AMERICAN MOSAIC

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹
By

Broadcast: Friday, December 03, 2004

(MUSIC)

DOUG JOHNSON: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

This is Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

Music by New Edition …

A question from China about why Missouri is the "Show-Me State" …

And, a report on three hundred fifty years of Jewish life in America.

Jewish Life in America

Next week, Jews all over the world will begin celebrating the eight- day holiday of Hanukkah. At the same time, The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., is honoring Jewish history in the United States. It is showing more than two hundred objects from Jewish life in America. Barbara Klein has more.

(MUSIC: Hanukkah prayer sung in Hebrew))

 
Detail from a 1917 poster in the Library of Congress collection.
BARBARA KLEIN: The exhibit is called "From Haven² to Home: Three Hundred Fifty Years of Jewish Life in America." Photographs, paintings, newspaper stories, films and other objects tell the Jewish story. Many Jews came to the United States in search of security.

Twenty-three people who fled religious oppression in Brazil were the first Jews to arrive. They settled in what would later become New York City in sixteen fifty-four. The collection tells the promise of America for those from other countries who came here.

One example is a letter written by America's first president, George Washington, in seventeen ninety. President Washington wrote the letter to the Newport Hebrew Congregation in Rhode Island. His letter says Jewish people should continue to enjoy the good will of others in the United States.

A painting from later in history shows Uriah Philipps Levy³, who fought in the War of Eighteen Twelve. He also helped keep the home of President Thomas Jefferson as a national monument.

The Library of Congress collection also shows a handwritten poem by Emma Lazarus. It contains the lines, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled⁴ masses yearning⁵ to breathe free." She wrote the poem in eighteen eighty-three to help raise money for the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Her poem is written on the famous statue.

The collection represents more modern times as well. It recognizes Jewish entertainers, writers, politicians and athletes.

The collection also recalls difficult times for Jews. A newspaper cartoon documents such a time in the American South during the nineteen-fifties. A Library of Congress guide says some southerners became hostile because many Jews supported human rights for black people.

The collection ends with a short film of the Jewish music writer, Irving Berlin, who was born in Russia. He is singing one of his most famous songs, "God Bless America." Berlin always said that he wrote the song to thank America for all it did to help him succeed.

'Show-Me State'

DOUG JOHNSON: Our listener question this week comes from Hubei, China. A listener named Hall writes: "It's said that people from the state of Missouri tend to be suspicious. ... Why?"

Well, we cannot speak for all the people from Missouri. But it is true that their Midwestern state is known as the "Show-Me State."

When people say "show me," what they mean is, "show me the proof." In other words, they are not easily tricked. The same is true when people say "I'm from Missouri" even when they are not.

Being a little suspicious ourselves, we did some searching on the Web. We found out from the state government that Missouri is not officially called the "Show-Me State." But that term does appear on automobile⁶ license⁷ plates and is commonly used around Missouri.

So where did it come from? State officials note that there are a number of stories to explain it. The most widely known involves a congressman⁸ from Missouri named Willard Duncan Vandiver.

In eighteen ninety-nine, the congressman gave a speech in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was in connection with serving on the House Committee on Naval⁹ Affairs. He declared that he came from a state that raises corn and cotton "and Democrats¹⁰." He said fancy language "neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."

Missouri officials are not sure Congressman Vandiver was the first to say that. But they say his use helped make the saying popular.

Another story takes place during a strike by miners in the eighteen nineties in the western town of Leadville, Colorado. A number of lead miners from Missouri had been hired to replace the local strikers. As this version goes, the Missouri miners did not know Colorado mining methods and needed a lot of help. Supervisors¹¹ began saying: "That man is from Missouri. You'll have to show him." It was not something nice to say.

But we have all the proof we need that "show me" is a term spoken with pride. VOA's book editor Nancy Beardsley grew up in the "Show-Me State." She tells us that the saying means the people of Missouri are independent and need proof before they will trust authority.

New Edition

In nineteen eighty, five teenage singers from Boston, Massachusetts, formed a group they called New Edition. Now New Edition is out with its eighth album. Gwen Outen has our story.

GWEN OUTEN: New Edition set out to become a new version of the nineteen seventies group the Jackson Five. In nineteen eighty-three, New Edition released its first album, "Candy Girl." The members of the group were between the ages of thirteen and fifteen.

New Edition became popular with hits like "Is This the End," "Popcorn¹² Love" and "Candy Girl."

(MUSIC)

In nineteen eighty-six, Bobby Brown left New Edition to sing on his own.

Rhythm-and-blues singer Johnny Gill joined the group in time for its nineteen eighty-eight album "Heart Break." That album included this hit, "Can You Stand the Rain."

(MUSIC)

New Edition had its last album, "Home Again," in nineteen ninety-six.

The newest album from the group is called "One Love." We leave you with New Edition and a song called "Hot 2Nite."

(MUSIC)

DOUG JOHNSON: This is Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed AMERICAN MOSAIC.

Our program was written by Lawan Davis, Nancy Steinbach and Jerilyn Watson. Paul Thompson was our producer.

Send your questions about American life to [email protected]. Be sure to include your full name and postal¹³ address. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, USA.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

1 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。

2 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。

3 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

4 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

5 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

6 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

7 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

9 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

10 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

12 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。

13 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。