US Artists Hurdle Over Israel’s Barrier

     The barrier separating Israel from West Bank Palestinian territories is the theme of a Washington exhibit by a dozen U.S. and Canadian-based artists. Each gives a different representation of what the artist views as an obstacle to peace.

    The curator at the non-profit and non-partisan Jerusalem Fund Gallery, Dagmar Painter, shows one of the pieces called Twisted Rope, an 18-meter rope made up of men’s headdresses, women’s garments and other fabrics¹.

    “The idea of this piece is that it is a rope long enough for someone to throw over the wall, and then two people could climb one on each side and meet at the top,” said Painter.

    The tsunami² painting by Mona El-Bayoumi is called 'Step Over and Join Us,' June 2011Other pieces include pictures of a checkpoint sign made to look like bricks, a tsunami wave breaking down barriers, and a doll inside a sycamore trunk.

    The exhibit（展示陈列） is called Breaching³ the Wall.

    Israelis commonly refer to the more than 500-kilometer and still gradually lengthening⁴ barrier as a separation, security or anti-terrorist fence. Some sections are made up of concrete slabs⁵ up to eight meters in height, while other parts of the barrier are barbed wire and electrified⁶ fencing.

    Lebanese-American artist Helen Zughaib made a piece called Another Wall, which lines up 20 intricately designed miniature panels. Her inspiration was Palestinian embroidery⁷ tradition.

    “One woman can read another women’s dress and can tell what village she is from by these beautiful intricate motifs⁸ that have been carried on from generation to generation,” she said.

    Zughaib said she feels the longer the barrier extends, the more these traditions are at risk.

    “I think that what a lot of people hear about the wall is that it keeps terrorism out and acts of terror, but in reality it does a lot more than that," she said. "It really does separate people from land, and separate people from their livelihoods⁹, so it affects them so much. I think that part does not necessarily come across. Once you see it you become very aware that the wall does really encroach on people’s lives.”

    Several years ago, Zughaib stayed in east Jerusalem, while attending a workshop in the West Bank, and had to cross three of the barrier’s checkpoints in both directions.

    Zughaib said art can help eliminate a barrier she views as going against the aim of peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.

    "I think the more people speak up about it, write about it, take photographs of it, paint it, talk about it, get it out there, to a younger generation, I do think eventually it will come down," she said. "I do no think people are meant to live with walls, so I am optimistic, but I am not sure I will see it in my lifetime, but I hope I do.”

    In 2004, the International Court of Justice issued an opinion against the barrier, also calling it a wall, and saying it was contrary to international law. But Israel’s government rejected the ruling and stressed the barrier would continue to be built.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

2 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

3 breaching   

攻破( breach的过去式 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。
• Third, an agency can abuse its discretion by breaching certain principles of judge-made law. 第三，行政机关会因违反某些法官制定的法律原则而构成滥用自由裁量权。

4 lengthening   

（时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长

参考例句：

• The evening shadows were lengthening. 残阳下的影子越拉越长。
• The shadows are lengthening for me. 我的影子越来越长了。 来自演讲部分

5 slabs   

n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片

参考例句：

• The patio was made of stone slabs. 这天井是用石板铺砌而成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The slabs of standing stone point roughly toward the invisible notch. 这些矗立的石块，大致指向那个看不见的缺口。 来自辞典例句

6 electrified   

v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The railway line was electrified in the 1950s. 这条铁路线在20世纪50年代就实现了电气化。
• The national railway system has nearly all been electrified. 全国的铁路系统几乎全部实现了电气化。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 embroidery   

n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品

参考例句：

• This exquisite embroidery won people's great admiration.这件精美的绣品，使人惊叹不已。
• This is Jane's first attempt at embroidery.这是简第一次试着绣花。

8 motifs   

n. （文艺作品等的）主题( motif的名词复数 )；中心思想；基本模式；基本图案

参考例句：

• I try to develop beyond the old motifs. 我力求对传统的花纹图案做到推陈出新。 来自辞典例句
• American Dream is one of the most important motifs of American literature. “美国梦”是美国文学最重要的母题之一。 来自互联网

9 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。