VOA慢速英语20060120b

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Born of the 9/11 Attacks in New York, a Weekend of World MusicBy Brianna Blake and Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Friday, January 20, 2006

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HOST: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English. I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We hear some songs from artists taking part in a global music festival 鈥?nswer a question about a secret American organization 鈥?nd report about the popularity² of a new kind of game.

Sudoku

A numbers game that has been enjoyed for years in Japan is now becoming very popular in the United States. Pat³ Bodnar tells us more about the game Sudoku, and how it is quickly gaining interest throughout the world.


Sudoku game

PAT BODNAR: The name Sudoku is Japanese, meaning single numbers. But the game is believed to be an American invention, created by a man named Howard Garns. The earliest known examples of the game were published in nineteen seventy-nine.

In the nineteen eighties, the game appeared in Japan under the name Sudoku. In recent years, newspapers in Britain began publishing the game. And last year, its popularity spread back to the United States. Now the games are found in several major American newspapers, in bookstores, and on the Internet. You can even play Sudoku on cellular⁴ telephones.

Sudoku is designed to be played by one person. The rules of the game are simple, although completing it can be extremely difficult, especially higher-level Sudoku games.

Although the game uses numbers, you do not have to be good at mathematics to complete Sudoku successfully. Anyone who can count can solve Sudoku.

The game includes a box that contains eighty-one spaces, or smaller boxes. The goal is to fill in each space with a number, one through nine. Some of the spaces are already filled in so the player must complete the rest.

The numbers must be placed in such a way that each number is represented in every line of spaces, going across the box, and up and down. Nine areas within the main box must also contain each number, one through nine. A single mistake in Sudoku makes the whole game wrong. The games are rated, depending on their level of difficulty.

Numbers have been called an international language because they are the same in any language. Sudoku is a good example of this international language of numbers that anyone, in any country, can understand.

Sudoku books are currently⁵ among the top sellers⁶ in the United States.

Ku Klux Klan

HOST: Our VOA listener question this week comes from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Dang Cam Y asks about an organization known as the Ku Klux Klan, and the meaning of the name.


Klansmen in Virginia in 1922

The Ku Klux Klan was once a secret terrorist⁷ organization in the United States. Its members were white men who dressed in white robes⁸ with pointed⁹ hoods¹⁰ that covered their faces. They threatened or killed members of minority groups. Members of the Klan believed that they were under attack and were acting¹¹ to protect their way of life.

Experts say the Klan's enemies were always minorities that were in economic competition with its white members. At different times these enemies have been African-Americans, Catholics, Jews, immigrants¹², homosexuals and others.

Six college students in the southern town of Pulaski, Tennessee started the Klan after the Civil War in eighteen sixty-six. They were former Confederate officers who were on the losing side of the Civil War. The group was at first a social club. Members wore unusual clothes, covered their faces and rode their horses around town after dark.

These appearances frightened people in the area, especially former black slaves. The group expanded to different towns. In eighteen sixty-seven, a meeting was held to officially establish rules.

Members took the name Ku Klux Klan from the Greek word kuklos meaning circle. They believed the circle represented white people. The circle is also the oldest symbol of unity¹³. Reports say the name meant White Racial Brotherhood¹⁴. Ku Klux was a way of saying kuklos. Klan was added to mean group.

Many white men joined the Klan in its early days because they opposed the federal¹⁵ government's policy of Reconstruction¹⁶. This policy was aimed at extending¹⁷ the rights of African-Americans. Klan members felt this was taking away their rights.

Strong Klan groups developed in small towns in the South. They attacked former slaves, teachers, judges and government officials. They burned wooden crosses outside the houses of people they wanted to frighten.

Membership¹⁸ in the Klan increased again in the early nineteen hundreds after the release¹⁹ of a movie about Reconstruction called Birth of a Nation. During this period, the Klan terrorized European immigrants who had moved to the United States. Later, action by the government and law enforcement²⁰ agencies²¹ stopped the growth of the Klan and destroyed it as an organization.

