VOA标准英语2013--Artist J R Occupies Times Square

 

Artist J R Occupies Times Square

Poster-sized pictures of New Yorkers decorated the asphalt and a huge billboard² in Times Square, one of the most iconic spots in the world.

It was the latest venue³ for J R and his project to let people - all over the world -  be recognized.

People of all ages, races and backgrounds put their stamp on the place known for its proximity⁴ to Broadway and New York's theater district.  

The project is called “Inside Out New York City.”   At a photo truck, people waited to have their photos taken.  After they were snapped, their faces were printed on huge posters.  They could either paste them on the street or take them home.

J R is French.  He won the prestigious⁵ TED¹ (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Prize and used the $100,000 award to fund this project, creating giant portrait galleries in cities around the world and giving people the chance to express themselves on a huge canvas.

"I thought, let [s] turn this inside out. Let me let them do the photo. If they do not know how to print, I will print for them for free. They can afford, but I want them to express [themselves] with the message they want.... I love the whole interaction about it.  Because it’s not if the picture is nice or not nice, it’s about the whole process  -  people waiting, people talking with other people. The whole process is about interaction," said J R.

The City of New York offered Times Square to J R.  A billboard owner gave him the largest display case in the area. Gina Steffe, J R’s assistant, says love was all around.   

“Yesterday we had an engagement.  A man came and waited about two and a half hours in line and had a sign which said 'Sarah I love you, will you marry me.' And then he had a little check, yes, and check, no. And so he took his poster with the sign and then the poster came out, and he handed her a pen, and she started crying, then laughing, and she checked yes, and they got engaged here," said Steffe.

As one person put it, J R has become a global curator and the world is his gallery. 

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 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。

3 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

4 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

5 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。