VOA慢速英语2009年-AMERICAN MOSAIC - 150 Years Later, Remembe

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

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

A competition to find a spokesmodel for Mother Earth …

And a question from Russia about Kurt Cobain and the band that he led, Nirvana.

But first, a report on a town marking the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of an anti-slavery rebellion.

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HOST:

Harpers Ferry is a small town in West Virginia. It is in a beautiful area of the Blue Ridge³ Mountains where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers come together. Also, the states of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland meet in the area. The Appalachian Trail runs through Harpers Ferry. The town has shops, restaurants and a National Historical Park. Many people visit Harpers Ferry to see a town that looks the same as it did more than one hundred fifty years ago. This year it is celebrating the anniversary of an important historical event. Mario Ritter has more.

MARIO RITTER:

VOA reporter Susan Logue visited Harpers Ferry recently. She spoke² to Park Ranger⁴ David Fox. He says the town was very different in eighteen fifty-nine.

He says Harpers Ferry was a noisy, dirty, polluted industrial city in what was then Virginia, the largest slave state in America.

It was also home to the United States Armory⁵ and Arsenal⁶, one of only two in the country. Weapons for the army were made and stored there.

John Brown was an important person in the history of Harpers Ferry. He was an abolitionist. He wanted to end slavery in the United States.
　
The Armory at Harpers Ferry, left

On October sixteenth, eighteen fifty-nine, John Brown led an armed group of twenty-one men into Harpers Ferry. Their goal was to seize the federal arsenal and use the weapons to arm an anti-slavery rebellion. They wanted to set up a government for the United States where slavery would be banned.

John Brown and his men seized the arsenal and its one hundred thousand weapons. They also seized the nearby arms factory and a railroad bridge. A battle followed, first involving local armed groups and then the United States Marines. Eighteen people were killed. After thirty-six hours, Brown was captured in the building that served as the fire engine and guard house. It is the only armory building still standing⁷. It is now known as John Brown's Fort.

Park Ranger David Fox says this building has different meanings to different people.

DAVID FOX: "To some people this building is the scene of a crime, where a murderer and a traitor⁸ was captured and brought to justice. To others, this monument is nothing less than a monument to freedom on a battlefield."
　
U.S. Marines attack the engine house at Harpers Ferry

John Brown was tried in nearby Charles Town and found guilty of treason and murder. He was executed on December second, eighteen fifty-nine.

Last month, the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and other partners held many programs observing the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of John Brown's raid. There were talks, living history re-enactments, special tours, and musical and dramatic events. Visitors to Harpers Ferry can learn about America's history as it brings the past to life.

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HOST:

The United States has many famous and beautiful women who model clothing and represent companies or causes. This weekend, Project Green Search will announce its selection of a new model for the environmental "Green Revolution." Barbara Klein has more.

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BARBARA KLEIN:

This modeling competition is about much more than beauty. Project Green Search is looking for young women who are also concerned about the environment, animal welfare, fair trade and human rights. The judges have chosen ten finalists. We would like to tell you about three of them.
　
Leilani Munter

Leilani Munter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist⁹. She is using her fame as a race car driver to bring environmental issues to the attention of millions of racing¹⁰ fans. She says small changes multiplied by millions can make a huge difference.

Miz Munter purchases half a hectare of rainforest for every race she drives. She demands that her racing sponsors be eco-friendly and she is pushing her sport to become more eco-friendly too.

Zion Francis was a civil engineer and is now a model and actress. She studied sustainable engineering methods in France. She has been working to support the Green Revolution in the United States.

Miz Francis has volunteered for social and environmental organizations. They include Engineers for a Sustainable World, the Sustainable Food Center in Austin, Texas, and the Forest Service in California. Zion Francis says green living is honoring your position as a human, a citizen and a consumer.

Vanessa Meier is interested in the animal food production industry. She says that raising animals for food is responsible for the release of more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined. Miz Meier is working to change this.

She does not eat animals or animal products. She says any discussion about improving the environment must include a discussion about changing the animal food production industry and changing people's diets.

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HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Russia. Alex Shestakov wants to know about Kurt Cobain and his band, Nirvana.
　
Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the group. Nirvana began in nineteen eighty-seven in the northwestern state of Washington. The band defined the kind of rock and roll known as "grunge." It mixes the sounds of hard punk and heavy metal rock and roll.

Grunge songs often express feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and dark humor. The song "Lithium" is a good example. It is from the album that brought Nirvana huge fame, "Nevermind."

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Many critics would say Kurt Cobain was one of the greatest rock and roll artists of his time. But his personal story was tragic¹¹.

Cobain had a serious case of scoliosis, or curvature of the spine¹², as a child. He also suffered from severe stomach pain his whole life. And he struggled with depression.

Cobain became dependent on the powerful drug heroin¹³. He also abused other pain-killing drugs and alcohol. Cobain reportedly was always insecure, questioning his worth as a person. He once wrote: "I hate myself and I want to die."

In nineteen ninety-two Kurt Cobain married musician Courtney Love and the couple had a baby girl. Cobain appeared much happier than he had ever been. The next year Nirvana released its final studio album. "In Utero" entered Billboard¹⁴ Magazine's top two hundred albums chart in the number one position. "Heart-Shaped Box" was one of the album's hit singles.

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Sadly, Kurt Cobain could not break his heroin addiction¹⁵ or win his battle with depression. In April of nineteen ninety-four the musician shot and killed himself at his home in Seattle, Washington. He was only twenty-seven. Thousands of fans attended his memorial service. We leave you with Kurt Cobain singing "All Apologies" from the Nirvana album, "In Utero."

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HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by June Simms, Shelley Gollust and Caty Weaver¹⁶ who was also our producer.

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 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。

3 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

4 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

5 armory   

n.纹章，兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Nuclear weapons will play a less prominent part in NATO's armory in the future.核武器将来在北约的军械中会起较次要的作用。
• Every March the Armory Show sets up shop in New York.每年三月，军械博览会都会在纽约设置展场。

6 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 traitor   

n.叛徒，卖国贼

参考例句：

• The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
• He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

11 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。

12 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

13 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

14 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

15 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

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。