的关心。

Almost 40 Japanese-American students attend Somerville Elementary School in Ridgewood, New Jersey. 
近40名日裔美国学生在新泽西州里奇伍德市萨默维尔小学就读。

But all 525 students at the school have heard about the disasters. 
但该校所有525名学生都听说了这次灾难。

So they have decorated their school with paper origami cranes. 
他们用纸鹤装饰他们的学校，

Their wish is for a speedy recovery for the Japanese people.
祈望日本人民早日恢复。

Art teacher Samantha Stankiewicz says the activity gives students a way to express empathy for victims.
美术老师Samantha Stankiewicz表示，这个活动为学生们提供了一个向灾民表达同情的机会。

For children, the folding of the cranes has been a really positive way for them to feel like they're actively engaged, even though the cranes are symbolic.
对孩子们来说，折纸鹤是一种很积极的方式，可以让孩子们感觉到自己的积极参与，尽管纸鹤是象征性的。

These students thought out loud as they folded cranes in the school library.
学生们在图书馆折纸鹤时大声说出了自己的想法。

The crane is a symbol of hope, so we try to have a lot of hope for those people in Japan.
鹤是愿望的象征，所以我们希望为日本人民许下很多愿望。

It makes me feel really happy that everyone's caring for another country.
每个人都关心其他国家，这让我感觉非常高兴。

I feel sad for them, like really sad for them. 
我为他们感到难过。

But I also feel happy for us, because we are really trying to help out.
但我也为我们感到高兴，因为我们正在努力帮助他们。

And that help is not just in the form of paper cranes. 
同时学生们的帮助不仅仅是以纸鹤这种形式，

The school principal, Lorna Oates-Santos, says children at Somerville Elementary have raised about $2,000 for disaster relief agencies.
学校校长Lorna Oates-Santos说，萨默维尔小学的孩子们还为救灾机构募集了大约2千美元。

We will be donating that money to the American Red Cross and Save the Children. 
我们将这些钱捐赠给美国红十字会和救助儿童会，

They are two groups that are ready on the ground in Japan to help the people of Japan.
这两个组织已准备好到当地帮助日本人民。

The school has a television club that produces weekly programs on different subjects. 
学校有一个电视俱乐部，每周会制作不同主题的节目。

Fourth-grade teacher Gabrielle King is director of the club, and says the students are involved in the school's efforts.
四年级教师Gabrielle King是该俱乐部导演，他表示学生们融入到了学校的活动中。

When the earthquake happened, the children wanted to know what they could do to inform other students and raise awareness for the people in Japan. 
地震发生后，孩子们想知道他们可以做些什么向其他学生宣传，提高人们对日本人民的关注。

So, we decided to do a show on the earthquake, and to also making the cranes, the origami cranes.
所以我们决定做一起关于地震的节目，以及折纸鹤活动。

Some American children have shown their feelings for the victims in Japan in other ways. 
一些美国儿童还以其他方式表达他们对日本灾民的感情。

Yasuhisa Kawamura is Japan's deputy consul general in New York.
Yasuhisa Kawamura是日本驻纽约副总领事。

One American young girl dropped by the consulate a couple days ago with her own painting. 
数天前，一个美国小女孩带着她的画来到领事馆。

The painting shows the two countries, Japan and the United States, shaking hands over the ocean, and saying 'We are with you.' So, we are very, very moved and touched by this young girl's expression.
这幅画展示的的是日本和美国这2个国家越过海洋握住手，并说“我们和你们在一起”。