VOA慢速英语2010年-THIS IS AMERICA - Modern Day American

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I’m Shirley Griffith.
STEVE EMBER: And I'm Steve Ember. November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States. This week on our program, we explore the modern life, music and art of American Indians.
(“The Dance” – Joseph FireCrow)SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Native Americans have had a busy year in Washington.
Earlier this year, Congress passed the Tribal¹ Law and Order Act. This new law aims to give tribes more power to fight crime on the lands they govern. The goal is to increase communication and cooperation between tribal and federal law enforcement agencies and the court system.
President Obama also signed another bill into law, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. It provides more resources for tribal communities. It was included as part of the big health-care law passed by Congress.
STEVE EMBER: In October, the Department of Agriculture agreed to settle a discrimination case brought by Indian farmers. The farmers said the department had unfairly denied them farm loans.
They brought their lawsuit² in nineteen ninety-nine. The government agreed to pay six hundred eighty million dollars and forgive millions more in debts to settle the case.
Mahli Jaynae Bell, left, and Shaye Mackinzie, of the Mississippi band of Choctaw Indians, and Mary Anne Guoladdie, of the Wichita affiliated³ tribes, attend an American Indian Heritage Month program at the Justice Department in Washington The payment does not require approval by Congress. But a proposed settlement of racial discrimination claims by black farmers does. The government has agreed to settle that case for more than one billion dollars.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The Census⁴ Bureau estimates that the United States has about five million American Indians and Alaska Natives, including people of more than one race. The number represents less than two percent of the country's population.
But those numbers are growing. American Indians and Alaska Natives are younger than the national population as a whole. About thirty percent of them are younger than eighteen.
The Census Bureau says about two and a half million people identify themselves just as American Indian or Alaska Native.
American Indians and Alaska Natives were the largest racial or ethnic⁵ minority group in five states last year. Those states were Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Other states with large native populations include California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, New York and Florida.
(“San Antonio” – Victoria Blackie)STEVE EMBER: Author and photojournalist Vincent Schilling is a member of the Saint Regis Mohawk tribe. His books for young people include "Native Athletes in Action" and "Native Men of Courage." But he says young Indians are not the only ones who need to understand more about modern Native Americans.
Vincent Schilling VINCENT SCHILLING: "We are predefined by what we were in our history. I've had multiple times myself, people tell me, 'Well, you don’t look Indian.'"SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Vincent Schilling speaks at schools and companies about cultural diversity. He often begins by asking people to think about what they believe a Native American looks like.
VINCENT SCHILLING: "And the standard answers I'll get are, you know, a gentleman sitting on the hill on horseback. He's got a full-feathered headdress. Or he's sitting cross-legged with his moccasins and a bow and arrow and a tepee in the background type of thing."He says educating people is important to breaking down cultural stereotypes⁶.
VINCENT SCHILLING: "Even if it's one person at a time, talking to these kids or talking to these folks who are working at different places and saying: 'Look, here is Jordin Tootoo, he's a professional hockey player. Here is Alwyn Morris, Olympic gold medalist in kayaking. Cory Witherill, Indy race car driver."STEVE EMBER: Mr. Schilling lives in Virginia, hundreds of kilometers from his tribe's reservation in the state of New York. But nationally about five hundred thousand people live on tribal reservations and federal lands.
VINCENT SCHILLING: "Native American reservations are probably one of our nation’s best kept secrets. What you will see a lot of times on a native reservation is there are some folks who are living well, but there are a lot places on reservations that are living in complete and abject⁷ poverty."STEVE EMBER: The official poverty rate for all Americans last year was a little more than fourteen percent. The growth of gambling⁸ operations on Indian lands has brought new sources of money to some tribal communities. But almost twenty-four percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives were living in poverty last year.
High school and college completion rates for American Indians are lower than the national average. And rates of violence against women are higher than average. Those new federal measures include provisions that seek to reduce violence against Native American women.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Conditions like these can make it difficult to succeed on the reservation. But leaving, says Vincent Schilling, is not an easy choice either.
VINCENT SCHILLING: "If you leave the reservation, you're leaving, period. And people sometimes feel like you're leaving and not looking back. But that's not the case. Sometimes we need to leave for opportunity."SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: But he also points to efforts to make the Internet and educational technology more available on the reservation.
