VOA慢速英语--南卡罗来纳大学教授老派行业

South Carolina College Teaches Old-School Trades

The sounds of artists at work fill workshops at the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina.

In the college’s Iron shop, Alex Fisher is busy making the surface of an iron door handle smooth and shiny. Nearby Jeremiah Price and others use heat to soften¹ the metal in their door handles and bend them into shape.

In another area, a group of young men measure, cut and sand wood to build workbenches for future projects.

A disappearing art

The students at this private, one-of-a-kind college all want to be employed as artisans one day. Working in a building that once housed streetcars, they are part of an intense, hands-on program that trains them in traditional European building trades.

Steven Fancsali had earned a college degree in architectural design and worked as a designer for four years before he learned about the school on a television program.

“I saw the school on a TV show and my thought was ‘well I wish I had known about this 10 years ago when I was actually looking at schools.' And I decided² to just make a change and come here.”

So Fancsali asked about studying at the non-profit school, got accepted, and moved from Chicago to Charleston.

Rising phoenix³

The school was founded after Hurricane Hugo hit the southeastern United States in 1989. The storm damaged or destroyed many of Charleston's historic homes and buildings.

After Hugo left, there was an urgent need for experienced artisans who knew how to rebuild the city. But there were not enough of them.

So in 1999, a group of South Carolinians laid the groundwork that led to the founding of the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA). It is the first -- and only -- four-year college in the country to offer such a program in traditional craftsmanship⁴.

Building arts skills

ACBA’s president is Colby Broadwater, a retired⁵ lieutenant⁶ general. He says the school is one of a kind, “because we have blended a liberal arts education -- the critical thinking aspect of that -- with a skill set that we teach of six different skilled areas.”

Students get to work with people like Arnaud Le Rouzic. He trained at Les Compagnons du devoir, a French organization made up of craftsmen⁷ and artisans who learn skills dating from Europe’s Middle Ages.

He told VOA, “I came here to share my knowledge and my experience with the younger generation of artisans.” ?

Community involvement

Students also have chances to work outside the college, on local community projects.

Broadwater says a sense of community is important to the college.

“We touch so many places and so many people. Public projects that enhance the beauty of this city or state. The students are proud of actually producing something.That's why they came here. And so they can sit there and say, I made that!”

He, too, is very pleased with what his students have done and the school's 100 percent job placement record.

Historic treasures

ACBA students have built seats and shelters for local bus stops. They have made large ovens for cooking pizza. And they even repaired the ironwork on gates created by Philip Simmons, a Charleston ironwork artisan and one of the school’s founders⁸.

Restoring historic treasures

ACBA student Stephen Clark spent two months of his summer working in Washington, D.C. He helped to repair the home that former President Abraham Lincoln used as a summer getaway during America's Civil War.

Clark says he will never forget working on the home of one America's most famous presidents.

ACBA students also work overseas. One person who completed the program is now working at the Notre Dame⁹ Cathedral in Paris, France. He is helping¹⁰ to rebuild the 850-year-old building, which suffered major damage in a fire earlier this year.

Thirty years after Hurricane Hugo, the city of Charleston is growing. But should disaster strike again, members of its artisan community are well prepared to help rebuild and restore.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

workshop – n. a place where things are produced or repaired

degree – n. an honor awarded by a college or university after completion of a study program

blend – v. to combine; to join together

enhance – v. to improve in value or quality

proud – adj. feeling or showing great satisfaction with something

1 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

2 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。

3 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

4 craftsmanship   

n.手艺

参考例句：

• The whole house is a monument to her craftsmanship. 那整座房子是她技艺的一座丰碑。
• We admired the superb craftsmanship of the furniture. 我们很欣赏这个家具的一流工艺。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

7 craftsmen   

n. 技工

参考例句：

• rugs handmade by local craftsmen 由当地工艺师手工制作的小地毯
• The craftsmen have ensured faithful reproduction of the original painting. 工匠保证要复制一幅最接近原作的画。

8 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

9 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

10 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。