2007年VOA标准英语-Thousands of American Indians Participate in Na

By Ana Ward¹
Washington
05 September 2007
 

Thousands of American Indians converged² on Washington, D.C. recently to celebrate the song and dance of their native culture.  The National Museum of the American Indian organized the annual event called a powwow -- a tradition dating back hundreds of years.  For producer Ana Ward, VOA's Margaret Kennedy reports this year's powwow was a symbol of the native people's survival into the 21st century.

American Indians performed war dances and beat drums, competing in the National Powwow staged to honor past and present warriors³.  Some American Indian military veterans marched in the opening ceremony. 

Pamela Barnwell is part Cherokee [tribe].  She came from New York City to see an event she says could encourage people to discover their legacy⁴ and help keep America Indian culture alive. "And this may make them want to dig deeper and maybe come here and learn more about their ancestry⁵."

National Powwow activities include traditional songs and dances

The term powwow comes from a Narragansett [tribal] word meaning "healing ceremony."  In today's powwows, tribes gather to share songs, dances and blessings⁶.

One ceremony honored Chickasaw [tribe member] John Herrington -- who expressed pride to be the first American Indian in space. "It's a great honor and it's a responsibility. You want to do the best job you can do to honor your family, where you came from. It's inherent to who you are and my work ethic⁷. I take that pride and carry it into my job."

At the National Powwow children participate to learn their heritage

"I bring my children and grandchildren to powwows. I educate them because somewhere along the line, if you don't teach it to the children, it will get lost. So it's my job as a parent and grandparent to bring the kids to the powwows to teach them about arts and crafts, and the different styles of dance," says Barnwell.

American Indians make up only one percent of the U.S. population.  But many more people  -- such as Barnwell -- have mixed ancestry. Herrington not only wants people to know American Indian history, he wants them to know about modern native peoples. 

Herrington adds, "They're very capable today of doing a variety of things, being scientists, engineers, doctors, entertainers, artists and all that.  So it's not about 200 years ago or 100 years ago, it's about native Americans that are proud of who they are and what they do today."

The national powwow gives some American Indians a chance to celebrate their traditions. And at the same time they show the world they continue to survive.

1 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

2 converged   

v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的过去式 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。
• People converged on the political meeting from all parts of the city. 人们从城市的四面八方涌向这次政治集会。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

4 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

5 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

6 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 ethic   

n.道德标准，行为准则

参考例句：

• They instilled the work ethic into their children.他们在孩子们的心中注入了职业道德的理念。
• The connotation of education ethic is rooted in human nature's mobility.教育伦理的内涵根源于人本性的变动性。