VOA慢速英语 2007 0622b

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week on our show:

We answer a question about the movie "Titanic²" ...

We also have music by three British singers who are popular in the United States ...

And we look at the growing interest in community gardens.

Community Gardens

HOST:

There are thousands of community gardens in the United States. Some are planted in parks. Others are on top of buildings -- anyplace where space is available. As we hear from Barbara Klein, people share these gardens to grow food, flowers and friendships.

BARBARA KLEIN:

Community gardens appeal to people who not only love to make things grow, but also 
A community garden in Sacramento, California 
enjoy learning from other gardeners. Shared gardens also give people the outdoor space they might not have where they live, especially if they live in cities.

The National Park Service operates a community garden in Washington, D.C., near busy museums and government buildings. Across the street is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

On a warm recent Saturday, Keith Goodman is working in his space in the garden. He rode his bicycle from the nearby apartment building where he lives. He says most of his vegetables are doing fine. Not far away from his cucumbers and carrots are three shades of red roses being grown by someone else.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, community gardens produce more than one and one-half million dollars worth of food each year. The gardens are planted on city land that was once empty and going to waste. People in Philadelphia are growing four hundred sixty-five vegetable gardens and one thousand flower gardens this summer.

In Chicago, Illinois, residents and neighbors are continuing a tradition of growing gardens at the Vista³ Homes apartment building. That tradition goes back at least sixty-five years. The land they use for their flowers and vegetables was once planted with Victory Gardens.

Almost twenty million Americans planted Victory Gardens in the nineteen forties during World War Two. These gardens helped feed their families, friends and neighbors. That way, more food could go to the troops fighting in Europe and the Pacific. During the war, Victory Gardens provided as much as forty percent of the American food supply.

Titanic, The Movie

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Burma. Tharr Naing wants to know about the historical truth in the movie “Titanic‿

 
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in 'Titanic'
The nineteen ninety-seven movie “Titanic‿is a record breaker in several ways. Ten years ago, it was the most costly⁴ movie ever made. "Titanic" has earned more money than any other movie in history. And, it received eleven Academy Awards.

The film tells the tragic⁵ story of the huge British passenger ship that sank in nineteen twelve. The Titanic was built to be a fine example of modern technology. It was the largest ship ever made.  It was considered unsinkable. It was sailing on its very first trip from England to New York with many rich and famous people on board.  The Titanic hit a huge piece of ice near Newfoundland, Canada. The ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

More than one thousand five hundred of its two thousand two hundred passengers died. Many movies, books, and plays have been produced about the disaster.

The movie "Titanic" is loosely based on historical facts. The director James Cameron worked hard with the movie crew to recreate historically correct clothing and rooms. Experts helped recreate the ship and the action of its sinking in as truthful⁶ a way as possible.

The images of the shipwrecked Titanic at the bottom of the ocean are real. And several of the people in the movie were real people, such as the boat’s captain and Molly Brown, who survived the disaster. She later became known as the “Unsinkable‿Molly Brown. It is also true that the watchman did not see the large iceberg⁷ in time to save the ship. And it is true that there were not enough lifeboats on the ship to save all of passengers.

What most people like best about the movie is its love story.  But the two lovers, Rose and Jack⁸, were not real people. There was also no diamond called the Heart of the Ocean.

However, another small love story in "Titanic" is based on fact. The movie shows an older man and woman who chose to die together instead of being separated. Isador and Ida Straus were offered a place on a lifeboat. Isador would not get in the boat as long as there were women on the Titanic who could be saved. So, Ida refused to leave her husband. Witnesses remember hearing her say to her husband, “Where you go, I go."  The two were last seen sitting side by side on a chair on the ship holding hands.

Three Hits By Brits

HOST:

Today we tell about three young women from Britain whose music has become very popular in the United States. Lily Allen, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Amy Winehouse make music that is filled with great energy, imagination and skill. Katharine Cole has more.

KATHARINE COLE:

 
Lily Allen
Twenty-one-year- old Lily Allen sings smart, popular music that captures the lifestyle and feelings of young people. Allen combines a sweet sound with a sharp, street-wise spirit.  Her album “Alright, Still‿is influenced by the many kinds of music she likes. Fans love her rebellious⁹ actions, wild clothing, and often surprising songs. Listen to the reggae beat of “Smile." In this song, Lily Allen tells about being happy about ending a relationship with an unfaithful lover.

(MUSIC)

Corinne Bailey Rae first started singing in her Christian¹⁰ religious center in Leeds, 
Corinne Bailey Rae
Britain. In college she worked in a jazz club where she was sometimes permitted to sing. Now she is twenty-eight years old. Her first album has sold millions of copies. She says she did not want to make the words to her songs sound literary¹¹. She wanted her songs to sound as if she were talking with someone. Listen to Corinne Bailey Rae's warm voice singing the hit song “Like A Star.‿/P>

(MUSIC)

 
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse has a deep, rich voice that is not what you would expect from a singer who is only twenty-three. She is known for acting¹² wildly, drinking Champagne¹³ wine and saying whatever is on her mind. Her second album “Back to Black‿is influenced by popular music from the nineteen fifties and sixties. Amy Winehouse says she likes how the songs from that time were simple and direct. Her expressive¹⁴ voice and songs tell about the good and bad experiences of love. We leave you with “Wake Up Alone.‿/P>

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson.

Send your questions about American life to [email protected]. Be sure to tell us your full name and where you are from. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A. 

Our program was written by Dana Demange and Jerilyn Watson. Caty Weaver¹⁵ was our producer. Transcripts¹⁶ and audio archives of our shows are available at voaspecialenglish.com. 

I hope you can 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 titanic   

adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的

参考例句：

• We have been making titanic effort to achieve our purpose.我们一直在作极大的努力，以达到我们的目的。
• The island was created by titanic powers and they are still at work today.台湾岛是由一个至今仍然在运作的巨大力量塑造出来的。

3 vista   

n.远景，深景，展望，回想

参考例句：

• From my bedroom window I looked out on a crowded vista of hills and rooftops.我从卧室窗口望去，远处尽是连绵的山峦和屋顶。
• These uprisings come from desperation and a vista of a future without hope.发生这些暴动是因为人们被逼上了绝路，未来看不到一点儿希望。

4 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。

5 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

6 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

7 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

8 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

9 rebellious   

adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的

参考例句：

• They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反，他们就要发生危险。
• Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和，但她的心里十分反感。

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 literary   

adj.文学（上）的

参考例句：

• Literary works of this kind are well received by the masses.这样的文学作品很受群众欢迎。
• The book was favourably noticed in literary magazines.这本书在文学杂志上得到好评。

12 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。

13 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

14 expressive   

adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的

参考例句：

• Black English can be more expressive than standard English.黑人所使用的英语可能比正式英语更有表现力。
• He had a mobile,expressive,animated face.他有一张多变的，富于表情的，生动活泼的脸。

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。

16 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句