英语听力—环球英语 1104 Please Save Our Children

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Marina Santee.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I'm Mike Procter. 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

 

　　Nicholas Winton had a secret. He told no one. For almost fifty years no one knew what he had done – he did not even tell his wife. Family and friends would look at this small, old man and never think he was a hero. People who served him in the stores or passed him in the street saw only an old man walking with the aid of a stick.

 

　　Then, in 1988 the world learned² his secret: Nicholas Winton had helped to rescue nearly 700 children from death. Without him, these children would have been victims³ of the Nazis⁵ in World War two. Today, thousands of people can say they exist because of Nicholas Winton.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　During the Second World War many Jewish⁶ people were rescued from the Nazis in Europe. Some of their rescuers became famous names - like Raoul Wallenberg and Oskar Schindler. Films like 'Schindler's List' have told stories of their courage, and how they tricked Hitler's men. But only now has a film been released⁷ to tell the story of Nicholas Winton. It shows how children escaped from Prague to England as Nazi⁴ armies marched into Czechoslovakia. Prague is the English translation of Praha, which today is the capital city of the Czech Republic.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In 1938 Adolf Hitler sent his armies into western Czechoslovakia. He claimed that the land belonged to Germany. Many Jewish families lived there. They had already escaped from Germany - but now they were forced to flee⁸ again, this time to Prague. They knew they would be sent to Hitler's prison camps if the Nazi soldiers captured⁹ them.

 

　　At this time, the British government did not see the danger. But Nicholas Winton did. He was just a young man - twenty eight years old - an age when young men like to do fun things! But Winton cancelled a holiday in Switzerland and went instead to Czechoslovakia to visit the Jewish refugees¹⁰. He wanted to see what he could do to help them.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　An aid organisation¹¹ had been attempting to get Jewish families out of Prague before the German armies arrived. But this work was becoming impossible. Finally, Jewish parents were so afraid that they said, 'Even if you cannot get us to freedom, please, please help our children to escape'.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Nicholas Winton went back to England to devote¹² his time and energy to saving¹³ the young Jewish children. He had family in Germany and he knew how the Nazi government was crushing¹⁴ the Jewish people.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　But the British government did not see the danger. Officials did not believe that war was only months away. They were very slow to issue¹⁵ the documents that Nicholas Winton needed to save the children.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　However, Nicholas Winton was in a hurry! He printed false papers¹⁶ to get the children out of Czechoslovakia – they would be exchanged for real documents when the children arrived in England. He worked at his job during the day, but he spent his nights trying to persuade British people to receive young Jewish refugees into their homes. It was very difficult. Each family that agreed to receive a child had to pay the British government fifty English pounds. This was more than three months' wages, so only people with a lot of money could help.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　On March the fourteenth, 1939 the first group of children left Prague by airplane. Over the next few months another seven groups of children travelled out of Czechoslovakia. They travelled overland by train and then crossed the sea by boat to safety. Then, on September the first, the biggest group of children gathered to flee Prague. There were 250 of them.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But they did not escape. That day, Hitler's armies invaded¹⁷ Poland. The Second World War had begun and Germany closed all borders. The children were among many people taken to Nazi prison camps. Nicholas Winton says that not one of the children was seen again. If the train had left a day earlier they would have been saved. That is a thought that saddens Nicholas Winton's heart to this day.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The children who had escaped to England hoped they would see their parents again after the war. But this did not happen. The Nazis killed their parents and brothers and sisters. All they had were pictures and memories of happy times with their families before the Nazis took power.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Years passed by. The war ended and the children grew to become adults. Many of them married and had children and then grandchildren¹⁸. But one question remained in their minds: who was the Englishman¹⁹ that welcomed them when they first arrived in England? No one knew.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Then, one day, Grete Winton was searching among some old books and papers in her home. There she found pictures, letters and documents that her husband, Nicholas, had put away. She told a friend named Elisabeth Maxwell. Elisabeth Maxwell was a doctor of history. She was an expert on the Nazi oppression of the Jews²⁰ in the Second World War. She was also the wife of a rich newspaper owner, and his paper published the story of Nicholas Winton.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　People who had been saved read the stories. They wrote to Nicholas Winton to thank him. Then he appeared on a television programme. The programme was recorded with a studio²¹ audience - a large number of people sitting in a theatre. Nicholas was among them. During the show, the presenter²² asked anyone who owed²³ their life to Nicholas Winton to stand up. An amazing thing happened. Everyone stood up! The whole audience! Nicholas was very surprised. The TV company had filled the theatre with people whom he had rescued when they were children. It was a very moving, emotional²⁴ event. After that, more letters came from all over the world. Today people still write to thank Nicholas Winton. He is now more than one hundred years old.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Nicholas Winton has received many honours, including a special title from the Queen of England - he is now Sir Nicholas Winton. In January 2011 he went to Prague for the launch²⁵ of a new film about his work. There he was also told that his name has been put forward for the Nobel Peace Prize – one of the greatest honours in the world.

