VOA慢速英语2019--制作真正的美国乐器

Building a Truly American Instrument

Parts of the south in the United States are known for a kind of country music called bluegrass. And there is one instrument that is an important part of the bluegrass sound.

The banjo is a truly American instrument. It was brought to the United States by African slaves and then was adopted by people of the south to create their country music.

"Really, the banjo is the American instrument and it was made by both black and white cultures [that] came together to produce this instrument."

That is Christian¹ Stanfield. He and his teacher, Tom George, have made the complex art of banjo making their lifetime project.

It began decades ago when Stanfield moved from Washington, D.C. to Memphis, Tennessee. He went to a dance party that featured folk music and the banjo. He says as soon as he heard the banjo, he fell in love. He borrowed one from a banjo player and got some good advice on where to buy one.

"I fell in love with the banjo, I really wanted to learn that new instrument. So I borrowed a banjo from him for two or three months and when I was ready to get a banjo of my own, he recommended Tommy to me. He said, you know, don't buy a banjo on the Internet or in the store. There's a guy in Fayette County, [Tennessee] who builds them!"

That man was Tom George -- one of the best-known banjo makers² in the U.S.

"I just like to make things -- woodwork and banjos, furniture … whatever!"

Tom George knows a true banjo-lover when he sees one. So, when Stanfield asked to become his student, George quickly agreed. He taught Stanfield his banjo-making secrets … after dinner, of course!

"I would come over and his wife would cook dinner. And we would eat dinner and then we would go out in the shop and work for a couple of hours. And in three months I had a banjo that I had made myself."

Tom George, however, did not have a teacher. He taught himself how to build banjos.

"I wanted a banjo when I was a teenager, so I mowed⁴ yards around my neighborhood to raise money and I bought a banjo. The one that I bought, which wasn't very good, and I said maybe I can improve it, so I started trying to improve that one… "

Today, George and Stanfield have a banjo-making workshop, an hour's drive from Memphis, Tennessee. Visitors can tour their shop and see the hundreds of small parts that all come together to make the finished banjo. The two men make everything by hand. So, it is not surprising that it takes around 4 to 6 months to make one banjo.

The banjo has two distinct parts: the round part and the straight part.

"There are two distinct parts. There's the round part and you have the straight part. And they're made separately."

The round part -- the body of the banjo -- is made of wood bent⁵ around a form to give the instrument its round shape.

Stanfield explains that part of the process.

"I will re-saw it into smaller pieces like this. And I'll put it in a steam box and the steam will make it very soft. And then I will put it in this form and it will actually be able to bend without breaking, it'll bend around this …”

After the banjo is finished, Tom George carefully wipes it clean. It is ready to be played. And then the team can do the other thing they love to do -- play the banjo.

I’m Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

instrument – n. a device used to produce music

folk – adj. originating or traditional with the common people of a country or region and typically reflecting their lifestyle

recommend – v. to say that (someone or something) is good and deserves to be chosen

shop (workshop) – n. a commercial establishment for the making or repair of goods or machinery⁶

mow³ – v. to cut the standing⁷ plant cover from

layer – n. a covering piece of material or a part that lies over or under another : – v. to form or arrange parts or pieces of something on top of each other : to form or arrange (something) in layers

steam – n. water vapor⁸ kept under pressure so as to supply energy for heating, cooking, or mechanical work : – v. to apply steam to

distinct – adj. noticeably different

bend – v. to use force to cause (something, such as a wire or pipe) to become curved

form – n. the shape and structure of something as distinguished from its material

1 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。

2 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 mow   

v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆

参考例句：

• He hired a man to mow the lawn.他雇人割草。
• We shall have to mow down the tall grass in the big field.我们得把大田里的高草割掉。

4 mowed   

v.刈，割( mow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The enemy were mowed down with machine-gun fire. 敌人被机枪的火力扫倒。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Men mowed the wide lawns and seeded them. 人们割了大片草地的草，然后在上面播种。 来自辞典例句

5 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

6 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。