VOA慢速英语 2008 0509b

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - For Jenna Bush, a Texas Wedding Beats a White House Ceremony
Also: A question from a listener about New York's new governor, David Paterson. And music from the group Beach House. Transcript² of radio broadcast:
08 May 2008

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I’m Doug Johnson.

Today we hear music from the band Beach House …

Answer a listener’s question about the new governor of New York …

And, report about a special wedding.

(MUSIC)

Jenna Bush's Wedding

HOST:

President Bush’s twenty-six year old twin daughter, Jenna, is getting married on Saturday, May tenth. But this social event will not be held at the White House. Barbara Klein tells us about the wedding plans.

BARBARA KLEIN:
　

Jenna Bush and Henry Hager

Jenna Bush did not want a wedding at the White House. She said she and her future husband love the outdoors and wanted an outdoor wedding. She chose to have the wedding in Texas because it is her home. About two hundred people are expected to attend the ceremony and party Saturday evening at the Bush ranch³ in Crawford. First Lady Laura Bush describes it as a "small and private" wedding. Jenna Bush will wear a dress designed by Oscar de la Renta. Her twin sister, Barbara, will serve as maid of honor. Fourteen young women will serve as attendants⁴ to the bride.

Jenna Bush is marrying Henry Hager who is twenty-nine. He was a White House intern⁵ in two thousand three. He met Jenna while working on her father's reelection campaign in two thousand four. Mister Hager is finishing studies for his master’s degree in business from the University of Virginia. Jenna is a former schoolteacher and has written two books. The couple will live in Baltimore, Maryland after their marriage.

Twenty-two children of American presidents have been married while their fathers were in office. Nine of them took place at the White House. Most of the weddings were big events.

The last White House wedding was in nineteen seventy-one. President Richard Nixon’s daughter, Tricia, married Edward Cox. Four hundred guests attended. The wedding was a big media event. It was the only White House wedding to take place in the beautiful Rose Garden. And it was the only White House wedding to be broadcast live on television.

While several children of presidents have married at the White House, there has only been one presidential wedding there. President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom at a White House ceremony in June of eighteen eighty-six.

David Paterson

HOST:
　

David Paterson

Our listener question this week is about the new governor of New York State. Linh Van Vo wants to know more about David Paterson and how he got where he is today.

David Paterson was sworn in as governor of New York on March seventeenth. He had been lieutenant⁶ governor under Eliot Spitzer. But Mister Spitzer resigned as governor after reports that he had bought services from an illegal sex business.

David Paterson made history in two ways on March seventeenth. He became the first African American governor of New York. He also became the state’s first legally blind governor.

David Paterson lost most of his eyesight when he was just three months old. An infection damaged his optic nerve. He has no vision in one eye and extremely limited vision in the other.

However, Governor Paterson has a clear vision for New York. He spoke⁷ about it to the New York State legislature and guests at his swearing-in ceremony. He called New York a place where goals are met only through hard work. He said it was a place where anyone can succeed. He said New York families face many problems today and everyone will have to work together to find the solutions. Mister Paterson noted⁸ that the answers might not be clear yet. But he said he knew a little bit about finding one’s way through the darkness.

David Paterson was born in nineteen fifty-four in the Brooklyn area of New York City. His parents moved to Long Island where there were more public education possibilities for blind children. He has lived his adult life in the Harlem area of New York City.

David Paterson never learned to read using the system for blind people called Braille. He had people read to him and also used recorded reading materials. He graduated from Columbia University and earned a law degree in nineteen eighty-two from Hofstra University. Three years later he was elected to the New York State Senate, in the same seat occupied by his father years earlier. David Paterson made history then too -- at thirty-one, he was the youngest person ever elected to the Senate.

At work, his assistants record his written speeches and other information so he can memorize them. Other assistants help guide him and identify people at gatherings⁹.

David Paterson is known for his sharp but good-natured sense of humor. He laughs about many of the difficulties he faces because of his disability. But he also says it is important for society to help the disabled.

Beach House

HOST:

Beach House is a group of two young musicians based in Baltimore, Maryland. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally make dreamy music with slow beats and soft vocals¹⁰. One critic has said their music is like a secret hideaway. Mario Ritter has more on Beach House’s latest album, “Devotion”.

(MUSIC: "Wedding Bell")

MARIO RITTER:

That was “Wedding Bell." Its sleepy and soft sound is a good example of Beach House’s style. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally met about four years ago in Baltimore. They soon decided¹¹ to form a band.

The first album by Beach House was recorded in Scally’s house. The sound quality of the recording¹² was not perfect. But listeners and critics praised the songs on the album. For example, the Pitchfork media Web site listed this first album one of the best records of two thousand six.

Legrand writes the words to most Beach House songs. Then, she and Scally work together to create rich layers of keyboard, bell and drum sounds. The result is a sound that is very different from the classical music Legrand studied when she was growing up. Here is “You Came to Me” from “Devotion.”

(MUSIC)

Beach House has been traveling around the United States playing their music. We leave you with the floating sound of “Heart of Chambers¹³.” The poetic¹⁴ images in this song tell a story of love and longing¹⁵.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

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

It was written by Dana Demange and Caty Weaver¹⁶, who was also our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, 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 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

4 attendants   

n.服务人员( attendant的名词复数 )；侍者；随从；伴随物

参考例句：

• Other flight attendants and passengers are believed to have fought. 我们相信其他服务人员及乘客也都进行了斗争。 来自时文部分
• Psyche gave ear to the admonitions of her vocal attendants. 普绪喀听从这些有声无形的外人的意见。 来自辞典例句

5 intern   

v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生

参考例句：

• I worked as an intern in that firm last summer.去年夏天我在那家商行实习。
• The intern bandaged the cut as the nurse looked on.这位实习生在护士的照看下给病人包扎伤口。

6 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 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。

9 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

10 vocals   

（乐曲中的）歌唱部份，声乐部份( vocal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Also look out for soaring vocals on The Right Man. 另外，也可留意一下《意中人》中的那高亢的唱腔。
• Lazy bass line, lazier drums, lush violins, great piano and incomparable vocals. 懒惰的低音线，较懒惰的鼓，饮小提琴，棒的钢琴和无比的声音。

11 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。

12 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。

13 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

14 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

15 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

16 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。