英语听力—环球英语 664 Carlinhos Brown: Musician and Community Activist

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Ryan Geertsma.
Voice 2
And I'm Robin² Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
That is the music of Carlinhos Brown. Carlinhos is a musician from Salvador, Brazil. He is full of energy. Some wonder why Carlinhos is so happy. When the news organization Times Online asked him this question, Carlinhos said,
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"People ask me if I am smiling when I rise in the morning. My mouth hurts with smiling so much, because I have got music. It is a good way of living, making music. It's a gift from God. I have it on loan³."
Voice 2
His words express how he understands his musical gifts. These beliefs also influence how Carlinhos lives his life. And they continue to influence the work he does in his community.
Voice 1
Today's Spotlight is on Carlinhos Brown, his music, and his work in Candeal.
Voice 2
When Carlinhos was born, his parents named him Antonio Carlos Santos de Freitas. He lived in Candeal, an area in Salvador in the country of Brazil. The people in Candeal did not have much money. Neither did his family. But Candeal was beautiful and peaceful. Carlinhos remembers the many fruit trees and growing things.
Voice 1
Even as a young child, Carlinhos enjoyed music. He would drum out songs as he worked. He would often hit things like water containers to create interesting sounds. Then he combined those sounds together to create a new beat.
Voice 2
Over time Carlinhos became a great musician. In fact, he is now one of Brazil's most famous musicians. Carlinhos sings, writes his own songs, and plays percussion⁴ and other musical instruments. He is famous for his special sound. He achieved this sound by combining different kinds of music, like rock music and African music. Carlinhos claims his music has roots in the Brazilian⁵ Carnival--a four day party in Brazil with lots of food, music, and dancing.
Voice 1
While Carlinhos became a better musician, Candeal was growing too. However, because Candeal was growing so quickly, it became very dirty and very poor. Human waste flowed through the streets. Children often played in the same streets. These streets were not smooth or finished. So rain would move waste and wet dirt down the roads, sometimes even into people's homes.
Voice 2
The condition of Candeal concerned Carlinhos. He decided⁶ to use his famous name to improve the area. But he did not want to do it alone. He wanted the people of Candeal to be involved. He wanted them to decide what was necessary, and how to do it. This way the people could protect all the improvements⁷ and start other new improvements without him.
Voice 1
The first thing Carlinhos did was start a music school. He did not receive much education. But because of this, he believes education is very important. This school provides new chances for poor children who did not have the chance to attend school before. Carlinhos named the school Pracatum, after the sound some of his instruments make. He hopes this school will give students a new attitude about life. He hopes they will see how they can change their own situations.
Voice 2
But Carlinhos did not stop with the school. Next, he started a community organization called Pracatum Social Action Association⁸. He encouraged the community members of Candeal to join the group. This group would work to improve the living conditions of Candeal.
Voice 1
As a representative⁹ of this community organization, Carlinhos talks to community and world leaders. One of the first achievements of the organization was getting the roads finished. This success was a great encouragement to the people of Candeal. Maria is a member of Carlinhos' community organization. She has lived in Candeal for 38 years. She spoke¹⁰ with Fernanda Santos, a journalist with the New York Times newspaper. She told of her excitement about the organization's success.
Voice 4
"The day my street was paved¹¹, I knew that we could successfully¹² do anything."
Voice 2
Pracatum Social Action Association also persuaded the health department to open Candeal's first health center. It has worked with the city government to remove human waste from the streets. And it has also completed work to improve homes and fix a public structure¹³ for water. These improvements make a big difference to the people of Candeal. The people of Candeal have been greatly encouraged by these developments. Recently, the group also fixed¹⁴ the football fields where the local children play.
Voice 1
Mario Sena lives in Candeal. He was one of the first students in the Pracatum Music School, and today he is the head of the school's music studio¹⁵. He is proud of the changes in Candeal. He told Fernanda Santos how the people of Candeal are reacting¹⁶ to the changes.
Voice 5
"People used to look for ways to move out of here because of what this place was like. Now, no one wants to leave. Candeal is poor, but it has honor¹⁷."
Voice 2
Since then Carlinhos has done many other things to develop the community of Candeal. He started a community-based building and construction organization. This organization identifies the needs of people in Candeal. Then it creates goals and organizes the process.
Voice 1
More recently, the Pracatum school began a short fashion class. It is a five month program. Pracatum Fashion trains students in the work of making and designing clothes and other things in the field of fashion.
Voice 2
Carlinhos Brown is happy with his success. He told Fernanda Santos,
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Poverty¹⁸ is not an excuse for anything. Poverty is an opportunity."
Voice 1
Brown wanted the people of Candeal to be proud of the place they live. He did not want people to only see the poverty in Candeal. Instead, he wanted people to see the work of community members in improving Candeal.
Voice 2
But Carlinhos Brown is not done. Now he is an ambassador¹⁹ for Countdown 2010 Save Biodiversity. This program encourages the protection²⁰ and care of the earth. As an ambassador, Carlinhos will work to develop public knowledge about biodiversity. He will encourage individuals to do what they can to protect the environment. Once again, he is using his famous name to improve the world.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 loan   

