VOA标准英语2010年-Iraqi, Iranian Musicians Collaborate a

Iraqi musician Rahim Al Haj and Amir Koushkani of Iran join to play together as part of the Cultural Olympiad music program

They come from two nations - Iraq and Iran - that have been enemies for years.  But at the Vancouver Games, Rahim Al Haj of Iraq and Amir Koushkani of Iran will join to play together as part of the Cultural Olympiad music program.  Both artists believe that music is a language that supersedes¹ national, political, and ethnic² boundaries.

Rahim al Haj's story begins in Baghdad, where he began playing the oud - regarded as the patriarch of many string instruments such as the lute³ and guitar - at age nine. He loved music so much, he used to sleep with his instrument and even speak to it.

Eventually, Rahim's love of music led him to study with Munir Bashir - considered by many to be the greatest oud player ever - and Salim Abdul Kareem, at the Institute of Music in Baghdad, Iraq. But under former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, al Haj was imprisoned⁵ for nearly 18 months for not supporting the Baathist party.

Rahim was forced to flee his homeland, and escaped to Jordan. But the price of his freedom was his oud - to leave Iraq he had to leave his beloved instrument behind. Eventually he came to the United States, replaced his instrument and now lives and teaches in New Mexico.

Rahim says his painful journey informs his playing.  The musician told VOA that he feels a special responsibility to use his talent to communicate for people who suffer and for those who have no voice of their own.

"This is the message I think that musicians have to know. It's not entertainment," said Rahim. "Not to go to a bar and play some music and make people happy while they are having a beer, this is not my thing. My thing is to educate people what's going on right now in the world.  My mission in life in music is three things: peace and love and compassion⁶. How can we give these people a voice, the voiceless people?"

As part of his mission, the Grammy-nominated Al Haj plans to donate the proceeds from his latest album, which features a stellar cast of international musicians, to Doctors without Borders to help Iraqi relief.

Amir Koushkani began his musical training in Iran and specialized⁷ in Persian classical music.  His instrument is the tar⁴ - a longer-necked instrument than Rahim Al Haj's oud. Koushkani immigrated⁸ to Canada in 1991, and has composed several works in which he seeks to blend classical Persian and Western styles. 

In his apartment in Vancouver, Koushkani told VOA that playing with Rahim Al Haj will be a bridge of understanding - because they share a love for music and they can communicate their musical passion to the world. "Politics and relations between countries, it's not similar to our approach together. So I will communicate with him with passion, with love, and everything I have in my heart for music in general," he said.

Rahim Al Haj says having the forum⁹ of the Olympic Games allows him to communicate with people from all over the world, and he feels a special responsibility to reach those in Vancouver.

"I believe that any struggle in this world is our responsibility. If you don't talk about it, you are responsible.  If your government is doing something bad, you are responsible to say 'you are doing something bad.' Otherwise you are a coward and you do not deserve to live in this world, because you are selfish and you don't care about the world," he said.

Amir Koushkani says that he hopes the passion he and Rahim Al Haj share for their art will touch their audience in Vancouver. "Actually I am going to create my music on the stage, in relation to people so it's not a preset music.  So I can't wait myself to see people's eyes and to play for them," he said.

Both Amir Koushkani and Rahim Al Haj say that the Olympic Games offer a unique forum. Both men want fans to experience the uniqueness of their musical traditions and the music's ability transcend¹⁰ ethnic, political, and national boundaries to communicate with the world.

 

1 supersedes   

取代，接替( supersede的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The new supersedes the old. 新陈代谢。
• No sooner do you buy a computer than they bring out a new one which supersedes it. 你买电脑后不久他们就会推出新产品取代它。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 lute   

n.琵琶，鲁特琴

参考例句：

• He idly plucked the strings of the lute.他漫不经心地拨弄着鲁特琴的琴弦。
• He knows how to play the Chinese lute.他会弹琵琶。

4 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

5 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

6 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

7 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

8 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

9 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

10 transcend   

vt.超出，超越(理性等)的范围

参考例句：

• We can't transcend the limitations of the ego.我们无法超越自我的局限性。
• Everyone knows that the speed of airplanes transcend that of ships.人人都知道飞机的速度快于轮船的速度。