VOA慢速英语 2008 0125b

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

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

We listen to some music from Chrisette Michele ‿/P>

Answer a listener's question about gun control in the United States ‿/P>

And report about a popular service of the Voice of America.

VOA Pronunciation Guide

Every day, someone somewhere in the world uses the Internet Web site of the Voice of America Pronunciation Guide. And now, any computer sound system can be used to hear its correct pronunciations. Mario Ritter tells us more.

MARIO RITTER:

The Pronunciation Guide began as a tool for VOA announcers³ to show them how to pronounce names in the news.  The guide lists more than six thousand names, including political leaders, scientists and other people in the news. There are also names of places and organizations. 

The Web site shows the correct way to say the name and plays a recording⁴.  Let us say you need to know how to pronounce the name of Iran's President.  On the Web site, you will see the name and hear:

(SOUND)

 
Jim Tedder⁵
Jim Tedder is the VOA announcer² who developed this online pronunciation tool.  Yes, the same Jim Tedder who reads Special English news.

Jim says he updates the list several times a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year.  When a new name appears in the news, Jim works⁶ quickly to find the correct pronunciation so he can add the name to the list.  He gets a lot of help from people who work in this building. VOA broadcasts in forty-six languages.  So he could call someone in the Chinese branch to ask how to pronounce a Chinese name.  Sometimes, no one at VOA can help him.  So Jim calls the person directly, if possible.  Or he calls an embassy⁷ here in Washington, or a delegation⁸ at the United Nations in New York City.

The pronunciation guide is an important tool for VOA broadcasters.  But it has also become extremely popular with other radio and television stations around the world.  Students and teachers also use the guide.  So do business people and anyone who wants to make sure they can pronounce a person's name correctly. 

So how can you find the VOA Pronunciation Guide?  One way is to go to the Special English Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Click on "Other Resources" at the bottom of the left side column⁹.  Then choose "Pronunciation Guide" from the list.

Gun Control

HOST:

Our listener question today comes from China. Sean wants to know about gun control laws in the United States.

Many Americans feel very strongly about the subject of gun control. Some people believe that a person has the right to own a gun. Others believe the government must control the sale and use of guns to reduce gun violence and protect public safety. The fact that gun laws are different in every state makes the issue even more complex. Some estimates¹⁰ say about thirty percent of the American population own guns. 

The Second Amendment¹¹ to the United States Constitution is often at the center of gun control debates.  It says: "A well regulated¹² Militia¹³, being necessary to the security¹⁴ of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed¹⁵."

The National Rifle¹⁶ Association¹⁷ uses this amendment to support the argument that individuals have the right to own guns. However, people who support gun control laws say this amendment has been misunderstood.

 
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is named for former White House press secretary Jim Brady. He was disabled by the same gunman who wounded President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence works to improve laws controlling guns in an effort to protect public safety. It says eighty people die each day in this country because of guns.  And it says the United States leads the world in the number of deaths each year due to gun violence.

It often takes a tragedy to increase efforts to reform gun laws in the United States. For example, in the nineteen sixties President John F. Kennedy, his brother Senator¹⁸ Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior were killed by gunfire. The Gun Control Act of nineteen sixty-eight made it illegal for criminals to buy guns. But it was not until the Brady Act of nineteen ninety-three that a person’s criminal record had to be examined before the person could buy a gun.

Last year, a troubled college student at Virginia Tech bought two guns and shot and killed thirty-two teachers and students. The twenty-three year old killer¹⁹ had a history of mental illness that should have prevented him from buying a gun.

Earlier this month, President Bush signed a law to improve  background checks so that they include more criminal and mental health records. It is meant to prevent people with a history of dangerous mental illness from buying guns.The Supreme²⁰ Court recently agreed to hear a case on guns and the meaning of the Second Amendment.  It is expected to announce its decision in June.

Chrisette Michele

 
Chrisette Michele
Singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele's voice has set her apart from other singers her age.  Some music critics say the twenty-three year old sounds like the great jazz singer Billie Holiday.  Chrisette combines that sound with her love for hip-hop music.  Barbara Klein plays some of her music.

BARBARA KLEIN:

Chrisette Michele first became popular in two thousand six for the songs she wrote and performed with major hip-hop artists, including Jay-Z and Nas.   Although Chrisette has always valued the religious music she sings in church, she also describes herself as a child of the hip-hop culture. 

The many musical influences can be heard on her album "I Am."  Here she sings “Like a Dream."

(MUSIC)

When Chrisette was in high school one of her teachers introduced her to jazz music.  She immediately fell in love with the music of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank²¹ Sinatra.  After college, Chrisette began performing in small clubs in New York City.  Music industry experts noted²² how she combines the influences of soulful gospel and jazz singing with energetic hip-hop beats.   Here she sings "Be OK."

(MUSIC)

We leave you with another song by Chrisette Michele from her album “I Am.‿nbsp; Here she sings the love song “If I Have My Way.‿/P>

(MUSIC)

HOST:

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

It was written by Lawan Davis, Nancy Steinbach and Dana Demange who was also our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio²³, 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., 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 announcer   

n.宣布者；电(视)台播音员，报幕员

参考例句：

• The radio announcer said it was nine o'clock.电台播音员报时9点整。
• The announcer tells the listeners what programme comes next.广播员告诉听众下一个是什么节目。

3 announcers   

n.宣告者( announcer的名词复数 )；播音员；（戏剧的）报幕员；（比赛的）解说员

参考例句：

• There are two announcers of this concert, a female and a male. 这场音乐会有两个报幕员，一位女士和一位男士。 来自互联网
• Some persons objected that announcers' articulation was too meticulous to be natural. 有人反对播音员的发音过于规范，这样就显得很不自然。 来自互联网

4 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

5 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

6 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

7 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。

8 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

9 column   

n.列，柱形图；专栏；圆柱；纵队

参考例句：

• I often read his column in the local paper.我经常在当地的报纸上看到他的专栏文章。
• A column of soldiers marched down the highway.一个士兵纵队沿着公路行进。

10 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

12 regulated   

控制( regulate的过去式和过去分词 )； 管理； 调整； 调节

参考例句：

• The activities of credit companies are regulated by law. 信贷公司的业务受法律的制约。
• A person's behavior is often regulated by his circumstances. 人的行为常受其所处环境的约束。

13 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

14 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

15 infringed   

v.违反（规章等）( infringe的过去式和过去分词 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等）

参考例句：

• Wherever the troops went, they never infringed on the people's interests. 大军过处，秋毫无犯。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He was arrested on a charge of having infringed the Election Law. 他因被指控触犯选举法而被拘捕。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 rifle   

n.来复枪，步枪

参考例句：

• The soldiers keep a tight hold of the rifle.战士们紧握手中的枪。
• They armed him with a rifle.他们发给他一支步枪。

17 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

18 senator   

n.参议员，评议员

参考例句：

• The senator urged against the adoption of the measure.那参议员极力反对采取这项措施。
• The senator's speech hit at government spending.参议员的讲话批评了政府的开支。

19 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

20 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

21 frank   

adj.坦白的，直率的，真诚的

参考例句：

• A frank discussion can help to clear the air.坦率的谈论有助于消除隔阂。
• She is frank and outgoing.她很爽朗。

22 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

23 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。