环球英语 — 122：Listener Mail 80

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹’s Listener² Mail program. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Ryan Geertsma. 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
Have you ever thought about changing the world? We may see many things in our communities that we want to change. But, how can we begin to change things? In today’s Listener Mail Program we will hear from three young people who want to change the world. They each heard a Spotlight program that made them want to make their world better. And in the hodgepodge, we will hear a famous saying about change. Keep listening!
Voice 2
Recently, a group of students from the Dalat English Speaking Club in Vietnam³ wrote to Spotlight. Members of this club meet together and listen to Spotlight programs. In this letter, the students told us about their favorite Spotlight programs. We noticed a similarity⁴ in some of these letters. These students wanted to change the world!
Voice 1
Our first letter comes from Hanh. Hahn wrote about the Human Speechome Project. In that program we told about Professor Roy. He is studying his son as his son learns to speak. Professor Roy records his son as he learns. He hopes to learn more about exactly how people learn language. Hahn heard this program and wrote to us.
Voice 3
“I had never known⁵ about the Human Speechome Project before. Although, I usually wondered how we could speak, who taught us so many words and so on, I had no time to find out the answers... When I was young, I used to dream of a speaking robot - a machine that acts like a human. Now I think it is totally possible for it to come true. Today I have another dream. Someday I will make myself a robot that can talk, can feel, and can act like a real person.”
Voice 2
Those are some very interesting goals, Hahn. It is great to ask questions like these. Good questions are the first step to developing⁶ new things. Professor Roy began by asking how people learn language. And now, he is studying it! We hope you continue to ask questions and look for new, interesting solutions!
Voice 1
Our next e-mail is from Ngoc. She wrote about the program “International Day of Disabled Persons.” Disabled people may have a physical or mental difference from a person with normal abilities. A disabled person may be blind or deaf, or have a brain that works⁷ differently in some way. In many communities, people treat disabled people as less important, and less valuable than other people. Many people with disabilities have suffered greatly because of these attitudes and opinions. The International Day of Disabled Persons, December third, is a day to think about issues⁸ that disabled people face. It is a day to examine our opinions about disabilities and think about ways to create equality⁹ for all people. Ngoc says:
Voice 4
“This is a day that people cannot forget. After this program, I think I have to do something. But, I am really sorry, because I do not know what to do. I hope Spotlight has some suggestions about what I can do!”
Voice 2
We are very glad that this program inspired you to change your life and the lives of the people in your community! And we definitely¹⁰ have some suggestions about what you can do!
Voice 1
In that program we said that changing peoples’ attitudes, or opinions, about disabilities is one big step. It sounds simple, but changing attitudes can be a very difficult job! However, people can make a difference in small and big ways.
Voice 2
It is easy to make small changes in your own ways of thinking. Do you ever hear people tell jokes about disabled people? Or have you seen disabled people treated unfairly in your community? At times like these it is easy to stay quiet. But you can speak up! Do not laugh at the joke. Tell other people the things you have learned¹¹ about disabled people. You may be surprised that other people will join you!
Voice 1
There are also ways you can make big differences! You can lead by example. Do you know any disabled people in your community? Talk with them. Look for ways to support them. Look for ways to improve the treatment of disabled people in your community. Look for ways to include disabled people in your life. But most of all treat disabled people with respect. And encourage the people around you to do the same.
Voice 2
We hope you are able to inspire this change in others around you too! Good luck!
Voice 1
Ngoc’s letter leads us to today’s Hodgepodge! Today we will look at a popular saying. This saying is from Mohandas Gandhi. Many people want to make a difference in the world. But who knows where to start? The job can seem too big! But this saying from Gandhi might help people get a start. The saying says:
Voice 5
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
Voice 2
Many times we believe that we have to be loud or show violence¹² for people to hear us. We want to spread our message quickly and powerfully¹³. But people do not need to be loud, violent¹⁴, “important” or skilled¹⁵ at speaking. They only need to act.
Voice 5
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
Voice 1
Gandhi’s saying encourages people to show their message through the ways they act. Helping¹⁶ and respecting people with disabilities in your community is an example. You may not have to say anything. Instead, your actions have shown how you believe people should act.
Voice 2
That is all for today’s hodgepodge! We hope that we have inspired you to be the change you want to see in the world!
Voice 1
And we are happy to see that Thy is also hoping to change the world!
Voice 6
“I have listened to the program “World AIDS Day: Leadership.” I feel sad for the people who have this disease¹⁷. When I grow up, I will join an organization to help them and to help change others’ attitudes towards HIV and AIDS. In my country, we have some organizations but I want to help all the victims¹⁸ in the world.”
Voice 2
We encourage you in your goal to help people with HIV, Thy. Changing attitudes is very difficult. But it is also very important! People in every country need help in this area. We hope that you can be a leader in your community. We are excited to see how you become the change you want to see in your community!
Voice 1
That is all for today’s listener Mail Program. Do you have any suggestions for the students in today’s program? We would love to hear them! Write to us at radio @ english . net. And remember, like Gandhi said: You must be the change you want to see in the world!
 

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 listener   

n.听众；收听者

参考例句：

• I'm a regular listener to her show.我经常收听她的节目。
• She became an attentive listener.她变成了一个专心致志的聆听者。

3 Vietnam   

n.越南

参考例句：

• Vietnam is suffering from food shortage.越南正遭受食物短缺之苦。
• Laos is on the west of Vietnam.老挝在越南西面。

4 similarity   

n.类似；类似处；相似性

参考例句：

• There were points of similarity between them.他们之间有某些相似之处。
• There was a wonderful similarity between the twins.这对孪生儿相像得惊人。

5 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

6 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。

7 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。

8 issues   

（水等的）流出( issue的名词复数 )； 出口； 放出； （特别重要或大众关注的）问题

参考例句：

• Let's start with the more easily addressable issues. 我们先从较容易处理的问题着手。
• Employment and taxation are the bread-and-butter issues of politics. 就业和征税是很重要的政治问题。

9 equality   

n.等同性，同等，平等，相等，等式

参考例句：

• They are fighting for the equality of women.她们在为争取男女平等而奋斗。
• Women must battle on until they have gained equality.妇女必须坚奋战到底，直至取得平等权利。

10 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

11 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。

12 violence   

n.暴力，暴虐，暴行，猛烈，强烈，强暴

参考例句：

• It was an absolutely senseless act of violence.这是毫无意义的暴力行为。
• They attacked with violence.他们猛烈攻击。

13 powerfully   

adv.强大地，强烈地；有效地

参考例句：

• Never before had he felt himself so powerfully attracted to the idea. 他从没有像现在这样热衷于这个想法。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt himself so powerfully attracted to the scientific ideal. 他感到自己被这一科学理想十分强烈地吸引住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 violent   

adj.暴力的，猛烈的，激烈的，极端的，凶暴的，歪曲的

参考例句：

• The madman was violent and had to be locked up.这个精神病患者很凶暴，不得不把他锁起来。
• They caught him and gave him a violent beating.他们抓住了他，把他狠狠打了一顿。

15 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

16 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

17 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

18 victims   

n.牺牲者( victim的名词复数 )；牺牲品；受骗者；为祭祀杀死的动物（或人）

参考例句：

• Many charities sent money to help the victims of the famine. 许多慈善机构捐款赈济饥民。
• victims of child abuse 受虐待的儿童