环球英语 — 78：Genie’s Story

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
In the autumn of 1970, a woman walked into a service office in Temple City, California². She brought her daughter with her. The woman wanted to receive money because she was going blind. A woman working in the office noticed the woman’s daughter. She thought the woman’s daughter was about six (6) years old. She also thought that the girl had a mental disability. But then she discovered that the woman’s daughter was really thirteen (13) years old! The woman in the office knew something was wrong. She quickly called the police. The police arrested the girl’s parents. They were charged with the crime³ of child abuse⁴.
Today’s Spotlight is on Genie⁵, and her story of abuse.
Voice 2
Genie is not the girl’s real name. People use this name to protect her real name and identity⁶. When Genie was twenty (20) months old, her parents brought her to a doctor. The doctor told Genie’s parents that she had mental problems. The doctor thought Genie might not be able to live a normal life.
Voice 1
Genie’s father reacted⁷ to the news badly. He believed that Genie had serious problems. Genie’s father was mentally⁸ unbalanced. He suffered from depression⁹. He put Genie in a room alone. Her parents never let Genie out of her bedroom.
During the day, Genie’s parents left her tied to a seat made for human waste. She wore only diapers, clothes made to collect human waste. At night Genie slept in a bed with bars and a metal top. Often, Genie’s parents would forget to put her in the bed at night. Genie would have to sleep sitting on the seat.
Voice 2
Genie’s father beat her. He shouted and barked like a dog to keep her quiet. He told Genie’s mother and brother to never talk to her. Genie lived alone in that small room for years. Genie weighed only twenty-seven [27] kilograms¹⁰ when authorities¹¹ rescued her. She was thirteen years old.
Voice 1
Social workers brought Genie to a children’s hospital. She knew only a few words. The only words she spoke¹² were “stop it” and “no more.” But most of the time, Genie did not speak. Genie walked around the hospital in a strange way. She walked like an animal. She held her hands close to her chest¹³. Often, she would make noises like an animal and try to hit people.
Voice 2
The doctors at the hospital hoped they could help Genie act normal. After just three days, Genie started to help put on her own clothes. She wanted to learn new words. She started to improve.
Voice 1
Many people became interested in Genie. Doctors and scientists wanted to learn more about her. They wanted to know if she was able to learn like a normal person. They wanted to know if loving care could help her.
Voice 2
After a few months, Genie knew over one hundred (100) words. The scientists would take her for walks. She had a strong desire to learn about the world around her. Slowly, she learned¹⁴ to put words together into simple sentences.
Voice 1
Genie learned how to make simple sentences but nothing more. Scientists worried that Genie could not pass this simple language level. Most children learn more complex¹⁵ sentences as they grow older. The scientists wondered if Genie had a mental disability. They wondered if she was born with it or if she developed it.
Voice 2
Genie was improving but many people worried about her. They worried about how scientists treated Genie in the hospital. They did not think that scientists could care for her and study her at the same time. People did not want scientists to treat Genie like a science experiment. They wanted them to treat Genie like a person.
Voice 1
Scientists studied Genie because they wanted to learn about how children develop. They wanted to learn how family, love, and human care affect children. Genie began to become emotionally¹⁶ close to some of the scientists. But The scientists did not love her. They were only interested in studying her. Genie never had one person to love her. She had only scientists.
Voice 2
The National Institute for Mental Health, in the United¹⁷ States, paid for the scientist’s research. Scientists studied Genie for years. They discovered that Genie was not mentally disabled. Instead they discovered that the abuse affected¹⁸ Genie’s brain. Studying Genie helped the scientists learn more about child development. They learned more about how the brain works¹⁹. For example, the language part of the brain develops when a person is very young. Genie did not learn language when this part of her brain was developing²⁰. So when Genie grew older, she was unable to learn complex language. Today, many teachers learn about Genie to understand more about how children learn.
Voice 1
But the Institute stopped paying for the research in 1974. In 1975 Genie went to go live with her mother. But her mother found caring for Genie too difficult. Her mother put her in a foster²¹ home. Genie lived with other children who had no parents. Genie lived in six [6] different foster homes after 1975. In some of the homes, people hurt her. They shouted at her and hit her. Genie reacted to this abuse by hiding. She talked less. She was afraid of more abuse. Today Genie lives in a foster home for adults somewhere in California. Her mother died in 2002.
Voice 2
Genie’s story is very sad. No child should ever experience abuse. But Genie’s story is also important. It shows how much people, especially children, need love and care. Abuse can affect children in many ways. In Genie’s case, the abuse affected her body. She did not grow correctly. It affected her ability to use language. It affected her ability to live a normal life.
Voice 1
People can find healing²² from the damage done by abuse. Some people find healing by talking with other people about their experiences with abuse. Talking to someone in a church can be a good way to start the healing process. All children need to feel love. It is the job of parents to provide that love. If no one cares for the child, he will not grow up correctly. What can you do to protect and care for children in your community? What can you do to help stop child abuse?
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 California   

