听美文故事记6级单词05-04

4.John Biggers ,Starry¹ Crown

Introduction of the artist

　　John Biggers was born in North Carolina in 1924, the youngest of seven children. Whereas Biggers' earlier works convey a sense of burden and ordeal² is drawings of life in Africa and his later works exude³ affirmative power, balance, dignity, and position connection to the earth. In the 1980s, particularly following his retirement⁴ from nearly thirty-five years of teaching art at Texas Southern University in Houston, he developed a flattened⁵, geometric style in which pictorial⁶ space represents not physical depth but a kind of mystical dimension where history and the ever-generative cosmos⁷ meet. Exploring the African American experience and African heritage, his work is a testimony⁸ to the power of transformation⁹ and the triumph of the spirit.

Interpretations¹⁰: Starry Crown

　　The name Starry Crown comes from a traditional spiritual of the same name. While the images have many different meanings, the work is mainly about creation and the continuity of tradition through the spoken language. The three women reflect Biggers' perception of black women as the promoters of continuity and moral knowledge. Knowledge moves across generations and continents through the spoken word, the weaving of words, and the craft of weaving itself which refers to the creativity of women. The string is a metaphor¹¹ for life.

　　The quilt also reflects continuity because Biggers believes it is the most precious and continuous of the art experiences of person's of African descent in North America. He said, "The quilt was a prayer for poor women. They didn't have anything else to cover their children with." The cotton coming from the inner part of the quilt on the center woman is glowing with light: "God created light." The stars refer to Heaven as does the blue at the top of the painting. The pots represent the twelve months and the boat represents a journey across the seas or the journey through life. If you look closely at the original work, you can see a cow and two goats in the skirt of the figure on the right. The animals represent those present in the manger at Jesus's birth. They also refer to the way in which we are connected to other creatures.

1 starry   

adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的

参考例句：

• He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。
• I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。

2 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

3 exude   

v.(使)流出，(使)渗出

参考例句：

• Some successful men exude self-confidence.有些成功的人流露出自信。
• The sun made him exude sweat.烈日晒得他汗流浃背。

4 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

5 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

6 pictorial   

adj.绘画的；图片的；n．画报

参考例句：

• The had insisted on a full pictorial coverage of the event.他们坚持要对那一事件做详尽的图片报道。
• China Pictorial usually sells out soon after it hits the stands.《人民画报》往往一到报摊就销售一空。

7 cosmos   

n.宇宙；秩序，和谐

参考例句：

• Our world is but a small part of the cosmos.我们的世界仅仅是宇宙的一小部分而已。
• Is there any other intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos?在宇宙的其他星球上还存在别的有智慧的生物吗？

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

10 interpretations   

n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 )；表演；演绎；理解

参考例句：

• This passage is open to a variety of interpretations. 这篇文章可以有各种不同的解释。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The involved and abstruse passage makes several interpretations possible. 这段艰涩的文字可以作出好几种解释。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。