n.贷款；借出的东西；借；vt.借出；贷予

参考例句：

• I asked the bank to help me with a loan.我请银行给我一笔贷款。
• Has the bank okayed your request for a loan?银行批准你的贷款要求了吗？

4 percussion   

n.打击乐器；冲突，撞击；震动，音响

参考例句：

• In an orchestra,people who play percussion instruments sit at the back.在管弦乐队中，演奏打击乐器的人会坐在后面。
• Percussion of the abdomen is often omitted.腹部叩诊常被省略。

5 Brazilian   

n. 巴西人;a. 巴西的, 巴西人的

参考例句：

• It was a great showing by the Brazilian team.这场比赛成了巴西队的表演赛。
• Why don't we try some Brazilian food? 我们为什么不吃巴西人的食物呢？

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 improvements   

增加或修改( improvement的名词复数 )； 改进； 改善； 改良

参考例句：

• improvements in efficiency at the factory 工厂效率的提高
• They've spent a lot of money on home improvements. 他们花了很多钱装修家居。

8 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

9 representative   

n.代表，众议员，典型；adj.描写的，表现的，代理的，代表性的，代议制的，典型的

参考例句：

• He is a representative for a large steel company.他是一家大型钢铁公司的代理人。
• We have a representative sample.我们有一个代表性的样品。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 paved   

v.铺( pave的过去式和过去分词 )；为…铺平道路

参考例句：

• a paved area near the back door 后门旁一块石板地
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track. 铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 successfully   

adv.圆满地；顺利地；成功地

参考例句：

• The meeting passed off successfully.会议开得很成功。
• At last we successfully put through the business deal.最终我们成功地完成了这桩交易。

13 structure   

n.结构，构造，建筑物；v.构成；

参考例句：

• Doctors study the structure of the human body.医生研究人体构造。
• A flower has quite a complicated structure.一朵花的结构相当复杂。

14 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

15 studio   

n.摄影棚（场）；演播室；画室；工作室

参考例句：

• They are building a modern studio.他们正在修建一座现代化的摄影室。
• He had to spend long hours in the recording studio.他不得不花很长的时间在录音室里。

16 reacting   

起反应的，反应的

参考例句：

• The law is often tardy in reacting to changing attitudes. 法律对变化中的观念常常反应迟缓。
• The water was reacting with the ferrous iron in the tank. 水与水箱中的铁质产生化学反应。

17 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

18 poverty   

n.贫穷， 贫困， 贫乏， 缺少

参考例句：

• We must continue to war against poverty and disease.我们一定要继续同贫穷和疾病作斗争。
• He showed his poverty in his knowledge of agriculture.他表现出缺乏对农业知识的了解。

19 ambassador   

n.大使，特使，（派驻国际组织的）代表

参考例句：

• He took up office as an ambassador for ten years continuously.他连任十年大使。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

20 protection   

n.保护，防卫，保护制度

参考例句：

• The protection of the country is the duty of everyone.保卫国家是每个人的责任。
• The young in our society need care and protection.我们社会的年轻人需要关怀和照顾。