VOA慢速英语2003年-The Wallflowers

 

Broadcast: Jan 17, 2003
By Bob Brumfield, Nancy Steinbach and Caty Weaver¹

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC²--VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

This is Doug Johnson. On our program today:

We play some music by the group called the Wallflowers ...

Answer a question about the famous escape artist called Houdini ...

And tell about a very creative theater and film director.

Julie Taymor

HOST:

Julie Taymor is an American theater and film director. She is best known for her work with puppetry³--an art form that uses large dolls and other objects in theatrical⁴ performances. Mizz Taymor has been involved in the theater for almost thirty years. Mary Tillotson tells us about her.

ANNCR:

Julie Taymor began producing plays as a child at her home near Boston, Massachusetts. She attended Oberlin College in Ohio, graduating in nineteen-seventy-four. She also studied theater and puppetry1 in Japan, Indonesia, and Eastern Europe.

In the early nineteen-nineties, she directed a version⁵ of Igor Stravinsky's opera, "Oedipus Rex," for the Saito Kinen Orchestra⁶ in Japan. She won an Emmy Award for the American television broadcast of the opera.

Julie Taymor became internationally known for her production of the Walt Disney Company's Broadway musical play, "The Lion King." In nineteen-ninety-eight, Mizz Taymor won several Tony Awards for her work on that show.

She received one award for designing the unusual costumes worn by actors to represent the many different animal creatures in the play. Mizz Taymor's work on the project also made her the first woman ever to win a Tony Award for directing a Broadway musical. "The Lion King" is still one of the most popular musicals on Broadway.

Mizz Taymor directed her first major film in nineteen-ninety-nine. It was the movie "Titus." The story was based on William Shakespeare's play, "Titus Andronicus." The film was not an economic success. But critics praised it as one of the finest films made from a Shakespearean play.

In the movie, Julie Taymor used puppets⁷, strange costumes and other special effects to tell Shakespeare's story of a fallen general. Mizz Taymor used everything from child's toys to the Roman Coliseum to tell the story. And she used the play's violence to create sympathy for its victims.

Julie Taymor's latest project was directing the movie "Frida," about the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The movie opened in November. Critics say that Julie Taymor has succeeded in bringing Frida Kahlo's art to life. Several critics have called "Frida" one of the best films of last year.

Houdini

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Indonesia. Desmanto Herman asks about the life of the world famous escape artist and magician⁸ known as Houdini.

Houdini's real name was Erik Weisz. He was born in Budapest, Hungary in eighteen-seventy-four. He came to the United States with his family as a child. He became a circus performer. Then he settled in New York City in eighteen-eighty-two. He chose the stage name Harry⁹ Houdini to honor¹⁰ a famous French magician named Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin.

Houdini began offering money to anyone who could successfully keep him locked up. And so he became famous for escaping from ropes, handcuffs and different kinds of locked containers. For example, he would be tied up with locked chains and placed in a box that was tied with a rope. The box was dropped underwater from a boat. Houdini would return to the boat after he escaped from the box. Or, Houdini would be tied into an "escape proof¹¹" jacket called a strait jacket and suspended¹² twenty-three meters above the ground by his feet. He would then free himself from the strait jacket.

Thousands of people paid to watch these escape acts. Usually Houdini left no evidence of how he was able to make the escape. However, many people watched his escape from the strait jacket.

Experts say Houdini was successful because of his great physical strength and skill with locks. He also studied, practiced and exercised for many hours to prepare for his acts. For his underwater act, for example, he would hold his breath underwater in the bathtub for up to four minutes.

Houdini also did magic tricks. For example, in nineteen-eighteen, he made an elephant disappear from the stage of a theater in New York City. It was the largest object ever made to disappear at that time. He also invented many magic tricks. Houdini appeared in five movies from nineteen-sixteen to nineteen-twenty-three. He wrote several of them. Houdini is the only magician to make five movies, and the first to be honored¹³ on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California. Experts say he would have made more films had he lived longer.

Harry Houdini died in nineteen-twenty-six of an infected appendix¹⁴. Today, people who want to learn about Harry Houdini and his magic can visit the Houdini Historical Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. This is the city where he lived as a child.

The Wallflowers

HOST:

The popular rock group called the Wallflowers has released¹⁶ a new album. Shep O'Neal tells about "Red Letter Days" and plays a few songs from the new recording¹⁷.

ANNCR:

"Red Letter Days" is the Wallflowers' fourth album. Jakob Dylan is the band's lead singer, songwriter and guitar player. He says he started writing the songs for the new album while the band was performing after the release¹⁵ of an earlier album. Here is "When You're On Top" from "Red Letter Days."

(MUSIC)

The other members of the Wallflowers were excited about the new songs. So, they decided¹⁸ to test some of them in private recordings¹⁹ while they were still traveling. Jakob Dylan says the band would play anywhere they could find a power source. Here, the Wallflowers perform "Closer To You."

(MUSIC)

The Wallflowers have been recording albums together for ten years. But Jakob Dylan says they sometimes forgot what was important to them. He says recording "Red Letter Days" has been a good lesson. He says the band has re-discovered its true goals. We leave you now with another song from the Wallflowers latest album. It is called "Here in Pleasantville."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

This is Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. And I hope you will join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC--VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by Bob Brumfield, Nancy Steinbach and Caty Weaver. And our producer was Paul Thompson.
1. puppetry [`pQpItrI] n. 木偶, 傀儡
 

1 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。

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 puppetry   

n.木偶，傀儡

参考例句：

• It is the first glove puppetry museum in Taiwan. 那是台湾首座的布袋戏博物馆。 来自互联网
• It is supported by lights, music, singing and puppetry. 这是由灯的支持，音乐，唱歌和木偶。 来自互联网

4 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

5 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

6 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

7 puppets   

n.木偶( puppet的名词复数 )；玩偶；受他人操纵的人或集团；傀儡

参考例句：

• They were mere puppets manipulated by other men. 他们只不过是受人操纵的傀儡而已。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The children I was looking after were interested in puppets. 我那时照看的孩子们对木偶感兴趣。 来自辞典例句

8 magician   

n.魔术师，变戏法的人，术士

参考例句：

• With a wave of his hand,the magician made the rabbit vanish.魔术师手一挥兔子便不见了。
• The magician transformed the man into a rabbit.魔术师把那个人变成了兔子。

9 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。

10 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

11 proof   

adj.防...的，耐...的，能防护；n.校样，证据，证明；vt.检验，给...做防护措施

参考例句：

• He is living proof of the wonders of modern medicine.他是当代医学奇迹的活证明。
• The proof was fished up from some old papers.校样在旧文件中被找到了。

12 suspended   

a.被暂时搁置的

参考例句：

• A lamp was suspended from the ceiling. 一盏吊灯悬在天花板上。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area. 英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

13 honored   

adj.光荣的：荣幸的v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I hope to be honored with further orders. 如蒙惠顾，不胜荣幸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is a time-honored custom. 这是一个古老的习俗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 appendix   

n.附录，附属物，阑尾，盲肠

参考例句：

• I have recently had my appendix removed.我最近切除了阑尾。
• There is an appendix at the back of the book.该书末尾处有一附录。

15 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

16 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

17 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

18 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。

19 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