VOA慢速英语2011--“The Art of Fielding” is a Novel Abo

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - “The Art of Fielding” is a Novel About Baseball and Much More

DOUG JOHNSON: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English. I’m Doug Johnson.
Today, we play music by the new country western group Pistol² Annies. We also answer a question about the director Steven Spielberg. But first we report on a popular new book about baseball.
(MUSIC)
This week marks the release³ of writer Chad Harbach’s first book, “The Art of Fielding.” The thirty-five year old writer spent about ten years developing this novel about the game of baseball. But “The Art of Fielding” is about much more than just baseball. It is also a story about love, loss, friendship, family and growing up. Some critics have praised the book as one of the best “first novels” to be published in years. Bob Doughty⁴ has more.
BOB DOUGHTY: Chad Harbach started his book in two thousand. He worked many jobs over the years, often accepting positions that gave him time to write. During this time, he also earned a master’s degree and helped create a literary⁵ magazine called “n +1.”
His financial sacrifice and years of hard work paid off. Last year, several publishing companies competed for the right to buy “The Art of Fielding.” Reports say Chad Harbach received over six hundred thousand dollars for the book. Not bad for a first time novelist.
“The Art of Fielding” takes place at a small college in Wisconsin, the state where the writer grew up. Henry Skrimshander is starting his first year at Westish College and quickly becomes its star baseball player. Henry is so good that he soon captures⁶ the attention of professional baseball teams.
But early in the book, he suffers a mental crisis⁷. Henry becomes filled with self doubt and starts to make serious mistakes during games.
The other main characters in the book face their own problems. Catcher Mike Schwartz realizes that all the time he spent helping⁸ Henry become a star has threatened his plans for the future. College president Guert Affenlight falls in love with another student on the baseball team. Guert’s daughter Pella has returned to Westish College after a failed marriage. These characters have close ties to each other and the team. And they become very involved in Henry’s growing crisis.
Chad Harbach says that when he began writing the book, he was interested in this kind of mental crisis, which has affected⁹ some professional baseball players. He says most people have periods where they question their own skills or are filled with fear, but experience this privately¹⁰.
For baseball players, he says, this mental crisis is very public and difficult for others to watch. He wanted to explore this idea in his book.
He also chose baseball as a subject for his book because it is unlike any other sport.
CHAD HARBACH: “Baseball is unique in the way in which it is both a team sport and a profoundly¹¹ individual sport.”
BOB DOUGHTY: Mr. Harbach grew up in a culture of sports, so the realities of being on a team were familiar to him.
CHAD HARBACH: “I grew up in Wisconsin in a place where really, sports are king. And if you are a young man growing up in a place like that you most likely devote an enormous¹² amount of your time and attention to playing sports.”
BOB DOUGHTY: Mr. Harbach says a book he read after college had a big influence on him. The book was “Infinite Jest” by David Foster¹³ Wallace.
CHAD HARBACH: “Although in some sense I’d always wanted to be a writer, there was a way that that book made me realize that it was still possible to do that.”
BOB DOUGHTY: Chad Harbach says that in school, literary studies often involved books from the distant past. But reading “Infinite Jest” made him realize that it is possible to recognize the past, while also writing something very fresh and modern.
(MUSIC)
DOUG JOHNSON: Our question this week comes from Shandong in China. Guo Chungyu wants to know about moviemaker Steven Spielberg.
It would be hard to argue that there is anyone more powerful in Hollywood today than Steven Spielberg. Since his first major success “Jaws” in nineteen seventy-five, he has directed one hit movie after another. These include the wildly popular series “Indiana Jones,” “Back to the Future” and “Men in Black.”
Those films are fun and lighthearted. But Steven Spielberg has also made serious films that were well received by critics and movie audiences alike¹⁴. The nineteen ninety-six movie “Saving Private Ryan” is a good example. It was an American war movie in the traditional sense. But, the director’s close attention to detail and historical facts also increased public interest in America’s efforts during World War Two.
The nineteen ninety-three film “Schindler’s List” also took place during World War Two. It told the powerful story of a German businessman who worked to save Jews from Nazi¹⁵ Germany.
Steven Spielberg was born in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio in nineteen forty-six. His mother owned a restaurant and was also a musician. His father was an electrical engineer. Steven started making movies while he was growing up. He has said he required his family and friends to pay twenty-five cents to see his films when they were completed.
Steven Spielberg told a reporter that this experience led him to produce the film “Super Eight,” which came out in June. It tells about a group of teenagers who join together to make a movie and uncover¹⁶ a mystery in the process. Later this year, many theaters will be showing “The Adventures of Tin Tin,” which he directed. And, the third “Men in Black” film is set to be released¹⁷ next year.
(MUSIC)
DOUG JOHNSON: Pistol Annies is a new three woman country music group. Its first album, “Hell on Heels,” entered Billboard¹⁸ Magazine’s country albums chart at number one. The fact that one Pistol Annies member is already hugely successful might be partly responsible. Shirley Griffith tells us more.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Country music star Miranda Lambert would seem to be busy enough with her career. But she recently formed a new band with singer/songwriters, Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe. The Pistol Annies recorded their just released album “Hell on Heels” in less than six months. The women write hard, edgy¹⁹ songs but the mix of their voices creates an almost holy beauty. A good example is the song “Housewife’s Prayer.”
(MUSIC)
The Pistol Annies do not seem to agree about how they came together as a music group. Miranda Lambert said it was respect for each other’s skills. Angaleena Presley said it was honest music. But Ashley Monroe jokingly told a reporter it was alcohol²⁰ that brought the musicians together. The Pistol Annies’ song “Takin’ Pills” humorously says it all.
(MUSIC)
All three of the “Annies” are true country. Miranda Lambert grew up in Texas. Angaleena Presley is from the mountains of Kentucky. And, Ashley Monroe was raised in Tennessee. She has lived in Nashville, the country music capital, since she was thirteen.
We leave you with the Pistol Annies performing music from their first album.
(MUSIC: “Hell on Heels”)
DOUG JOHNSON: I’m Doug Johnson. Our program was written by Caty Weaver²¹ and Dana Demange, who was also our producer.
If you have a question about American life, send it to www.tingroom.com/voa . You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning²² English.
Join us again next week for music and more on AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA 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 pistol   

