AMERICAN MOSAIC - Friday the 13th: So What's the Big Deal?

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Friday the 13th: So What's the Big Deal?
By Nancy Steinbach,Caty Weaver²

Broadcast: Friday, May 13, 2005

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HOST: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

I'm Gwen Outen. On our show this week:

Musical memories of rap³ ...

A question from Nigeria about presidential aircraft …

And a look at the calendar.

Friday the Thirteenth

Do you suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia? Do you even know what that means? Bob Doughty⁴ has the explanation.

BOB DOUGHTY: It means fear of Friday the thirteenth. The word is paraskevidekatriaphobia (pair-uh-skee-vee-dek-uh-tree-uh-FOH-bee-uh). Fear of just the number thirteen is called triskaidekaphobia (tris-ki-de-ke-FO-be-uh).

Modern thinkers may not believe as much in such things. And how these fears began is unclear. Yet popular culture still considers Friday the thirteenth an unlucky day.

Here are just a few recent newspaper stories that we found with Google, the Internet search engine: In Massachusetts, the North Adams Transcript⁵ announced a talk to be given Friday night. It said the speaker will discuss "the power of superstition⁶ and its roots in nature." That is, if anyone feels safe enough to leave home. Sorry, a little joke; the story did not say that.

But in New York state, the Independent in the Hamptons did say this about military base closings by the Defense⁷ Department:

"Perhaps Friday the thirteenth will be lucky for the Air National Guard One Hundred Sixth Rescue Wing. That's the day officials expect to learn if the base located at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach will remain open."

In Texas, the Daily News in Galveston County wrote about a sports event to raise money for medical research. The story said: "This Friday the thirteenth promises to bring nothing but good luck to those participating in the first Serving to Ace⁸ Leukemia Tennis Tournament."

Our last example involves a graduation ceremony at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. A report in the News and Record told about three Bosnian Muslim immigrants graduating together. Sanela Kalender, her husband Almir and his brother Armin had fled the Bosnian war in the nineteen nineties. They settled in North Carolina in two thousand.

In the words of the story: "The commencement ceremony falls on what's supposed to be one of the unluckiest days of the year, but which has turned out to be the luckiest for the Kalenders. They arrived in America on a Friday the thirteenth. They will graduate on a Friday the thirteenth."

Presidential Aircraft

 
Air Force One
HOST: Our question this week comes from Kwara State, Nigeria. Obalugemo Folorunsho wants to know why aircraft that fly the American president are called Air Force One and Marine⁹ One.

Air Force One and Marine One are radio call signs. An Air Force Web site says the call sign "Air Force One" was first used in the nineteen fifties. The name "Air Force One" is used for any Air Force plane carrying the president. "Marine One" is used for any Marine Corps¹⁰ helicopter that the president is on.

The Air Force has two specially¹¹ designed Boeing seven-forty-sevens for presidential travel. These huge planes can fly halfway¹² around the world without re-fueling. They can carry more than one hundred passengers and crew.

The planes carry high-technology communications and other electronics¹³. There are private areas for the president and his family, as well as a conference room and office. Separate spaces are provided for Secret Service bodyguards¹⁴ and the news media. There are two kitchens. And the planes also carry medical equipment. The planes are kept near Washington at Andrews Air Force Base, home to the Presidential Airlift Group.

Marine Helicopter Squadron One also serves the president. For years, the main helicopter used has been the Sikorsky V-H-three-D. But the Lockheed Martin company in January won a competition to produce the next presidential helicopter. The one chosen is called the U-S-one-oh-one.

Sugarhill Gang

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"Hate It or Love It." That's the name of the song. "Hate It or Love It" is from the hip-hop artist known as The Game, with Fifty Cent. You can hear it on "The Documentary," The Game's first album, and one of the top rap albums in America right now.

The other day, our producer, Caty Weaver, was listening to the radio on her drive to work. She heard a song that made her think about what hip-hop music sounded like in its early days. Steve Ember has our story.

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STEVE EMBER: This is not the song Caty heard. This is "Good Times" by the group Chic¹⁵. "Good Times" became a disco hit in nineteen seventy-nine. But it also played a part in a song released later that year by another group.

They called themselves the Sugarhill Gang: Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank and Master Gee¹⁶. And they called their song "Rapper's Delight."

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"Rapper's Delight" earned a place in pop music history. It became the first rap song to appear on the list of the Billboard¹⁷ Top Forty hits in popular music.

Here is another song from the Sugarhill Gang. This one is called "Apache."

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Today, the form of hip-hop that the Sugarhill Gang became famous for is known as old school. It still has a following. And the gang is still performing, twenty-six years after "Rapper's Delight."

We leave you with Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank and Master Gee, and their song called "Eighth Wonder."

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HOST: I'm Gwen Outen. I hope you enjoyed our program.

Our show was written by Nancy Steinbach, Ed Stautberg and Caty Weaver, who was also our producer.

Send your questions about American life to [email protected]. Please include your full name and mailing address. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A.

Please 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 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。

3 rap   

n.轻敲，拍击，责骂，厉声说出，说唱音乐，谈话，最少量；vi.轻敲，敲门，表演说唱音乐，畅谈；vt.抓，抢，拍击

参考例句：

• I heard a rap on the door.我听到有轻轻的敲门声。
• Today we are going to rap about relationships.今天我们要聊聊关系的问题。

4 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

5 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

6 superstition   

n.迷信，迷信行为

参考例句：

• It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
• Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 ace   

n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的

参考例句：

• A good negotiator always has more than one ace in the hole.谈判高手总有数张王牌在手。
• He is an ace mechanic.He can repair any cars.他是一流的机械师,什么车都会修。

9 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

10 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

11 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

12 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

13 electronics   

n.电子器件，电子学，电子技术

参考例句：

• About 45000 people worked in electronics in Scotland.苏格兰约有4.5万人在电子行业工作。
• He wants to brush up his knowledge of electronics.他想温习他的电子学知识。

14 bodyguards   

n.保镖，卫士，警卫员( bodyguard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks came to Jim's office accompanied—like always—by his two bodyguards. 和往常一样，在两名保镖的陪同下，布鲁克斯去吉姆的办公室。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack. 在这次袭击事件中，他有3名保镖受了伤。 来自辞典例句

15 chic   

n./adj.别致(的)，时髦(的)，讲究的

参考例句：

• She bought a chic little hat.她买了一顶别致的小帽子。
• The chic restaurant is patronized by many celebrities.这家时髦的饭店常有名人光顾。

16 gee   

n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转

参考例句：

• Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
• Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

17 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。