环球英语 — 218：The Zimmers

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Ruby¹ Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Rachel Hobson. Welcome to Spotlight². This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
“I visit a home for old people once a week. Most of the people there are forgotten by their families. These beautiful, grey–haired people often share their feelings with me. They feel rejected. When they were young most were well–respected. Now they have no self–respect. Most die in these homes with no family members by their side.”
Voice 1
These are the words of a person who cares deeply³ about old people. In the West, old people are often lonely. And many of them have to care for themselves. In today’s Spotlight programme we talk about old people in the United⁴ Kingdom, about the problems they experience. We also talk about how some of them are fighting back in surprising ways.
Voice 2
In the United Kingdom, three and a half million [3,500,000] old people live alone. The aid group ‘Help the Aged’ is very concerned about the problem. It says that almost twenty [20] percent of people over sixty–five [65] do not see or hear from friends and family every week. And other old people have no friends or family at all.
Voice 1
Old people who do have family are not always in a good position. They often worry about being a cause of trouble or extra work for their children. As they get older, they may have increasing health problems. They are less and less able to do the things they used to do. But they want to continue living independent lives. So they try to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.
Voice 2
Peter is eighty [80] years old. He was married for forty [40] years. Sadly, his wife died nine [9] years ago. He missed her very much. He had the support of his children and family members. However, he wanted to make more friends. He thought the Internet could be a good way to meet new people. But he did not like the idea of writing to people he could not see.
Voice 1
Then Peter heard about the website YouTube. YouTube is a video or film sharing website. People put short videos or films on the site. These ‘clips⁵’ can be about almost anything – but they must not be longer than ten minutes and fifty–eight seconds. Many of them are funny, exciting and surprising. Some people’s clips are of unusual events. Others are action clips. And some people’s clips are video blogs. Blog is short for ‘web log’. And video blogs show people talking about themselves – their lives and their feelings.
Voice 2
Peter liked YouTube very much. And he decided⁶ to become a video blogger. He made videos of himself, talking about his life. He called these clips ‘Telling It All’. Peter told many interesting stories. He talked about World War Two. He told how he started his business. And he talked about his family. Peter’s video blogs became very popular. In one week alone almost half a million [500,000] people looked at his video blog.
Voice 1
Many people wrote comments to Peter from all around the world. They told him how much they were thankful for his blog. Almost everyone who wrote encouraged him to continue telling his story.
Voice 2
Television reporters and magazine writers started telling about Peter too. Now he is one of the best known⁷ video bloggers in the world. Peter was not trying to be famous. He was just telling his story. But through his video blog, Peter is helping⁸ to create links between the young and the old. Through his wise words and kindness, he is helping people to understand how valuable old people truly are.
Voice 1
Blogging is not all that Peter does. He also joined a rock group! This group has the oldest members in the world. The lead singer is ninety [90] years old. And one member is one hundred and one [101]. The group is called ‘The Zimmers’. It is named after the Zimmer frame⁹ – a device¹⁰ that some old people use to help them to walk.
Voice 2
Tim Samuels is the man who put together the Zimmers. Tim works¹¹ for the BBC¹². He makes films about true events. And Tim especially cares about helping powerless people. One group he cares about is old people. He wanted to make a film about how they are treated in the United Kingdom. He said:
Voice 4
“If you can judge a place by how well it treats its old people, Britain would be in trouble. I wanted to do something which could have an effect. I wanted to do something to help old people to fight back, to make them noticed again. What better way than try and break them into the pop music charts?”
Voice 1
So Tim travelled around the United Kingdom. He was looking for old people who would agree to record a song. Many people he spoke¹³ to thought it was a funny idea. But forty [40] of them agreed to try! And Tim chose the perfect song for them to sing. He chose ‘My Generation’ by the group ‘The Who’. The words of the song tell about how people do not understand ‘my generation’. In the original version¹⁴, the group were talking about young people. But in the Zimmer’s version, the song takes on new meaning. These people are old. And they are not understood by the young.
Voice 2
Tim had help recording¹⁵ the song. A famous producer agreed to work on the project. And a famous video director¹⁶ agreed to film the event. So, the forty old people travelled to London. And they recorded the song in the same room that the Beatles used for recording, over forty years before.
Voice 1
On the twenty–eighth of May, 2007, the song was released¹⁷. It went to number twenty–six [26] on the list of best selling songs . And the money earned from the song is going to the aid group ‘Age Concern’. The producers also put the video on YouTube. Now millions of people have seen it!
Voice 2
Peter and the Zimmers have captured¹⁸ the imagination of the United Kingdom and the world. They have helped to raise money to help old people. They have helped the public learn more about old people – more about the difficulties¹⁹ they live with everyday. Peter and the Zimmers are showing how just a few people really can make a difference.
 

1 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

2 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。

3 deeply   

adv.深刻地，在深处，深沉地

参考例句：

• I do feel deeply the strength of the collective.我确实深深地感到了集体的力量。
• We're deeply honoured that you should agree to join us.您能同意加入我们，我们感到很荣幸。

4 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。

5 clips   

n.剪（ clip的名词复数 ）；剪短；剪报；（塑料或金属的） 夹子v.用别针别在某物上，用夹子夹在某物上（ clip的第三人称单数 ）；剪掉；缩短；给…剪毛（或发）

参考例句：

• toe clips on a bicycle 自行车上的踏脚夹套
• Use the crocodile clips to attach the cables to the battery. 用鳄鱼嘴夹把电缆接到蓄电池上。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 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。

8 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。

9 frame   

n.框架，结构，体格；vt.构成，设计，制定，使适合，陷害； 框架，（是指在数据链路层中，将网络层数据包加上开始与结尾信息包组成一个框架）

参考例句：

• The house has a wooden frame which is faced with brick.这个房子是木质结构的砖瓦房。
• We must frame up that picture.我们必须给那幅画装上框。

10 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

11 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。

12 BBC   

abbr.（=British Broadcasting Corporation）英国广播公司

参考例句：

• She works for the BBC.她为英国广播公司工作。
• The BBC was founded in 1922.英国广播公司建于1922年。

13 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。

14 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

15 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

16 director   

n.主管，导演；主任；理事；董事；处长

参考例句：

• The director has taken the visitors off to his office.经理把客人带到他办公室去了。
• The new director is easy to get along with.新来的主任很好处。

17 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

18 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。

19 difficulties   

n.困难( difficulty的名词复数 )；难度；难事；麻烦

参考例句：

• I am acutely aware of the difficulties we face. 我十分清楚我们面临的困难。
• the difficulties of English syntax 英语句法的难点