VOA慢速英语2010-AMERICAN MOSAIC - Sade Returns to Battle

DOUG JOHNSON: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

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I’m Doug Johnson. This week on our program, we have music from the new album by Sade. And we read some of your comments. But first, we have a report on the business of entrepreneurial³ mothers.

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Mompreneurs

DOUG JOHNSON: Parents, especially mothers, often face a difficult question when raising families. To work or not to work? The Great Recession⁴ gave some mothers no choice but to work, as job cuts hit hard at men. But, as Faith Lapidus reports, the Census⁵ Bureau says more than one million women in America were stay-at-home mothers last year.

FAITH LAPIDUS: About half of stay-at-home moms have children under the age of five.

An estimated one hundred fifty-eight thousand men were stay-at-home dads last year. These are married fathers who stay out of the labor⁶ force for at least one year, mainly so they can care for their family while their wives go to work.

But more and more mothers are finding creative ways to earn money working at home.

Ellen Parlapiano and Patricia Cobe started using the term "mompreneurs" in the late nineteen nineties. They established mompreneursonline.com and are the authors of two books about them. A mompreneur is an entrepreneur² who runs her business from home while also caring for her family.

No one knows exactly how many mompreneurs there are. But the latest Census Bureau report says the number of home-based businesses rose to more than eleven million in two thousand five. That was an increase of nearly two million from nineteen ninety-nine. Half of the home-based workers were female.

Some mompreneurs work full time building their businesses. But most like to work part time so they have more time to spend with their children.

There are no rules for becoming a mompreneur. There are day care providers, accountants, clothing designers and Internet business owners. They earn anywhere from a few hundred dollars a month to several million dollars a year.

This year's winner of the Mompreneur of the Year Award from mompreneursonline.com is Karen Nowicki. The mother of three is also an author, life coach and creator of motherdaughterweekends.com. Her company holds special events to help mothers strengthen their relationships with their daughters.

The United States has a fourteen trillion dollar economy. A report from last year said women business owners are responsible for three trillion dollars a year in economic activity. The report was from the Center for Women’s Business Research and the National Women’s Business Council.

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Listener Comments

DOUG JOHNSON: A lot of you commented on our recent story about Wilma Mankiller, who died this month at the age of sixty-four. She was the first woman chief of the Cherokee Nation, one of the largest American Indian tribes⁷.

From Japan, Moeko Toyoda wrote on our Web site: I was surprised how dramatic her life was, particularly her physical condition. Serious injury, seventeen operations, myasthenia gravis , cancer and lymphoma. Under this situation, she led the Cherokee. It's unbelievable! Through reading this story, I feel that we should live strong no matter how much pain we are in.

Wilma Mankiller in 1998 with President Bill Clinton

Also from Japan, Mai Susuki noted⁸ that Wilma Mankiller's actions helped change what people thought of the roles for women in her society. Mai says she wants to be such a woman. Other people wrote to say that Wilma Mankiller’s story made them feel brave and hopeful.

Our report earlier this month about the design of the American flag helped Anhthu Nguyen in Vietnam settle an argument:

Now I know the meaning of the stars on the American flag and there are fifty stars. Today I disputed with my English teacher about how many stars were on the American flag. It is so exciting to have the answer now.

Jing in Canada commented on our recent story about the Environmental Film Festival here in Washington.

It is good to know the Environmental Film Festival has been set up for 18 years. Hopefully it is not too late for us to wake up to make our earth more healthy and beautiful.

We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. You can write to us on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com -- where you can also find transcripts⁹, MP3s and podcasts of our shows. Another way to write us is on Facebook. Go to the VOA Learning English page, where you can also get program feeds and meet other English learners. And you can follow us on Twitter at VOA Learning English.

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Sade

DOUG JOHNSON: It's been twenty-six years since the first album from Sade and ten years since the last. But now the band has a new album, as we hear from Mario Ritter.

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MARIO RITTER: "Soldier of Love" is the title song from Sade's latest album. This is their sixth studio album, but only the second to open at number one on the Billboard¹⁰ Albums Chart in the United States. "Soldier of Love" has also reached number one elsewhere including Canada, Dubai, France, Italy, Japan and Switzerland.

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"The Safest Place" is another song from the new Sade album.

Sade Adu is the lead singer and the force behind the band. She was born to a Nigerian father and an English mother. Her voice and singing style are still easy to recognize, just like the sadness and longing¹¹ in her love songs.

In the early days, she was with the group Pride. Record companies wanted her as a solo¹² artist. But she demanded to bring along three other members. They have performed together as Sade ever since. Stuart Matthewman plays guitar and saxophone, Andrew Hale plays keyboards and Paul Denman plays bass¹³.

Sade Adu says making an album is kind of like a military mission. There are strategies and rules and certain limitations. We leave you now with another song from Sade's new album, "Soldier of Love." Here is "Bring Me Home."

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DOUG JOHNSON: I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by June Simms and Caty Weaver¹⁴, 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 entrepreneur   

n.企业家，主办人

参考例句：

• The entrepreneur has become a news figure.这位企业家变成了新闻人物。
• The entrepreneur takes business risks in the hope of making a profit.企业家为追求利润而冒险。

3 entrepreneurial   

adj.企业家的；企业性质的

参考例句：

• Supply-side economics was supposed to promote savings, investment, and entrepreneurial creativity. 供应经济学政策的经济应该能够提高存款，刺激投资和企业创造力。
• How developing countries should enlarge their ranks of entrepreneurial organizers is very much an open question. 发展中国家应该怎样扩大其企业组织者的队伍是一个很有争论的问题。

4 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

5 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。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 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

10 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。

11 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。

12 solo   

n.独奏，独唱；adj.单独的；adv.单独地；v.放单飞，单独表演

参考例句：

• Tara is currently working on a solo album.塔拉眼下正忙着制作个人专辑。
• There's wonderfully lyrical flute solo in the middle of this symphony.在交响乐中间有一段奇妙的抒情长笛独奏。

13 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

14 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。