VOA慢速英语 2008 0420

VOICE ONE:

I’m Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:
　

Charlton Heston

And I’m Barbara Klein with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we tell about actor Charlton Heston. He is best known for playing powerful and heroic leaders in movies such as “The Ten Commandments” and “Ben-Hur.” Heston had a strong face and body that could express great physical and emotional force.

Heston made about one hundred movies during his sixty-year career. He was also known for his social and political activism.

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VOICE ONE:

Charlton Heston was born John Carter in nineteen twenty-three in Evanston, Illinois. He spent his early childhood in Saint Helen, Michigan. His parents ended their marriage when he was a boy. Later, he decided¹ to change his name. He took the last name of his mother’s second husband, Heston. And, for his first name he used his mother’s former last name, Charlton.

Charlton Heston discovered his interest in acting² while performing in plays at his high school. He later spent two years studying theater at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. But he left college to join the Army Air Forces during World War Two. In nineteen forty-four he married a college classmate, Lydia Clarke.

VOICE TWO:

The young couple moved to New York City after the war. They tried to find acting jobs. Heston found small roles in the theater as well as in television shows. His performance in a television version of the book “Jane Eyre” caught the attention of the Hollywood producer Hal B. Wallis.
　

Charlton Heston as Moses in ''The Ten Commandments''

Wallis gave Heston a role in the movie “Dark City," which came out in nineteen fifty. The actor soon found other roles in movies including “The Greatest Show on Earth” directed by Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille later asked Heston to play the role of Moses in his movie “The Ten Commandments” which came out in nineteen fifty-six. Heston played the Egyptian prince who learns his true identity and leads the Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt to the promised land. This role made Heston famous and defined his career as a hero and leader. "The Ten Commandments" was long, very costly³ and had many special effects.

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen fifty-eight Heston starred in “Touch of Evil.” He played a Mexican drug investigator⁴. Orson Welles also had an acting role in this film. Heston persuaded Universal Studios to hire Welles to direct the movie. "Touch of Evil" has since become a great example of the kind of crime movie known as "film noir."

The nineteen fifty-nine movie “Ben-Hur” made Charlton Heston an even bigger star. He played a Jewish man named Judah Ben-Hur who is imprisoned⁵ unjustly and rebels against the rule of Rome in ancient Judea. The movie is most famous for a long scene in which Ben-Hur competes in an exciting chariot race against a Roman commander he considers his enemy. Recreating such a large event on film required a great amount of money and technical skill.

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VOICE TWO:
　

A scene from the chariot race in ''Ben-Hur''

Many actors would have used a professional stunt⁶ man to carry out such a dangerous activity as a chariot race. But Charlton Heston did much of the work himself. He trained for weeks to learn how to skillfully lead a team of speeding horses.

After Ben-Hur wins the chariot race, he speaks with Esther, the woman he loves. She wants him to forget about his hatred⁸ towards the Roman government in power.

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ESTHER: Oh Judah, rest, sleep. For a few hours of the night, let your mind be at peace.

JUDAH: Peace? Love and peace! Do you think I don’t long for them as much as you do? Where did you see them?

ESTHER: If you had heard this man from Nazareth…

Esther tells Judah about having listened to the teachings of the prophet Jesus.

JUDAH: Children of God? In that dead valley where we left them? I tell you every man in Judea is unclean and will stay unclean until we’ve scoured⁹ off our bodies the crust and filth¹⁰ of being at the mercy of tyranny. No other life is possible except to wash this land clean.

ESTHER: In blood?

JUDAH: Yes, in blood!

VOICE ONE:

At the time, "Ben-Hur" was one of the most costly and complex movies ever made. It cost MGM Studios fifteen million dollars to produce. The popularity of the movie alone helped improve the financial situation of the studio. "Ben-Hur" won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Charlton Heston.

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VOICE TWO:

In the nineteen fifties and sixties, many actors used "Method acting" to produce a believable performance. Actors like Marlon Brando would explore their personal emotions and experiences to create a realistic character. Charlton Heston chose instead to use objects in real life to build a character. For example, he would think about the way his character looked and what clothes the character would wear.

Heston studied intensely to understand his characters. For example, in the movie “The Agony and the Ecstasy” Heston played the role of the sixteenth century Italian artist Michelangelo. Heston learned how to paint and sculpt¹¹ so that he could realistically imitate the artist’s actions. He also studied the hundreds of letters written by Michelangelo to more fully⁷ understand the artist’s personality.