VINCENT SCHILLING: "If we can get these college degree programs to really embrace online degrees and things like that, then we really can be bringing education to native kids and native folks in general."STEVE EMBER: Vincent Schilling says that like many Native Americans who live off the reservation, he still has strong ties to his culture.
VINCENT SCHILLING: "I may be out here in Virginia Beach, and you know I'm running around -- I've got my radio show, I’m online answering emails. I’ve got my cell phone ringing and sending text messages and doing all these things.
"And every once in while I get crazed and I will stop, put everything down, go out to my porch, light some sage⁹, which is a way of clearing away energy, and embrace my native heritage through my own personal ceremony. And [I] look up to my ancestors and creator and say, 'OK, I’m getting a little crazy here, bring me back down and center me.'"(“Face the Music” – Joseph FireCrow)SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Joseph FireCrow was named artist of the year at the Native American Music Awards earlier this month. Mr. FireCrow is a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation of Montana.
The ceremony took place at Niagara Falls in New York. It brought together native artists from throughout the Americas.
(“Don’t Forget About Me” – Michael Bucher)SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Michael Bucher, an Eastern Band Cherokee, began playing professionally four years ago. He won the award for best folk recording¹⁰ for his album "Believe."Mr. Bucher says the launch of the Native American Music Awards twelve years ago has had a huge effect in the community, especially on the young.
MICHAEL BUCHER: "The impact that we have now that the Native American Music Awards has given our youth something to look up to and aspire¹¹ to I think also."SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: He says it is important for musicians to set a good example.
MICHAEL BUCHER: "You can stay away from the drugs, and you can stay away from the alcohol and the gangs.
(MUSIC)STEVE EMBER: The Smithsonian Institution in Washington opened the National Museum of the American Indian in two thousand four. The museum presents the history and culture of native groups from North, Central and South America.
The latest exhibit is called "Vantage Point." All thirty-one works in the exhibit explore identity, history, culture or landscape from a Native American point of view.
For example, artist Marie Watt¹², a Seneca Indian, sews together recycled fabric¹³. In some ways the work is like piecing together a quilt.
Ms. Watt creates most of her pieces in a circle. She spent a day at the museum inviting¹⁴ visitors to help her create a new work.
MARIE WATT: "You can come and go when you please. No sewing experience in necessary. Any age person can participate. You can be two years old or one hundred."If there are weak parts within the project, she simply adds more stitches for strength.
MARIE WATT:"Everybody’s stitches are really important."SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Performance artist James Luna is a Puyoukichum or Luiseno Indian from Southern California. He almost always creates works that are recognizably Native American. But he says they do not have to be.
JAMES LUNA: "I do believe it doesn't have to look Indian to be Indian. It's the very fact that I am an Indian making art that it becomes Indian art."SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Many of the exhibits at the National Museum of the American Indian present modern history. "Vantage Point" is a good example. The exhibit includes not only paintings and sculpture but also digital video. Rebecca Trautmann is the exhibit curator.
REBECCA TRAUTMANN: "I think that people are often surprised when they come to this museum and see an exhibition of modern or contemporary native art. And that is something I hope this exhibition will do, is surprise and challenge people's notions of what Native American art is, what Native American artists do."(“Medicine Power” – Joseph FireCrow)STEVE EMBER: Our program was written and produced by Brianna Blake, with additional reporting by Susan Logue Koster. I'm Steve Ember.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: And I’m Shirley Griffith. You can find transcripts¹⁵ and MP3s of our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

1 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。

2 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

3 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

4 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 abject   

adj.极可怜的，卑屈的

参考例句：

• This policy has turned out to be an abject failure.这一政策最后以惨败而告终。
• He had been obliged to offer an abject apology to Mr.Alleyne for his impertinence.他不得不低声下气，为他的无礼举动向艾莱恩先生请罪。

8 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

9 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

10 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。

11 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。

12 watt   

n.瓦，瓦特

参考例句：

• The invention of the engine is creditable to Watt.发动机的发明归功于瓦特。
• The unit of power is watt.功率的单位是瓦特。

13 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

14 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

15 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