n.加利福尼亚(美国)

参考例句：

• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。
• We were driving on a California freeway.我们正沿着加利福尼亚的一条快车道驾车行驶。

3 crime   

n.犯罪，罪行，罪恶

参考例句：

• You'll have to pay for your crime.你得为你的罪行付出代价。
• Crime in our big cities is on the increase.在我们大城市里犯罪率正在增长。

4 abuse   

vt.滥用；辱骂；诋毁；n.滥用；恶习；弊端

参考例句：

• You can't make personal abuse on her.你不可对她进行人身攻击。
• She screamed abuse at me.她尖声责备我。

5 genie   

n.妖怪，神怪

参考例句：

• Now the genie of his darkest and weakest side was speaking.他心灵中最阴暗最软弱的部分有一个精灵在说话。
• He had to turn to the Genie of the Ring for help.他不得不向戒指神求助。

6 identity   

n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致

参考例句：

• He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
• He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。

7 reacted   

起反应( react的过去式和过去分词 )； 反对； （对食物等）有不良反应； 物质起化学反应

参考例句：

• He reacted violently only under provocation . 只因为被激怒，他才暴力相向。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

8 mentally   

adv.精神上，理智上，在心中

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Male nurses are often employed in hospitals for the mentally ill.精神病院常雇用男护士护理精神病人。

9 depression   

n.压抑，抑制，沮丧；萧条，衰退

参考例句：

• During a depression money circulates slowly.在商业萧条时期，货币流通滞缓。
• He suffers from acute depression.他患有严重的忧郁症。

10 kilograms   

n.千克( kilogram的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 2 kilograms of rice 2公斤大米
• Every tonne of coal contains,on average,30 kilograms of nitrogen. 每吨煤平均含30公斤氮。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 chest   

n.胸，大箱子，金库，资金，一箱，密封室，衣橱

参考例句：

• The bear's chest is hairy.那只熊的胸部毛茸茸的。
• Mother has a pain in her chest.母亲胸口疼.。

14 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

15 complex   

adj.复杂的，合成的，综合的；n.联合体

参考例句：

• What he said was too complex for me to understand.他说的太复杂了，我无法了解。
• Justice is part of the complex machinery of the law.正义是复杂的法律机器的一部分。

16 emotionally   

adv.感情上，情绪上，冲动地

参考例句：

• a special school for emotionally disturbed children 为精神异常儿童开办的特殊学校
• A wide range of emotionally stressful events may trigger a relapse. 多种令人情绪紧张的事情都可能引起旧病复发。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

18 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

19 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

20 developing   

adj.发展中的

参考例句：

• Transport has always been the key to developing trade.运输一直是发展贸易的关键。
• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。

21 foster   

vt.收养，培养，促进；adj.收养的，收养孩子的

参考例句：

• Nowadays young couple sometimes foster.现今年轻夫妇有时领养别人的孩子。
• The captain did his best to foster a sense of unity among the new recruits.队长尽力培养新成员之间的团结精神。

22 healing   

n.康复，复原adj.有治疗功用的v.（使）愈合( heal的现在分词 )；治愈；（使）结束；较容易忍受

参考例句：

• miraculous powers of healing 神奇的治病能力
• She seems to have a vocation for healing. 看来她具备治病救人的才能。 来自《简明英汉词典》