VOA慢速英语2009-AMERICAN MOSAIC - National Women's Hall of Fame

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

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I'm Doug Johnson. This week ...

A show about prizes, awards, honors -- and about some people who have won them recently.

Plus, the answer to a listener question about an American Nobel laureate from many years ago.

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National Women's Hall of Fame

HOST:

Forty years ago, the community of Seneca Falls, New York, decided² to create a hall of fame for women. The town was the birthplace of the women's rights movement. Shirley Griffith tells about the National Women's Hall of Fame and some of its new members.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

In eighteen forty-eight, three hundred women and men gathered in Seneca Falls for the first Women's Rights Convention. Among them were feminist³ leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.

The delegates passed a declaration calling for voting rights for women, among other demands. Seventy-two years later the nineteenth amendment⁴ to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote.

In nineteen sixty-nine, the people of Seneca Falls wanted to honor the women who took part in the struggle. So they established the National Women's Hall of Fame. Ten years later, the group had raised enough money to buy a historic bank building to house the Hall of Fame.

There are more than two hundred women in the National Women's Hall of Fame today. They include teachers, doctors, artists and athletes. There are also pilots, social activists⁵, comedians⁶, politicians, poets and builders.

The National Women's Hall of Fame announced ten new members on March second to honor National Women's History Month. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in October.
　
Louise Bourgeois⁷

One of them is Louise Bourgeois, a ninety-seven year old artist in New York City. Her best known works are huge sculptures of spiders. Her art has been exhibited in major museum collections around the world.

Another new member of the Hall of Fame has been fighting to help victims of abuse for more than thirty years. Susan Kelly-Dreiss grew up in a violent home. She started her career by helping⁸ to set up a shelter for abused women. Later she helped gain passage of the first law against domestic violence in the state of Pennsylvania. Now, Miz Kelly-Dreiss works on the issue at the national level.

Susan Solomon is an international leader in atmospheric⁹ science. She developed the theory explaining how and why the ozone¹⁰ hole happens over Antarctica. She also got some of the first chemical measurements that showed man-made chlorofluorocarbons caused the hole. Miz Solomon served as one of the leaders of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This group shared the Nobel Peace Prize with former American Vice¹¹ President Al Gore¹² in two thousand seven.

Other new members include Emma Lazarus, the great nineteenth century Jewish poet. Her famous poem is on the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Scientist Mildred Cohen also will be inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Her biological research has won many awards including a National Medal of Science.

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Sinclair Lewis and the Nobel Prize

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Bosnia. Danijel Djordjic wants to know who was the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
　
Sinclair Lewis

That prize was awarded to Sinclair Lewis in nineteen thirty. Lewis wrote novels, plays and short stories. He was honored for his art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new kinds of characters.

Sinclair Lewis' novels are darkly funny examinations of American society and culture. "Main Street," from nineteen twenty, tells about the conflict and cooperation among people in a small town and the rural community around it. The Nobel Prize committee said the book provides one of the best descriptions of small town life ever written.

"Babbitt," from nineteen twenty-two, humorously criticizes America's desire for goods and its sales industry. The Nobel committee called George Babbitt the popular hero of the American middle class.

Sinclair Lewis' novel "Elmer Gantry" is about a Christian¹³ clergyman who does not obey the morals he professes¹⁴. He uses religion to get women and make himself rich. The Nobel committee said the book "is like a surgical¹⁵ operation on one of the most delicate parts of the social body."

These books were hugely popular. One hundred eighty thousand copies of "Main Street" were sold in the first six months after it was published. Millions more were sold in the years that followed. However, the way the writer presented Americans and their values angered some American religious leaders and literary critics.

Sinclair Lewis discussed this criticism in the speech he gave when accepting the Nobel Prize. He said most American writers and readers were "still afraid of any literature which is not a glorification¹⁶ of everything American, a glorification of our faults as well as our virtues¹⁷." But, he also said he had "every hope and eager belief" for the future of American literature. He named many young American writers at the time who he said were working without fear of the critic. He said these writers were true to themselves in their work and were full of passion for it.

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Stevie Wonder and the Gershwin Prize

HOST:

Last month, President Obama presented Stevie Wonder the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The celebration of Stevie Wonder's music was held at the White House. Katherine Cole has more.

KATHERINE COLE:
　
Stevie Wonder

President Obama and his wife have been fans of Stevie Wonder's music since they were very young. In fact, Mister Obama told the gathering¹⁸ that Michelle probably would not have dated him if they had not agreed on Stevie Wonder.

The musician has been writing, singing, and playing music almost all his life. He was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in nineteen fifty and became blind shortly after birth. His family moved to Detroit when he was three. He learned to play harmonica, drums and piano at a very young age. Stevie first sang in church.

He was signed by Motown Records and began his recording¹⁹ career at age twelve as "little Stevie Wonder." Here is "Uptight²⁰ (Everything's Alright)," a hit from his late teenage years.

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Many musical stars came out to celebrate Stevie Wonder and perform his music at a special concert at the White House on February twenty-fifth. Among them were jazz musician Diana Krall, who sang "Blame It On the Sun." Hip-hop artist will.i.am performed "Master Blaster (Jammin')." Paul Simon, who won the first Gershwin Prize in two thousand seven, performed "If It's Magic." Here is Stevie Wonder with that same song from nineteen seventy-six.

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The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is named for the songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin. It honors an American composer or performer. The Librarian of Congress James Billington said Stevie Wonder has crossed musical and cultural borders and given to humanity in ways far beyond entertainment.

We leave you with Stevie Wonder performing "Superstition," from his nineteen seventy-two album "Talking Book."

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HOST:

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

It was written and produced by Caty Weaver²¹. 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 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。

3 feminist   

adj.主张男女平等的，女权主义的

参考例句：

• She followed the feminist movement.她支持女权运动。
• From then on,feminist studies on literature boomed.从那时起，男女平等受教育的现象开始迅速兴起。

4 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。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 comedians   

n.喜剧演员，丑角( comedian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The voice was rich, lordly, Harvardish, like all the boring radio comedians'imitations. 声音浑厚、威严，俨然是哈佛出身的气派，就跟无线电里所有的滑稽演员叫人已经听腻的模仿完全一样。 来自辞典例句
• He distracted them by joking and imitating movie and radio comedians. 他用开玩笑的方法或者模仿电影及广播中的滑稽演员来对付他们。 来自辞典例句

7 bourgeois   

adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子

参考例句：

• He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.他指责他们像中产阶级一样目光狭隘。
• The French Revolution was inspired by the bourgeois.法国革命受到中产阶级的鼓励。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

10 ozone   

n.臭氧，新鲜空气

参考例句：

• The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。
• The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

13 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。

14 professes   

声称( profess的第三人称单数 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉

参考例句：

• She still professes her innocence. 她仍然声称自己无辜。
• He professes himself to be sad but doesn't look it. 他自称感到悲伤，但外表却看不出来。

15 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

16 glorification   

n.赞颂

参考例句：

• Militant devotion to and glorification of one's country; fanatical patriotism. 对国家的军事效忠以及美化；狂热的爱国主义。
• Glorification-A change of place, a new condition with God. 得荣─在神面前新处境，改变了我们的结局。

17 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

18 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

19 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。

20 uptight   

adj.焦虑不安的，紧张的

参考例句：

• He's feeling a bit uptight about his exam tomorrow.他因明天的考试而感到有点紧张。
• Try to laugh at it instead of getting uptight.试着一笑了之，不要紧张。

21 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。