VOA慢速英语2012 AMERICAN MOSAIC - The Occupy Movement Turns One; Women Rockers Celebrated in DC Museum Show

 

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - The Occupy Movement Turns One; Women Rockers Celebrated² in DC Museum Show

JUNE SIMMS: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

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I’m June Simms. This week, we take a look at the Occupy Movement on its one year anniversary…

And we visit a rock solid museum show in Washington and play some of the music that inspired it…

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Occupy Wall Street One Year Later

JUNE SIMMS: September seventeenth will mark the one year anniversary of the American protest known as Occupy Wall Street. The leaderless movement spread around the world, but has yet to realize its main goals. Shirley Griffith has more.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Zuccotti Park in New York City is where it all started. The park is close to the New York Stock Exchange and financial offices. Many of them are on Wall Street, the name often used for America’s banking³ and financial industry.

A year ago, activists⁵ called for a protest to take place in Zuccotti Park on September seventeenth. They set no end date. Protesters brought temporary shelters, food, extra clothes and other things necessary for an occupation. And they stayed for several weeks. In November, police forced the activists from Zuccotti Park.

The protesters expressed concerns over economic inequality, corruption⁶ and the power and influence of banks and other financial companies. The housing market had collapsed⁷, people were losing their homes and many Americans felt Wall Street was to blame. But, it seemed that no one was being held responsible.

The Occupy Wall Street movement spread from New York to other American cities and overseas. But, the movement never became the revolution activists had hoped for.

Occupy activists have not seen their major goals met. These include stronger laws on banking and the environment; limits on the influence of big business on politics; and help for people late on housing payments.

However, sociologist⁸ Todd Gitlin of Columbia University says Occupy Wall Street has been influential⁹.

TODD GITLIN: One will use the term ‘one percent’ and ‘ninety-nine percent’ and most of America knows what you’re talking about. You’ll find it now in common usage in newspapers articles that have nothing to do with Occupy itself.”

Within months, police nationwide moved Occupy protesters out of public areas. Today, the movement’s daily presence is a few volunteers in city parks and sidewalks. They attempt to publicize the Occupy message and increase support.

Justin Stone-Diaz has been with Occupy since its first day. He says small changes are important.

JUSTN STONE-DIAZ: The revolution is the technology that’s in everyone’s pockets --- the cell phones, the information age. What Occupy Wall Street, at its core is, we’re trying to foster a paradigm¹⁰ shift towards a more direct democracy.”

The activist⁴ says Occupy protesters now spread their messages electronically. When needed, larger groups gather as they did at the recent presidential nominating conventions in the United States.

Sociologist Todd Gitlin says studies show that Americans support Occupy causes more than the movement itself.

TODD GITLIN: “When people are asked how they feel about such measures as progressive taxation¹¹, driving money out of politics – sort of the implicit¹² thrust, the unstated demands, let’s say, of a demandless movement – those causes remain popular.”

Today, Zuccotti Park is just a place where office workers eat their mid-day meals and people might sit a while. Whether the protesters made enough noise there last year to cause the change they want remains¹³ to be seen. Justin Stone-Diaz is hopeful. He says Occupy continues to push for direct action through discussion.

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Women Who Rock

JUNE SIMMS: The National Museum of Women in the Arts has been celebrating its twenty-fifth year during twenty-twelve. It is closing the celebration with an exhibit honoring women in rock and roll music. Now, Christopher Cruise and I take you to the “Women Who Rock” show and play some of the music from the artists represented in the show.

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CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll” could be the theme song of “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power.” The show explores more than seventy women musicians from early last century to now. More than two hundred fifty objects are included in the exhibit. They include a Lady Gaga costume made entirely¹⁴ of meat, and a guitar used by the coalminer’s daughter, Loretta Lynn.

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JUNE SIMMS: “Women Who Rock” was organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper was the reported inspiration for the show. While visiting the museum, Lauper repeatedly asked “where are the women?”

“Women Who Rock” opens with a display on Maybelle Carter and Mahalia Jackson. Carter was called “Mother” and was a founding member of the Carter Family, a country music group from Virginia. It was formed in the late nineteen twenties. Maybelle Carter played guitar, banjo and autoharp.

Mahalia Jackson was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in nineteen eleven. She earned the title “world’s greatest gospel singer.”

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CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Mahalia Jackson was also one of the first African-Americans to be used in cosmetic¹⁵ product marketing¹⁶. She helped sell a hair care treatment in print advertising¹⁷. A poster at the show has her picture and the message, “you too can have beautiful hair naturally.” 

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JUNE SIMMS: The Women Who Rock show is heavy with rock star clothing. Barbara from Washington, DC, says that part of the show especially interested her.

BARBARA: “I’m a member of the Women’s Museum so I always come to see the new shows. But I was particularly curious about this one because I like costumes. So, that was kind of a draw.”

And, what about rock and roll?

BARBARA: “I like rock and roll. I’m not a big music fan. But you hear about these women and it’s great that their up there and out there.”

CHRISTOPHER CRUISE:The costumes cover almost every possible style. Singer Cher has one of the wildest in the show. The costume was one she wore on her nineteen seventies series, “The Sonny & Cher Show,” to sing her song “Half-Breed.”

Cher was part Native American. The costume is based on Native American dress. It includes a huge headdress with feathers.

Other costumes include punkish jeans and a tee-shirt from Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon. There is also a very nineteen-sixties looking dress from Mary Wilson of the Supremes. The dress is made of yellow and green teardrop shaped plastic pieces.

But it was famous footwear that drew two young women to the show. Twenty-six year old Tatiana from Germany had one last day of her vacation in the United States. She saw a poster for “Women Who Rock” featuring Patti Smith.

TATIANA: “First of all, I love Patti Smith. I adore her. And I saw her shoes, her boots, in the metro¹⁸ station, on the paper.”

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So, Tatiana’s cousin Jenny decided¹⁹ to bring her to the show.

JENNY: “I know this is something she would enjoy. We’ve been listening to this kind of music years on. So, it’s something we enjoy to do together.”

Jenny said she could not pick a favorite performer at the show.

JENNY: “There are things I like and I don’t like about each of the artists. I like Debby Harry²⁰, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell. I did enjoy seeing some of the really early blues²¹ singers like Billie Holiday.”

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JUNE SIMMS: The National Museum of Women in the Arts will close “Women Who Rock: Vision, Power, Passion” in early January. The show then travels to another city.

Here is the rocker who is said to have inspired the museum exhibit. This is Cyndi Lauper performing “She Bop.”

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JUNE SIMMS: I’m June Simms. This program was written and produced by Caty Weaver²². Peter Fedynsky provided additional reporting.

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 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

4 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

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 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

8 sociologist   

n.研究社会学的人，社会学家

参考例句：

• His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
• Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。

9 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

10 paradigm   

n.例子，模范，词形变化表

参考例句：

• He had become the paradigm of the successful man. 他已经成为成功人士的典范。
• Moreover,the results of this research can be the new learning paradigm for digital design studios.除此之外，本研究的研究成果也可以为数位设计课程建立一个新的学习范例。

11 taxation   

n.征税，税收，税金

参考例句：

• He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。

12 implicit   

a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的

参考例句：

• A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
• Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

15 cosmetic   

n.化妆品；adj.化妆用的；装门面的；装饰性的

参考例句：

• These changes are purely cosmetic.这些改变纯粹是装饰门面。
• Laughter is the best cosmetic,so grin and wear it!微笑是最好的化妆品，所以请尽情微笑吧！

16 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

17 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

18 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

19 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。

20 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

21 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

22 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。