出国留学首选一诺留学

　　Real Mermaids? Not Really, But…

　　Mermaids -- half woman, half fish -- are notsupposed to exist.

　　But for almost 70 years, mermaids have beenswimming in the southeastern state of Florida.

　　VOA recently visited the Weeki Wachee freshwaterspring to learn about these mermaids.

　　These are some of the famous Weeki Wachee mermaids.

　　"My mom was a mermaid actually, so that's what made me want to do it."

　　"I've actually been a mermaid for 15 years."

　　John Athanason works at the springs.

　　"Weeki Wachee Springs has been here since 1947, making us one of Florida's oldest andoriginal roadside attractions."

　　Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld did not exist when the mermaid show began. Itwas one of the only entertainment places for families in central Florida in the 1950s and 1960s.Seventy years ago, only nine people could watch the show. Now, as many as 500 do.

　　During the show, mermaids perform dance exercises, play with fish and show how to eat anddrink underwater.

　　The mermaids swim through a special tube into the spring. They wear lights to help them see inthe tube. It has air hoses they can use to breathe oxygen. The mermaids also use very thinbreathing hoses as they perform underwater.

　　The mermaids are actually young women who trained for up to a year to become aprofessional mermaid. They must deal with the cold water, and fish and turtles that sometimesgently bite their fingers.

　　Athanason says few women can become mermaids.

　　"We recently had an audition where 50 young women showed up. We were looking to hirepotentially six at that time. And at the end of the auditions, we saw two that could possibly doit -- so out of the 50, two made it. But both of them quit by the end of the week, because itwas that difficult."

　　VOA spoke with children and adults who watched the show.

　　"Fiona had seen some of it on one of the kid's TV shows, and she really wanted to come see itin person. So we are really excited to be able to make the trip."

　　"I really want to be a mermaid."

　　"Yeah, I wish, I wish I can be just like Ariela."

　　Mermaid Emily had wanted to be a mermaid since she was five. Now she is.

　　"(It was) always like a dream of mine to work here, like go to college and work here. Andactually, my favorite mermaid when I was younger used to be Mermaid Sativa, and now it'sreally cool 'cause I get to work with her. So it's, it's like getting to work with your favorite superhero -- something like that."

　　I'm Christopher Jones-Cruise.