VOA慢速英语2009年-AMERICAN MOSAIC - Brian Jungen Makes Art I

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

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I'm Doug Johnson. This week on our program, we report on several events marking American Indian Heritage Month.

We listen to music by the Cherokee National Youth Choir² …

Talk about President Obama's recent meeting with tribal³ nations …

And visit a new exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian.

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HOST:

The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., recently opened an exhibit with sculptures by a very inventive artist. Canadian sculptor⁴ Brian Jungen turns everyday objects into strangely beautiful art. He is the first living American Indian artist to have a solo show at this museum. Barbara Klein tells us more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

The exhibit is called "Strange Comfort." The first sculpture that greets visitors looks like the skeleton of a huge whale. But if you look more closely, the sculpture "Shapeshifter" is made out of old plastic chairs that have been carefully cut and bolted together.
　
A head covering by Brian Jungen

Brian Jungen was influenced to make the work after seeing old broken chairs that had been thrown away in the street. He says that by making them into a sculpture, he has made useless objects useful again. His sculpture also makes a statement about the harmful effects that waste and pollution have on the environment.

Brian Jungen lives in Vancouver, Canada. He was born to a Canadian father and a mother who is part of the Dunne-za tribe.

His Native background greatly influences his work. One series looks like colorful American Indian masks and head coverings. But they are made out of basketball shoes that the artist cut and changed to make his art. Another statue, "The Prince," looks like a fierce tribal chief standing⁵ straight and tall. But the human form is made up of carefully formed baseball gloves.

Mister Jungen has said that the sports industry makes free use of American Indian words and images to describe its teams. So he felt he had the right to make art from the sports industry's objects.
　
"Buffalo⁶ Dancer II"

Brian Jungen's sculptures skillfully explore both mass culture and tribal culture in new and interesting ways.

Outside, in the museum's garden area, visitors can see a more traditional sculpture made by an American Indian artist. It is of a man wearing a buffalo head covering. He is reaching his bow and arrow up to the sky.

"Buffalo Dancer II" was recently put into place as part of the activities to celebrate American Indian Heritage Month. George Rivera made this huge bronze statue. He is from the Pueblo⁷ of Pojoaque in New Mexico. He says the statue expresses the respect that many American Indians have for the buffalo, which they honor through dance and ceremony.

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HOST:

Last week, President Obama met with hundreds of tribal leaders at the White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington. Mister Obama promised to work with them on important issues including energy development and climate change.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "I believe Washington can't and shouldn't dictate⁸ a policy agenda for Indian country. Tribal nations do better when they make their own decisions. That is why we are here today. I want to be clear about this. Today's summit is not lip service. We are not going through the motions, and pay tribute to one another, then furl up the flags then go our separate ways."
　
Leaders wait to ask President Obama questions at the White House Tribal Nations Conference

Mister Obama recognized the federal government's long history of abuse and mistreatment of native tribes. He said the government has violated treaties and broken promises. And, he said that the first Americans would not be forgotten as long as he is president.

He also signed an agreement requiring all federal agencies to organize within ninety days a plan to improve communication with tribal groups about government policy decisions.

The tribal chiefs asked for the president's help with problems facing their people. One chief said the suicide rate for young Native American men in his state was twelve times the national average. He asked for more financial aid to help reduce suicide rates.

BILL MARTIN: "And for young men between fifteen and twenty-seven, it's twelve time the national average. And it's a serious issue. And we hope that we can be able to provide more funding to combat suicide."

Other chiefs asked for help with social issues such as improving education.

Tribal leaders also discussed ways that climate change and warmer temperatures were affecting their communities.

President Obama said working to fight climate change was a top goal of his administration. He talked about ways that tribes could more easily develop clean energy such as solar power and wind energy. And he discussed plans to make it easier to get permits and financing for clean energy.

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HOST:

The Cherokee National Youth Choir features Native American singers from sixth grade to twelfth grade. The group has won many music honors. It has also sung at the White House, the Kennedy Center and at Ground Zero in New York City. Mario Ritter has our report about the Choir which is celebrating its tenth year.

MARIO RITTER:

Cherokee Chief Chad "Corntassel" Smith started the Cherokee National Youth Choir in two thousand. He saw it as a way to keep children involved in the language and culture of their tribe.

The children sing traditional Cherokee songs in the Cherokee language. But they also perform Christian⁹ songs in Cherokee as well. Like this one, "Orphan¹⁰ Child," from their album "Precious Memories."

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Members from the Cherokee National Youth Choir

Forty children are in the Cherokee National Youth Choir. They come from communities in northeastern Oklahoma. Cherokees had lived all over the American southeast -- in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. But in the eighteen hundreds the United States government forced them to leave their homes. The Indians walked what was later called the "Trail of Tears" to a new homeland in Oklahoma. Many Cherokees died on the way.

Here the Choir sings "Beautiful Home," also from the album, "Precious Memories."

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Mary Kay Henderson is the director of the Cherokee National Youth Choir. She says Choir officials are contacting past and present members for celebrations of its tenth anniversary. She says the events will include a special CD of past and present Choir members singing together.

Perhaps the group will re-record this next song. Mizz Henderson says it is one of the children's favorites. We leave you with the Cherokee National Youth Choir performing "North Wind."

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HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by Caty Weaver¹¹ and Dana Demange who was also the producer. For transcripts¹², MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also comment on our programs.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to [email protected] we may answer it on this show.

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 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

3 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

4 sculptor   

n.雕刻家，雕刻家

参考例句：

• A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
• The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。

5 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。

6 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

7 pueblo   

n.（美国西南部或墨西哥等）印第安人的村庄

参考例句：

• For over 2,000 years,Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States.在长达2，000多年的时间里，印第安人统治着现在美国西南部的大片土地。
• The cross memorializes the Spanish victims of the 1680 revolt,when the region's Pueblo Indians rose up in violent protest against their mistreatment and burned the cit

8 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

9 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。

10 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

11 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。

12 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