VOA慢速英语20060519b

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Music Mash-ups | Mashed-up Data | Train Travel in U.S.By Dana Demange and Daniel Kirch

Broadcast: Friday, May 19, 2006

(MUSIC)

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week 鈥?e answer a question about train travel in the United States 鈥?lay some mash-up music 鈥?nd report about new computer software that mixes two different Web sites.

Mashed-up Data

Have you ever heard of mixing together different Web sites? To mash-up something is to cut it up and mix it together. Mash-up Web sites are a new software technology combining the information and services of two Web sites. These new programs are changing the way companies and individuals use the Internet. Barbara Klein tells us more.

BARBARA KLEIN: Many Web sites can tell you about crime rates in an area. Other Web sites can show you maps of an area. But what if you wanted to have a map that shows all of the recent crimes in your area? This is exactly what a Web site developer named Adrian Holovaty decided² to make.




Adrian Holovaty with his mash-up Web site

He combined the information from a Chicago, Illinois police department Web site with an online map of that city. His Web site has become a popular example of the useful services mash-ups can provide.

There are many other mash-up examples. One mash-up Web site shows a map of New York City covered with flags. Each flag represents a theater. You can see the name and time of every play being presented in the city. You can also see the names of nearby restaurants where you can eat before or after the show.

Another mash-up shows streets all over the United States that have strange or funny names. If you know of an unusual street name, you can add it to this Web site.

Volunteer computer programmers lead the mash-up movement. These people are taking control of the Internet in new and creative ways. They often take information from the Web sites of large companies such as Google and Yahoo. At first, these Web site companies did not want people using their maps and information. But now, companies like Yahoo permit mash-up creators to gather information more easily. These companies see mash-ups as a free form of research and advertising³.

Some companies are even starting to develop new software to make mash-ups easier to build. But not all companies want to invest⁴ in this software. Some business experts think mash-ups are a temporary movement. They say mash-ups are fun and interesting, but do not add value. Others say mash-ups represent a valuable experiment. They say mash-up technology might be the future of the Internet.

Mashed-up Music

HOST: The term mash-up can also mean a new kind of musical experimentation⁵. Mash-ups combine the music from one song with the singing from another. But this kind of musical creation⁶ has caused much debate. Bob Doughty⁷ has more.

BOB DOUGHTY: Deejays are musical professionals who create and play popular songs. A few years ago a young man who calls himself Deejay Reset⁸ experimented with the song Debra by the singer Beck. Using digital software and his computer he made changes to the song. He then added the voice of musician Jay-Z. He also added some other sounds, such as the beat of drums. The result was a whole new mash-up song called Frontin' on Debra.

(MUSIC)

Beck liked this new version⁹ of his song. Soon, people could buy Deejay Reset's song online.

However, some mash-up deejays have gotten into trouble. Record companies own the original songs that the deejays change. These companies threaten legal action against people who use their music without permission. Mash-ups represent the complex nature of copyright¹⁰ law.

Here is the mash-up of I Wanna Dance with Some Bono. It combines the voice of Whitney Houston with the music of the band U2.

(MUSIC)

Today many people use digital technology to make mash-ups. They can post their songs on the Internet for the world to hear. Mash-up fans around the world exchange songs on the Internet. Some radio stations even have special mash-up programs.

We leave you with A Stroke¹¹ of Genius created from songs by Christina Aguilera and the Strokes¹². Critics say this popular mash-up is better than the original songs it combines.

(MUSIC)

Train Travel

HOST: Our listener question this week comes from Taiwan. Chiu Hsien-Cheng asks if it is true that train transportation is not popular in the United States.


Amtrak's Acela train

Most people like driving their own cars or flying in an airplane to get from one city to another. A study from the United States Department of Transportation found that train transportation is unpopular compared with cars and airplanes.

Officials of the department studied how many miles Americans traveled using different ways of transportation in two thousand one. Only trips longer than fifty miles, or eighty kilometers, were part of the study.

Fifty-six percent of all miles were traveled in a personal vehicle. Forty-one percent were traveled in an airplane. Two percent were traveled in a bus. And less than one percent of miles were traveled in a train.

Amtrak is the national provider of train transportation in the United States. In the past ten years the number of its passengers increased by eighteen percent. In two thousand four, Amtrak had about sixty-nine thousand passengers a day on average. During the whole year, twenty-five million people rode Amtrak trains, more than ever before.

Although the number of passengers increased, it is still very low. In countries such as France, Germany or Japan, more people use trains. These countries also have nationwide systems of high-speed trains, which the United States does not have.

There are several reasons why many people do not like to ride trains. Americans love to drive their own cars. On high-speed roads, cars can travel as fast as trains. These highways connect all major cities. Many travelers like to be independent. When they use their own cars they can decide when to travel.

In addition, many buses travel between major cities. Bus travel is much less costly¹³ than train travel.

In a huge country like the United States, distances between cities are great. In some cases, riding a train from one city to another may take more than a day. Airplanes can carry passengers over long distances much faster. People who do not want to sit in a train for a long time decide to fly. For many people, saving¹⁴ time is the most important thing.

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

Our show was written by Dana Demange and Daniel Kirch. Caty Weaver¹⁵ was our producer.

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 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。

3 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

4 invest   

v.投资；投入(时间等)；授予，赋予

参考例句：

• I have decided to invest in a new car.我已经决定买一辆新汽车。
• The best time to invest is now.现在是投资的最佳时机。

5 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

6 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。

7 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

8 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

9 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

10 copyright   

n.版权，著作权

参考例句：

• He retained the copyright of his book.他保留此书的著作权。
• This company has a proprietorship of the copyright.这家公司拥有版权所有权。

11 stroke   

n.笔画，击打，连续的动作，中风，心跳；vt.奉承，轻抚； vi.击打，心跳...

参考例句：

• He drove in a nail with one stroke of the hammer.他一锤就把钉子敲进去了。
• He broke the lock with one stroke of the hammer.他一锤就把锁砸坏了。

12 strokes   

中风； a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain.； （游泳或划船的）划( stroke的名词复数 )； 中风； （打、击等的）一下； （成功的）举动

参考例句：

• Apply the paint thickly in even strokes. 涂颜料要厚，笔画要匀。
• To improve your tennis strokes you try using a different grip. 为了提高你网球的击球法，你试试用另一种握拍方法。

13 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

14 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。

15 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。