流亡艺术家用艺术表达对叙利亚的思乡之情

Exiled² Artist Uses Art to Save Memories of Syria

Syrian-born artist Mohamad Hafez saves memories of his home country through dioramas. His models show life in Syria, both before and during the current conflict.

Hafez uses little pieces of metal, wood and stone to represent people and their communities. He also uses recorded voices and images of everyday life in Syria. He captured them with his camera before the fighting started in 2011.

Hafez told VOA, “I recorded everything I could get my hands on. People’s conversations in cafes, the calling for prayers in mosques⁴, the bells of churches, the conversation of a taxi driver and voices of children playing in the courtyard of Umayyad Mosque³.”

Mohamad Hafez said the recordings⁵ provide examples of everyday life. And, Hafez said he believes art helps rebuild the spirit of Syria’s past and present, and protect the beauty of his culture.

One year after the war began, he found the recordings and images he had made. The artist said that he felt, after their discovery, he had found a new purpose in life. He was meant to tell the story of his country and keep memories of it for the next generation of Syrians.

Hafez said that, as an artist, he is supposed to bring hope to his people to rebuild their homeland and live in peace.

“On this Earth, there is something worth living for,” he added.

Hafez now lives in exile¹ in the American state of Connecticut. Since 2009, he has worked as an architect in the city of New Haven⁶. Recently, he received special recognition⁷ from Yale University. He was named a 2018 Yale University Silliman College Fellow.

Hafez came to the United States on a student visa in 2003 and studied at Iowa State University. Once in the U.S., it took him several years to go back to his home in Syria.

Refugees⁹

The war in Syria has caused millions of Syrians to flee their homes and seek safety within or outside the country.

Mohamad Hafez is an activist¹⁰ for refugees and their rights.

“You do not need to be a refugee⁸ to understand the memories and the feelings of them. We should understand that circumstances forced these people to leave their homes,” he said.

“We should treat them as real humans who share the same feelings as we do,” he added.

Hafez said he wants to represent the common quality that connects Syrian refugees with the rest of the world.

“I am trying to tell the stories of the refugees from all religions and backgrounds,” Hafez said.

The United Nations High Commissioner¹¹ for Refugees estimates there are more than six million Syrian refugees living in neighboring countries. More than half of them are reported to be in Turkey.

I’m Caty Weaver¹².

Words in This Story

diorama – n. a three-dimensional life-size or small-size model

conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people: the act of talking in an informal way

mosque – n. a building that is used for Muslim religious services

bell – n. a hollow usually cup-shaped metal object that makes a ringing sound when it is hit

church – n. a building that is used for Christian¹³ religious services

courtyard – n. an open space that is surrounded completely or partly by a building or group of buildings

circumstance – n. a condition or fact that affects a situation

1 exile   

n.流放，被流放者；vt.流放，放逐，使流亡

参考例句：

• After an exile of eight years her uncle returned to Cairo.她叔叔背井离乡8年后返回开罗。
• Napoleon was sent into exile on an island.拿破仑被流放到一个岛上。

2 exiled   

adj. 流亡的，放逐的 动词exile的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• diehard supporters of the exiled king 顽固支持流亡国王的人
• The king exiled one of his official for murder. 国王因他的一个大臣犯谋杀罪而将他放逐。

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

4 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

5 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

6 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

7 recognition   

n.承认，认可，认出，认识

参考例句：

• The place has changed beyond recognition.这地方变得认不出来了。
• A sudden smile of recognition flashed across his face.他脸上掠过一丝笑意，表示认识对方。

8 refugee   

n.难民，流亡者

参考例句：

• The refugee was condemned to a life of wandering.这个难民注定要过流浪的生活。
• The refugee is suffering for want of food and medical supplies.难民苦于缺少食物和医药用品。

9 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

10 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。

11 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

12 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。

13 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。