2007年VOA标准英语-Noah's Ark Exhibit Shows Importance of Working

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
20 June 2007

An ambitious $5 million exhibit in Los Angeles uses the story of Noah's Ark to teach the importance of working together.  VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports, the story has its roots in the Jewish tradition, but the exhibit's creators say it has a message for a multicultural¹ city.

Noah's Ark at the Skirball Cultural Center

The exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center is lighthearted and whimsical.  Visitors see shapes that suggest the animals saved by Noah from the flood, but on closer examination, the creatures are seen to be composites of discarded items.  A leather glove, two parts of a violin case, a violin neck and part of a vehicle tire are assembled to resemble a crocodile.  A rounded metal skeleton suggests an elephant, its hooves consisting of bronze rain-drums from Thailand.

Designer and puppeteer² Chris Green created some of the animals, including movable puppets, which greet the visitors.

"When they first come in, they are in this room, saturated³ with images of animals," he said.  "And then they hear sounds."

Two kiwi birds onboard the Noah's Ark Exhibit demonstrate theme of pairs and working together

Such recycled items as bicycle parts, bottle caps and rear-view mirrors from automobiles⁴ all contribute to the illusion of 186 animal species assembled to take refuge in a giant wooden ark.

The Skirball Cultural Center is devoted⁵ to exploring links between Jewish culture and American democratic traditions.  This exhibit has a special message for Los Angeles, says the center's Robert Kirschner.

"We wanted something that could bring people together in a community that is so often so centrifugal and has people rushing off in every direction, or confined to their automobiles," he noted⁶.  "And Noah's Ark kind of brought that all together, because it's a story that's based in the Jewish heritage, but a story with a universal message."

The message of cooperation in the face of adversity is conveyed throughout the exhibit.  Puppets and sound-making devices require a coordinated⁷ effort to work properly.  Alan Maskin of the Seattle firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, which designed the galleries, demonstrates its interactive⁸ displays.

MASKIN:  "Suddenly the wind starts to pick up.  OK, would somebody come over and turn one of these.  Suddenly the rain starts.  Here's the rain coming down."

Noah's Ark Exhibit

As visitors pump levers, rotate wheels and turn handles, the biblical flood story comes to life in sights and sounds.

Robert Kirschner says the exhibit is a teaching tool for children.

"So when they board the ark, for instance, they board two by two," he added.  "They need a companion.  When they help the animals find a place to nest or to live, they have to provide provisions for the animal on the ark.  If they want to create a storm experience, one of them has to do the thunder and one does the lightning and ones does the rainfall and one does the rising water level.  You can do those things alone, but not nearly as effectively as you can do them together."

Architect Alan Maskin says the exhibit conveys messages about cooperation, respect for the environment, and the importance of second chances after setbacks.  He notes that although the Biblical flood story comes from Judaism, the themes in the exhibition are found in other sacred traditions.

"There literally⁹ is a narrative¹⁰ - narratives¹¹ from Africa, South America, from the Middle East, from Alaska," he explained.  "Almost all cultures, for some reason, had a flood narrative at some point.  So that became an aspect of diversity for this project, where we could reach out to all people of all backgrounds."

Visitors move through three stages in the exhibit.  In the first, they face storms, which represent challenges.  In the second, they find refuge and community.  In the third, they enter a room brightened with a rainbow, which represents a hopeful world awaiting them.

Noah's Ark at the Skirball Cultural Center opens to the public on June 26.

1 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

2 puppeteer   

n.操纵木偶的人，操纵傀儡

参考例句：

• Mr. Sullivan is a professional puppeteer.沙利文先生是一位专业的木偶戏表演者。
• One puppeteer controls the doll's head,face,and right hand.一个表演者控制木偶的头部，面部和右手。

3 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

4 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

8 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

9 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

10 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

11 narratives   

记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分

参考例句：

• Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。
• This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。