VOA标准英语2012--'The Bricklayer' Details Iranian Exile Experience on Stage

'The Bricklayer' Details Iranian Exile Experience on Stage

Even in last-minute rehearsals¹ on a bare stage, the power of The Bricklayer's story comes through, as well as the sadness at its core.

This opera tells of one family's suffering, the son executed in Iran, the father tortured so badly he is left mentally disabled. His part is sung by Houston Opera veteran John Colbet.

Author Farnoosh Moshiri, who left Iran in 1983 and makes Houston her home says the story will be familiar to many Iranians who escaped repression² and had to start a new life in a foreign country.

"Just resilience and hope can take people through hardships and the solidarity³ of the family members with each other," said Moshiri. "Many families had such traumatic experience."

But she says exiles from other countries will also identify with the story of this family.

"Not only exiles from Iran, but exiles from any other dictatorial⁴ regime that they leave their country for good, it is a universal story," Moshiri added.

Composer Gregory Spears worked with Moshiri to put The Bricklayer to music. 

"I think Greg has done a fabulous⁵ job of using my words, using my language for the purpose of the opera," Moshiri noted⁶.

Spears says his partner's writing skills produced compelling lyrics⁷.

"Farnoosh has very powerful stories, but she also has a very clear, straightforward⁸, but also poetic⁹ style of writing," Spears explained.

Houston Grand Opera's Artistic¹⁰ and Music Director Patrick Summers says this work reflects the city's diverse ethnic¹¹ and cultural communities, using music as the common language.

"We very much want, as a leading American arts company, to be a company that tells the story of our own city," said Summers. "In opera, music leads the dramatic pulse, and The Bricklayer is very successful at that."

This is one of several new works being developed by Houston Grand Opera as part of its "Song of Houston, East plus West" program, which celebrates the city as a meeting place for people from Eastern and Western cultures. 

1 rehearsals   

n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复

参考例句：

• The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。
• She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

3 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

4 dictatorial   

adj. 独裁的，专断的

参考例句：

• Her father is very dictatorial.她父亲很专横。
• For years the nation had been under the heel of a dictatorial regime.多年来这个国家一直在独裁政权的铁蹄下。

5 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

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 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

8 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

9 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

10 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

11 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。