Global Fest

A yearly²² festival of new world music is taking place this weekend in New York City. Musicians from all over the world will perform Saturday and Sunday at the Public Theater. Steve Ember has more about Global Fest.


Daara J

STEVE EMBER: Global Fest was created by three Americans who are world music show producers -- Maure Aronson, Bill Bragin and Isabel Soffer. They began working together after the terrorist attacks against the United States in two thousand one. They wanted to make sure that international music continued to be performed in the United States. Critics say they have succeeded.

Maure Aronson says that for they past two years they had more demand than space at the festival. That is why they have expanded the program this year to two nights.

Thirteen acts will be performing each night. The performers represent many different cultures and music. One is Niyaz, who performs electronic Persian and Indian folk music. Here is a song from her album, Niyaz. It is called Nahan.

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Global Fest has attracted musicians hoping to increase their popularity in North America. Another group performing is the Senegalese hip-hop group Daara J. This song is Paris Dakar.

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Critics say the festival has succeeded in bringing new international music groups to more people in the United States. We leave you now with a Global Fest performer from France -- flamenco guitarist Juan Carmona. He is playing a tango called Cuida Mi Rosa.

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HOST: I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

Our show was written by Brianna Blake and Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver²³ was the producer.

Send your questions about American life to [email protected]. Please include your full name and mailing address. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

3 pat   

n.轻拍，拍打声；vt.轻拍，拍打；vi.轻跑，轻击；adv.适时，彻底；adj.油腔滑调的，恰好的，合适的

参考例句：

• Could you hear the pat?你能听到轻轻的拍击声吗？
• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。

4 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

5 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

6 sellers   

n.卖者( seller的名词复数 )；卖方；销售者；销售商

参考例句：

• buyers and sellers transacting business 进行交易的买方和卖方
• All manner of hawkers and street sellers were plying their trade. 形形色色的沿街小贩都在做着自己的买卖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

8 robes   

礼服( robe的名词复数 )； 法衣； 睡袍； 长袍

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• His Indian robes contrasted oddly with his fluent English. 他的印度长袍与他流利的英语形成奇特的对照。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 hoods   

n.兜帽( hood的名词复数 )；头巾；（汽车、童车等的）折合式车篷；汽车发动机罩v.兜帽( hood的第三人称单数 )；头巾；（汽车、童车等的）折合式车篷；汽车发动机罩

参考例句：

• Michael looked at the four hoods sitting in the kitchen. 迈克尔瞅了瞅坐在厨房里的四条汉子。 来自教父部分
• Eskimos wear hoods to keep their heads warm. 爱斯基摩人戴兜帽使头暖和。 来自辞典例句

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

12 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

14 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

15 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

16 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

17 extending   

v.（空间、时间等）延伸，延续( extend的现在分词 )；伸展；给予；延长

参考例句：

• We are extending the radio network. 我们正在扩大广播网。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A romance extending over several years was culminated. 一场数年之久的恋爱就此圆满告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 membership   

n.成员资格，会员全体，从属关系

参考例句：

• I must renew my membership of the sailing club.我必须延续我的航海俱乐部会员的资格。
• He made up his mind to apply for membership in the Party.他决心申请入党。

19 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

20 enforcement   

n.实施, 执行

参考例句：

• MPs called for tougher enforcement of the existing laws on drugs. 下院议员呼籲加强现行毒品法律的执行力度。
• The court is ineffective because it lacks the necessary enforcement machinery. 法院效率低是因为缺乏必要的执行机制。

21 agencies   

n.代理( agency的名词复数 )；服务机构；（政府的）专门机构；代理（或经销）业务（或关系）

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations. 联合国有许多专门机构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The project is funded by the World Bank and other multilateral agencies. 这项计划由世界银行和其他多国机构资助。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 yearly   

adj.每年的，一年一度的；adv.一年一次地

参考例句：

• The flower show is a yearly event in our town.我们镇上的花展一年举行一次。
• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。

23 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。