n.手枪

参考例句：

• He drew his pistol and aimed at the enemy soldier.他拔出枪对准敌兵。
• The escaped criminal fell at the sound of a pistol.手枪一响，逃犯应声倒下。

3 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

4 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

5 literary   

adj.文学（上）的

参考例句：

• Literary works of this kind are well received by the masses.这样的文学作品很受群众欢迎。
• The book was favourably noticed in literary magazines.这本书在文学杂志上得到好评。

6 captures   

俘获( capture的第三人称单数 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• King Arthur himself captures the beast and cuts off its head. 亚瑟王亲自捉住怪物，并砍下它的头。
• His book captures exactly the ethos of Elizabethan England. 他的书准确地描绘了英国伊丽莎白时代的风土人情。

7 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

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 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

11 profoundly   

ad.深深地

参考例句：

• We are profoundly affected by what happens to us in childhood. 童年发生的事深深地影响着我们。
• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents. 你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。

12 enormous   

adj.巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• An enormous sum of money is injected each year into teaching.每年都有大量资金投入到教学中。
• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。

13 foster   

vt.收养，培养，促进；adj.收养的，收养孩子的

参考例句：

• Nowadays young couple sometimes foster.现今年轻夫妇有时领养别人的孩子。
• The captain did his best to foster a sense of unity among the new recruits.队长尽力培养新成员之间的团结精神。

14 alike   

adj.同样的，相像的；adv.一样地；同程度地　

参考例句：

• The twins are so alike that I can't tell which is which.这对双胞胎一模一样，我分辨不出谁是谁。
• All stories seemed dreadfully alike,no matter who told them.看来，不管谁讲，故事都是千篇一律的。

15 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

16 uncover   

vt.揭露，暴露；揭开…的盖子

参考例句：

• Please uncover the pot.请拿掉锅盖。
• In spring we uncover the swimming pool.春天我们移去游泳池的覆盖物。

17 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

18 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。

19 edgy   

adj.不安的；易怒的

参考例句：

• She's been a bit edgy lately,waiting for the exam results.她正在等待考试结果，所以最近有些焦躁不安。
• He was nervous and edgy, still chain-smoking.他紧张不安，还在一根接一根地抽着烟。

20 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

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。

22 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。