VOICE ONE:

Heston starred in many adventure movies during the nineteen sixties. His face and body represented strength, manliness¹² and heroism¹³ in many different roles. He played cowboys, soldiers, athletes. His movies included “El Cid”, “Khartoum”, and “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” In the science fiction film “Planet of the Apes” he played an astronaut who is enslaved by a society of intelligent and powerful non-human rulers.

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GEORGE TAYLOR: Take your stinking¹⁴ paws off me, you damn dirty ape!

VOICE TWO:

In the nineteen seventies, Heston appeared in popular disaster movies like "Earthquake," "Skyjacked" and "Airport 1975." Charlton Heston once said that over his career he played three presidents, three holy men and two artistic¹⁵ geniuses. He joked that if that did not make a person feel self-important then nothing would.

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VOICE ONE:

Throughout his life, Charlton Heston was active in social and political causes. In the nineteen fifties and sixties, he worked to defend civil rights. In nineteen sixty-three he helped gather artists to participate in the March on Washington, D.C. to demand racial equality. It was at this historic event that the civil rights leader, Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior, gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Mister Heston was a very public supporter of Doctor King.

VOICE TWO:
　

Charlton Heston receives the Medal of Freedom from President Bush

Charlton Heston was also very active in the movie industry. He was president of the Screen Actors Guild¹⁶ for six years starting in nineteen sixty-five. He also worked to help establish the American Film Institute. In nineteen seventy-seven he was honored for his service in the industry. He received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian¹⁷ Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

He later received other awards for his lifetime of work. In nineteen ninety-seven he was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. And, in two thousand three, President Bush gave Charlton Heston a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian¹⁸ honor.

VOICE ONE:

Later in his life, Heston became more socially and politically conservative. He supported Republican Party politicians. And he became known for actively¹⁹ opposing laws to control the private ownership of guns. In nineteen ninety-eight Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association. This organization works to oppose gun control laws. It considers the right to own a gun an important civil right guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

Charlton Heston became famous for a speech he gave for the N.R.A. in two thousand. He held up a large rifle used in the seventeen hundreds. He said the only way the government could take away his gun was from his "cold, dead hands." Heston wrote about his opinions in books including “In the Arena” and “To Be a Man: Letters to My Grandson.”

VOICE TWO:

In two thousand, Charlton Heston issued a statement announcing that he had a nerve disorder²⁰ whose signs were like Alzheimer's disease. He died in two thousand eight at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was eighty-four years old. The memory of Charlton Heston will live on in the powerful heroes he brought to life in his movies. His style of acting and the movies he made represent a special period in the history of Hollywood.

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VOICE ONE:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Barbara Klein. Join us again next week for People in America in VOA Special English.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

5 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

6 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

9 scoured   

走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮

参考例句：

• We scoured the area for somewhere to pitch our tent. 我们四处查看，想找一个搭帐篷的地方。
• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。

10 filth   

n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥

参考例句：

• I don't know how you can read such filth.我不明白你怎么会去读这种淫秽下流的东西。
• The dialogue was all filth and innuendo.这段对话全是下流的言辞和影射。

11 sculpt   

n.雕刻，雕塑，雕刻品，雕塑品

参考例句：

• When I sculpt,my style is expressionistic.我的雕刻风格是表现主义。
• Then,sculpt the remaining fringe parting.然后雕刻剩余的边缘部分。

12 manliness   

刚毅

参考例句：

• She was really fond of his strength, his wholesome looks, his manliness. 她真喜欢他的坚强，他那健康的容貌，他的男子气概。
• His confidence, his manliness and bravery, turn his wit into wisdom. 他的自信、男子气概和勇敢将他的风趣变为智慧。

13 heroism   

n.大无畏精神，英勇

参考例句：

• He received a medal for his heroism.他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章。
• Stories of his heroism resounded through the country.他的英雄故事传遍全国。

14 stinking   

adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透

参考例句：

• I was pushed into a filthy, stinking room. 我被推进一间又脏又臭的屋子里。
• Those lousy, stinking ships. It was them that destroyed us. 是的！就是那些该死的蠢猪似的臭飞船！是它们毁了我们。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

15 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。

16 guild   

n.行会，同业公会，协会

参考例句：

• He used to be a member of the Writers' Guild of America.他曾是美国作家协会的一员。
• You had better incorporate the firm into your guild.你最好把这个公司并入你的行业协会。

17 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

18 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

19 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

20 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。