VOA慢速英语 2007 0323b

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We answer a question about an advertising² expression‿/P>

Play some music from Sonya Kitchell‿/P>

And report about the World Almanac.

The World Almanac and Book of Facts

 HOST:

Listeners to American Mosaic send us letters and e-mails asking many kinds of questions about the United States.  One place we sometimes look for answers is a book called The World Almanac and Book of Facts. Barbara Klein explains.

BARBARA KLEIN:

A new World Almanac is published every year and provides up-to-date³ information about many places and things.  For example, you can find the names of actors who won Academy⁴ Awards in past years. The names of athletes who won major sports awards.  Information about American cities and states.  

The book also provides information about the nations of the world.  It tells about world history, geography, business, science and technology and languages. 

It presents the most important and most unusual news stories of the past year.  And it gives interesting facts, such as the nation with the most refugees⁵ (Pakistan).  The nation with the most vacation days each year (Italy). And the most popular dog in the United States (Labrador Retriever).

The New York World newspaper published the first World Almanac in eighteen sixty-eight.  That is why it is called The World Almanac.

The World Almanac Web site says the publication⁶ has played a part in American history.  For example, in nineteen twenty-three, Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as president after the sudden death of President Warren Harding.  Mister⁷ Coolidge's father, a judge, read the oath⁸ of office from a copy of The World Almanac. 

The Web site also says that several recent American presidents have used the book.  It says there are photographs of presidents John Kennedy and Bill Clinton that show a copy of The World Almanac on or near their desks. 

The Web site also claims that The World Almanac is the best-selling American reference⁹ book of all time.  It says that more than eighty million copies have been sold.

The World Almanac now also publishes a computer version¹⁰ as well as a separate Almanac for children.  The Kids Almanac provides information children might need for school reports. It also has games, puzzles and other activities children enjoy.

Speaking of Diamonds

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Zimbabwe.  Shadreck Chikwavaire asks about the meaning of the saying “diamonds are forever.‿Many people around the world know that expression.  It is the name of a popular book and movie about the fictional¹¹ spy, James Bond¹². The theme song to the movie also became popular. Shirley Bassey sang it.

(MUSIC)

Diamonds are minerals that first formed billions of years ago deep under the ground. They result when pressure and heat act on the substance carbon.

A diamond is the hardest substance found in nature. But the mineral can be cut into different shapes and used to make costly¹³ jewelry¹⁴ such as diamond rings.  In the United States, it is traditional for a man to give the woman he plans to marry a diamond engagement¹⁵ ring.  People also wear jewelry made of diamonds on their ears, necks and wrists.

People are willing to pay high prices for diamond jewelry. One company controls most of the diamond market -- the De Beers Consolidated¹⁶ Mines Company of South Africa.  Reports say the company used to keep diamonds mined in many countries and released¹⁷ a limited number for sale each year.  Officials say the company does not do business that way anymore.

The De Beers Company first created the saying "A Diamond Is Forever." In the late nineteen forties, De Beers hired an advertising agency¹⁸ to help increase its sale of diamonds.  The agency N.W. Ayer developed an extremely successful campaign linking diamonds and romantic love. 

The campaign invented the slogan “A Diamond Is Forever,‿meaning that a diamond is a never-ending sign of love.  It also meant that a diamond would always keep its value. The company continues to use the slogan in its advertising more than fifty years later.  And reports say it has been used to advertise diamonds in at least twenty-nine languages.

The advertising business also recognized the huge success of the saying.  In two thousand, Advertising Age magazine named "A Diamond Is Forever" the best advertising slogan of the twentieth century.

Sonya Kitchell

HOST:

Sonya Kitchell writes and sings songs that are influenced by jazz and blues¹⁹. She has a rich and low voice that can skillfully express many emotions and styles. The surprising part is that she is only seventeen years old. Faith Lapidus tells us more about this young artist who is making timeless music.

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Sonya Kitchell

That was “Let Me Go,‿a song Sonya Kitchell wrote with her parents in mind. In the song she asks them to let her grow up and become more independent.

When Sonya was a child, her parents surrounded her with their artistic²⁰ and musical interests. She started studying jazz singing at the age of ten. Soon, she started writing and performing her music live with a group.

Sonya says she tries to take in as much of the world around her as she can. Songwriting has become a way to process her experiences.

Sonya Kitchell’s first album, “Words Came Back to Me,‿came out last year.  Here is, “Train,‿from that album. It is a song about wanting life to go by both faster and more slowly.

(MUSIC)

Sonya Kitchell is quickly becoming very popular. She has traveled and performed with well-known singers. Sometimes Sonya tries to write when she is on the road. But she says writing comes easiest when she is at her home in the northeastern state of Massachusetts. There, she takes walks in nature to clear her mind and think.

Sonya Kitchell says she has many goals for herself and her music. She wants to help make intelligent music more popular. She says popular music should go back to its roots and be enjoyed not only for its sound, but also for its message. We leave you with the gentle sounds of “I’d Love You.‿/P>

(MUSIC)

HOST:

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

It was written by Dana Demange and Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver²¹ was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio²², go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. 

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., 20237, 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 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。

3 up-to-date   

adj.现代化的，最新的；跟上时代的

参考例句：

• The car is a beauty and quite up-to-date.那辆车子很漂亮是最新款的。
• He bought an up-to-date textbook.他买了一本最新的教科书。

4 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

5 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。

6 publication   

n.出版，发行；出版；公布，发表

参考例句：

• They don't think this article is suitable for publication.他们认为这篇文章不宜发表。
• The government has delayed publication of the trade figures.政府已将贸易统计数字延后公布。

7 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

8 oath   

n.誓言，誓约，咒骂，诅咒语

参考例句：

• They swore an oath to carry out their duties faithfully.他们宣誓忠实履行自己的职责。
• They swore an oath of loyalty to the country.他们宣誓要报效祖国。

9 reference   

n.提到，说到，暗示，查看，查阅

参考例句：

• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
• I like to have my reference books within my reach.我喜欢把参考书放到伸手可取的地方。

10 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？

11 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

12 bond   

n.结合，债券，契约，粘合剂，保证人，键，关栈保留；vt.存入关栈，粘着；vi.结合

参考例句：

• This glue makes a good firm bond.这种胶水粘得很结实。
• His word is his bond.他是讲信用的。

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 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

15 engagement   

n.订婚，婚约，约定，约会

参考例句：

• I can't see you on Monday because I have a previous engagement.星期一我不能见你，因为我有约在先。
• It was my mother's very own engagement ring.这正是我母亲自己的订婚戒指。

16 consolidated   

a.联合的

参考例句：

• With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。
• Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

17 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。

18 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

19 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

20 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

21 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。

22 audio   

n./adj.音频(响)(的)；声音(的)，听觉(的)

参考例句：

• Often,the meeting is recorded on audio or video media for later reference.通常这种会议会以视频或者音频形式记录下来，供以后查阅。
• You don't even have to pay for audio programs.你大可不必为自己听这些节目付费。