VOA慢速英语2010年-American Mosaic - On Television: A Pre

FAITH LAPIDUS: Welcome to American Mosaic¹ in VOA Special English.

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I’m Faith Lapidus.

Today, we listen to new music from pop singer Katy Perry …

And we answer a question about famous dancer, choreographer² and teacher Isadora Duncan ...

But first, we look at a few shows and stars up for the biggest honors in the television industry -- the Emmy Awards are Sunday night.

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Emmy Awards

FAITH LAPIDUS: On Sunday, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will present the Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California. The awards will honor the people who make the best nighttime shows on television. Barbara Klein tells about some of this year’s nominees³.

BARBARA KLEIN: Television critics say the academy made some daring moves in nominations⁴ this year in an effort to keep the public interested in the awards show. Three new shows received outstanding series nominations. One of them is “Glee,” a popular comedy about a high school musical group. It includes a lot of great songs.

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Tina Fey, left, and Amy Poehler present an award at the 2008 Emmys; they are competitors this year for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series

“Glee” was nominated⁵ for eighteen other awards along with outstanding comedy series.

The only show to receive more nominations was the miniseries “The Pacific.” The academy nominated it for twenty-four awards, including outstanding miniseries and outstanding directing and writing. “The Pacific” tells the story of three Marines and how their lives connect while fighting the Japanese during World War Two.

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Some of the actors nominated for awards include Tina Fey from the hit comedy series she created, “30 Rock.” Fey plays the lead writer of a comedy show, a position she held for years on the television show “Saturday Night Live.” Liz Lemon has few social skills, a junk food habit and a love for the “Star Wars” movie series. In fact, in one episode⁶ she dresses like the character of Princess Leia to try to get dismissed from jury⁷ duty.

Fey was nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series along with Amy Poehler of “Parks and Recreation,” Edie Falco of “Nurse Jackie” and Julia Louis-Dreyfus from “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” Lea Michele of “Glee” and Toni Collette of “The United States of Tara” were also nominated.

The academy nominated six men as outstanding lead actor in a drama series. Among them is Hugh Laurie, the title character in “House.” He plays a doctor who leads a medical team that identifies mysterious sicknesses in patients. Dr. Gregory House is anti-social but extremely intelligent. His co-workers do not like him but audiences do. Hugh Laurie has been nominated for five Emmys. Some critics say it is time he won the award.

The other nominees are Kyle Chandler from “Friday Night Lights,” Bryan Cranston from “Breaking Bad” and Matthew Fox of “Lost.” Jon Hamm of “Mad Men” and Michael C. Hall from “Dexter” are also nominated for outstanding actor in a drama series.

The academy named five shows for outstanding reality competition. They are “The Amazing Race,” “Top Chef,” “Project Runway,” “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars.” These shows have been nominated for four years straight. “The Amazing Race” has crossed the finish line with the Emmy every year since two thousand three.

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Isadora Duncan

Our listener question this week comes from China. Wenyu wants to know about the life of modern dancer Isadora Duncan.

Angela Isadora Duncan was born in San Francisco, California in eighteen seventy-seven. Early in life, Isadora knew two things about herself. First, she wanted to make dancing her life’s work. And second, she wanted to live by her own rules, and not by what other people thought was right or wrong.

Isadora Duncan wanted to do the kind of dancing that was new and different from other dances at that time. She thought dancing should be an art, not just entertainment.

Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan wanted her “modern” dance style to be free and natural. She often moved her arms and legs in very smooth motions, like waves in the ocean.

When she danced, Duncan wore very thin clothing. She wanted people to see her body as she skipped, jumped and ran barefoot across the stage. Many people criticized her for doing this. They thought it was not moral to dress this way.

Isadora Duncan had very liberal ideas for her time. She believed in equal rights for women. She did not think a couple had to be married to have children. She thought the Bolshevik Revolution was a good thing for Russia. She spent time there teaching modern dance and creating dances for the Russian people.

Isadora Duncan is remembered as the mother of modern dance. And she died an unusual death in Nice, France. The scarf she was wearing caught in the wheel of a car in which she was riding. Her neck was broken and she died instantly at age fifty.

The famous American poet Carl Sandberg wrote a poem about Isadora Duncan: Here is part of what he wrote: “I am the wind … I am the sea and the moon … I dance what I am.”

You can learn more about the life of Isadora Duncan on the Special English program PEOPLE IN AMERICA on Sunday.

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Katy Perry

FAITH LAPIDUS: Katy Perry writes and performs energetic dance songs that are sexy and playful. She is also known for her wild and colorful clothing, which is often influenced by clothes from the nineteen forties and fifties.

The twenty-five-year-old performer just released her latest album, “Teenage Dream.” The album’s photographs show Katy Perry at her sweetest, wearing and playing with candy. She even had the album manufactured to smell like cotton candy. Mario Ritter has more.

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MARIO RITTER: That was the title song from Katy Perry’s album, “Teenage Dream.” Like many songs on the record, this one is about being young and having fun. It is also about being in love. Several songs were influenced by Katy Perry’s future husband, British actor Russell Brand. She met him while recording⁸ the album.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry was raised in California by parents who were Christian⁹ religious leaders. Her first record was a collection of religious songs. But she soon broke away from this traditional upbringing to create her own form of sexy pop music.

This song, “Pearl,” tells a message to women about being strong and unstoppable.

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We leave you with one of the hit songs of the summer. It is Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” featuring rapper Snoop Dogg. The song praises the state she is from and the women who live there.

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FAITH LAPIDUS: I'm Faith Lapidus. Our program was written by Jim Tedder¹⁰, Dana Demange and Caty Weaver¹¹, who was the producer.

You can find transcripts¹², MP3s and podcasts of our shows at voaspecialenglish.com. If you have a question about American life, send an e-mail to [email protected]. We might answer your question on this show. Please remember to tell us your name and where you live.

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 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

3 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

4 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

5 nominated   

adj.被提名的，被任命的 动词nominate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She has been nominated for the presidency. 她已经获得了董事长职位的提名。
• The movie was nominated for an Oscar. 这部电影获奥斯卡金像奖提名。

6 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

7 jury   

n.陪审团，评委会；adj.临时用的；vt.挑选

参考例句：

• These twelve men are believed to compose the jury.据信，陪审团是由这12人组成的。
• The members of the jury were discharged from their duties.陪审员们被解除了职务。

8 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。

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 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

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