VOA慢速英语2014 Basket Maker Teaches Women in Africa 编篮“高手”教非洲妇女编篮

 

Basket Maker¹ Teaches Women in Africa 编篮“高手”教非洲妇女编篮

Welcome to American Mosaic² from VOA Learning English.  I’m Caty Weaver³.  Today on the show we meet a basket artist whose work was recently on display at the Smithsoniann Craft Show.

A major craft show in Washington, D.C. offers works by more than 120 artists. One artist admitted into the Smithsonian Craft Show also shares her skills with women overseas. Christopher Cruise tells us more.

Jackie Abrams is a basket artist from Brattleboro, Vermont. She began in 1975 making traditional pieces for everyday use. But, today she makes modern baskets using non-traditional materials.

 

“One are [is] coiled baskets using a very traditional coil technique where it’s stitched…and for that I use recycled fabric⁴.  I also weave other baskets with a heavy cotton paper and wire to make a form…reminiscent of a woman’s form.”

Ms. Abrams has a series of baskets called “Women Forms.” She says the baskets represent women, their shared stories and layers of experience.  She says the inside and outside of the objects tell different stories. Ms. Abrams says the outside shows how a woman is shaped by society and experiences.  She says the inside is representative of a woman’s inner strength.

Jackie Abrams is one of 123 artists presenting their work at the Smithsonian Craft Show. Artists compete for a place in the show. And judges at the show award the works they think are best. It is widely considered the most important juried craft show in the country.

This is Jackie Abrams’ fourth year as a presenter⁵ at the Smithsonian Craft Show.  But there is another part of her career she considers just as important. In 2005 Ms. Abrams began working with women in Africa.

She started sharing her skills and knowledge in Ghana.

“While I was there, there was so much trash all over the ground and so many plastic bags. And I’m a fiber⁶ person and I thought we can use these fibers⁷, we can clean these bags and use them.”

And that is exactly what Jackie Abrams did. The artist taught Ghanaian women how to crochet⁸ using plastic bags they find on the ground.  The women made wallets for carrying money and larger bags.

The women then sold the goods to help support their families.

“I think these women now have some economic freedom from their husbands. It gives them a little power within their families. It gave them a sense of worth.”

Jackie Abrams would like to go back to Africa one day to help more women increase their economic power.

She will also expand her series of basket sculptures and hopes to return to the Smithsonian Craft Show next year.

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 presenter   

n.（电视、广播的）主持人，赠与者

参考例句：

• Most people think being a television presenter is exciting.很多人认为当电视节目主持人是一件刺激的事情。
• The programme dispensed with its most popular presenter.这个节目最受欢迎的主持人被换掉了。

6 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

7 fibers   

光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质

参考例句：

• Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上，以硫酸钠为凝固剂，对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝，制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
• Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。

8 crochet   

n.钩针织物；v.用钩针编制

参考例句：

• That's a black crochet waistcoat.那是一件用钩针编织的黑色马甲。
• She offered to teach me to crochet rugs.她提出要教我钩织小地毯。