 

　　The quiet hero is now famous. And he still lives by the same belief that saved those 669 children all those years ago:

 

　　"If something is not impossible there must be a way of doing it".

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The writer of today's programme was Alan Harris. The producer was Nick Mangeolles. The voices you heard were from the United²⁶ Kingdom.

 

　　You can listen to Spotlight programmes and read the words at the same time on our website. The address is http://www.radio.english.net This .programme is called 'Please Save Our Children'.

 

　　You are welcome to tell us your opinion about Spotlight programmes. Our email address is [email protected], or you can leave comments on our website. You can also find us on Facebook - just look for spotlightradio.

 

　　Thank you for listening to Spotlight. Goodbye.

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 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

3 victims   

n.牺牲者( victim的名词复数 )；牺牲品；受骗者；为祭祀杀死的动物（或人）

参考例句：

• Many charities sent money to help the victims of the famine. 许多慈善机构捐款赈济饥民。
• victims of child abuse 受虐待的儿童

4 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

5 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 Jewish   

adj.犹太人的，犹太民族的

参考例句：

• The coin bears a Jewish symbol.硬币上有犹太标记。
• They were two Jewish kids;I was friendly with both of them.他们是两个犹太小孩；我同他们都很要好。

7 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

8 flee   

vt.逃避，逃跑，逃走；vi.逃，消失

参考例句：

• Why does she always flee any kind of responsibility?她为什么总是逃避责任？
• He was lucky to flee the burning hotel.他很幸运逃出了失火的旅馆。

9 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。

10 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

11 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

12 devote   

vt.将…奉献(给)，把...专用于，致力于

参考例句：

• I devote myself to helping the poor.我致力于帮助穷人。
• He is determined to devote his life to sicence.他决心把毕生精力贡献给科学事业。

13 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

14 crushing   

adj. 打破得支离破碎的, 使不能在站起来, 压倒的 v. 动词crush的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• a crushing defeat in the election 在选举中的惨败
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity. 偷袭珍珠港（对美军来说）是一场毁灭性的灾难。

15 issue   

n.出版，发行，（报刊等）期、号，论点，问题，结果， （水，血等的）流出；vt.使流出，放出，发行（钞票等），发布（命令），出版（书等）发给；vi.发行，流出，造成...结果，进行辩护，传下

参考例句：

• I bought the book the day after its issue.这书出版后的第一天，我就去买了它。
• I'll support her down the line on that issue.在那个问题上我将全力支持她。

16 papers   

n.文件，纸币，论文

参考例句：

• I want to check with my secretary before I sign the papers.在签署这些文件前，我要与我的秘书商议。
• The lawyer read all the papers relating to the case.律师阅读了与该案有关的全部文件。

17 invaded   

v.侵入，侵略( invade的过去式和过去分词 )；涌入；侵袭；侵犯

参考例句：

• Troops invaded on August 9th that year. 军队是在那年的8月9日入侵的。
• The diseased tissue can be easily invaded by these microorganisms. 有病的组织容易被微生物侵袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 grandchildren   

n.孙子；孙（女），外孙（女）( grandchild的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He left a bequest to each of his grandchildren. 他给他的孙辈每人留下一笔遗产。
• His grandchildren afforded him his greatest pleasure in his old age. 他的孙子和孙女们在晚年的时候给了他最大的欢乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 Englishman   

n.(pl.Englishmen)英国人；英国男人

参考例句：

• I was astonished that he was not an Englishman.我很惊讶,他竟不是英国人。
• She stared thoughtfully at the Englishman across the table.她若有所思地盯着桌子对面的那个英国人。

20 Jews   

n.犹太教徒( Jew的名词复数 )；犹太人

参考例句：

• Hitler's original plan was to kill off all the German Jews. 希特勒的最初打算是杀光德国所有的犹太人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• For two millennia, exogamy was a major transgression for Jews. 两千年来，异族通婚一直是犹太人的一大禁忌。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 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。

22 presenter   

n.（电视、广播的）主持人，赠与者

参考例句：

• Most people think being a television presenter is exciting.很多人认为当电视节目主持人是一件刺激的事情。
• The programme dispensed with its most popular presenter.这个节目最受欢迎的主持人被换掉了。

23 owed   

v.感激( owe的过去式和过去分词 )；应把…归功于；欠…债；（对位高权重者）忠诚

参考例句：

• I'd completely forgotten about the money he owed me. 我完全记不得他欠我的钱了。
• He gave me a lot of help.I owed much to him. 他给我许多帮助，我非常感激他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。

25 launch   

vt.发动，推出；发射；n.发射，下水，投产

参考例句：

• The makers are about to launch out a new product.制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。
• Would it be wise to launch into this rough sea?在这样汹涌的大海中游泳明智吗？

26 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。