英语听力—环球英语 450：Living Library

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I’m Adam Navis. 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
Here are some sentences for you to complete, are you ready?
All police officers... Like guns? Push people around? Drive fast?
Let us try another.
All people who watch football are... Out of control? Drink alcohol²? Get into fights?
All right, one more.
All people with the AIDS disease³ are... Sad? Dangerous? From Africa?
Voice 2
These ideas are stereotypes⁵. A stereotype⁴ is when we think that all people in a group are the same. It is often too simple and too general. Stereotypes can usually be identified by the words “always” or “never”. Stereotypes are dangerous because they define⁶ a person or group of people by only one thing. Most people have stereotypes about something or someone.
Voice 1
The best way to destroy stereotypes is to talk with real people. Talk to a police officer about his job. Learn about why a football supporter does what he does. Listen to the story of a person with AIDS.
Voice 2
Today’s Spotlight is on The Living Library. The Living Library is an organization working to fight stereotypes. It creates a space where different people can meet together to talk. And hopefully, build understanding.
Voice 1
A library is a place where people can go to learn about all sorts of things. Most libraries contain books, magazines and newspapers. Some libraries offer computer use and connect people to the Internet. But the Living Library does not offer any of these things. Instead, it offers a different kind of book: a person.
Voice 2
In Living Library events, visitors talk to people instead of reading books. The Living Library calls the people “books” because they can answer questions just like a book can. If you want to learn about refugees⁸, you can sit down with a real refugee⁷ and ask him questions about his life. You can hear his story. If you want to know about the life of someone living with AIDS, you can ask her directly.
Voice 1
The Living Library began in Copenhagen, Denmark. The first Living Library event happened at the 2000 Roskilde Festival. There were seventy–five [75] “books” at the event. Even before the official start, people who were the “books” were already talking to one another! The police officer was talking to the spray⁹ paint artist. The football supporter was talking with the women’s rights worker. The politician was talking with the youth activist¹⁰.
Voice 2
Ronni Abergal is one of the people who started the Living Library. He saw that this first event was a success. People were talking to each other – to people they normally¹¹ would not talk to. So, he travelled to many countries setting¹² up events and presenting the idea to organizations and public authorities¹³. Soon, Living Library events were happening all over Europe.
Voice 1
Living Library events are very low cost, so the program has since been able to spread even more. There have now been Living Library projects in Romania, Iceland, Finland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Australia, and many other places.
Voice 2
Reading a “living book” is unlike any other reading experience you have ever had. People read paper books to gain knowledge and understanding. And people read a living book with the same goals.
Voice 1
The first thing to do is decide what you want to read about. There are many areas to choose from. You could “read” about a female¹⁴ fire fighter, a homeless man, a homosexual, or a hate crime victim. You could talk to a catholic¹⁵ priest¹⁶, a sky diver, a blind person, or someone who rides a motorcycle. And there are many other choices too.
Voice 2
“Readers” are encouraged to choose a subject on which they may have a stereotype. If someone thinks that all funeral directors are sad people, they may choose to meet with a funeral director. If they think that Jewish¹⁷ people are all rich, they can sit down and talk with a Jew.
Voice 1
Next, readers meet the person who is the book. Together, the reader and book find a quiet place to sit and talk. During this time readers can ask their books any questions they have. People who act as the books are prepared to answer hard, personal questions. This is the reader’s chance to ask exactly what they want to know.
Voice 2
The goal of the Living Library is to reduce stereotypes and encourage people to live together in peace. Stereotypes are damaging because they do not see the whole person, they see only a part. And no one likes to be defined¹⁸ by only one thing. By sharing their stories and answering questions, the books show that they are much more than a stereotype.
Voice 1
For some people, the Living Library may be the first time that they ever talk with someone who fits their stereotype. In this way, what was an issue has become a person. It is easy to hate an issue. It is more difficult to hate a person.
Voice 2
You may be wondering what you can do. If the Living Library comes to your country you can attend and learn more. You may even think about offering yourself as a book that other people may read.
Voice 1
If you do not have the chance to attend an official Living Library event, you can still use the ideas of the Living Library.
Voice 2
The first thing you can do is to identify your own stereotypes. Ask yourself, are there any groups of people that you think, “They always do this thing.” or “They never do that thing.” Or even, “That kind of person... does not like to work, or is stupid, or is not as good as I am.”
Voice 1
You can also try to fight against that stereotype. You can try to sit down with someone who fits your stereotypes. However, you need to be kind to them. Ask them questions and listen carefully to what they have to say. Try to understand them, not change them.
Voice 2
Also, if people have a stereotype about you, about your job, about your country, or your family, you may be willing to tell your story. Your story is full of power. People may disagree with what you believe. They may argue with you about what is right and what is wrong. But they cannot argue with what has happened to you. That is your story. You can be a living book. And your story can make a difference to the people around you.
 

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 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

3 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。

4 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

5 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 define   

vt.解释，下定义，阐述，限定，规定

参考例句：

• Please define the words.请解释这些字的意义。
• It's hard to define exactly what has changed.很难解释清楚到底发生了什么变化。

7 refugee   

n.难民，流亡者

参考例句：

• The refugee was condemned to a life of wandering.这个难民注定要过流浪的生活。
• The refugee is suffering for want of food and medical supplies.难民苦于缺少食物和医药用品。

8 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

9 spray   

v.喷，(使)溅散；n.浪花，飞沫；喷雾

参考例句：

• The liquid came out of the bottle in a spray.液体从瓶子里呈雾状喷出。
• We were wet with the sea spray.我们被海水的浪花溅湿。

10 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

11 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

12 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

13 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》

14 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

15 catholic   

adj.天主教的；n.天主教徒

参考例句：

• The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。
• She was a devoutly Catholic.她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。

16 priest   

n.神父，牧师，司铎，司祭，领导者，神甫；vt.使成为神职人员

参考例句：

• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned.他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
• The priest visited all the old people in the parish.牧师探望了教区里的所有老人。

17 Jewish   

adj.犹太人的，犹太民族的

参考例句：

• The coin bears a Jewish symbol.硬币上有犹太标记。
• They were two Jewish kids;I was friendly with both of them.他们是两个犹太小孩；我同他们都很要好。

18 defined   

adj 定义的; 清晰的

参考例句：

• These categories are not well defined. 这些类别划分得不太明确。
• The powers of a judge are defined by law. 法官的权限是由法律规定的。