英语听力—环球英语 455：The Story of a Russian Writer

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Ruby² Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. 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
“Are you afraid of death?” In July 2007, the Russian writer, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, was asked this question. He was being interviewed by the internet news website, Spiegel. Alexander replied:
Voice 3
“No, I am not afraid of death any more. When I was young, the early death of my father was like a darkness over me – he died at the age of twenty–seven – and I was afraid to die before all my literary³ plans came true. But between thirty and forty years of age, my attitude to death became calm and balanced. I feel it is a natural, but by no means the final, major point of one’s life.”
Voice 2
On August 3 2008, Alexander died. His heart failed. He was eighty–nine years old. Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s life was not easy. He experienced⁴ poverty, prison, exile⁵, and cancer. He struggled against secrecy⁶ and political oppression in his home country of Russia. But through all these things, he wrote beautiful, honest literature, telling the truth of his experiences, and of his country.
Voice 1
Today’s Spotlight is on the life and work of Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Voice 2
Alexander Solzhenitsyn did not start as a great writer. He started as a teacher. During World War Two, he served as a weapons officer for the Soviet⁷ government of Russia. And twice he earned medals, awards for his courage.
Voice 1
However in February 1945, before the war ended, Alexander was arrested. The government had read a letter he had written to a friend. In this letter he wrote disrespectful things about Joseph Stalin, a leader in the Soviet Union. When Alexander was arrested, the officers also found hidden stories and writings. They claimed that these opposed and damaged the Soviet government. So, the government sentenced Alexander to eight years in a Soviet labour camp, or Gulag.
Voice 2
The gulag prison system was very difficult for prisoners. Prisoners were not given enough food, or medical care. They were forced to do hard physical labor⁹. Often, a prison sentence promised death. Over eight years, Alexander served in three different camps. And he experienced many terrible things.
Voice 1
In his interview with Spiegel, Alexander said he never stopped writing.
Voice 3
“When I was in the gulag I would sometimes even write on stone walls. I used to write on small pieces of paper. Then I memorized the writing and destroyed the papers.”
Voice 2
During his time in the third camp, Alexander developed a tumor¹⁰ in his stomach. This hard mass is often a sign of the disease¹¹ cancer. He was treated, but not for cancer. When Alexander finished his time of service in the gulag, he should have been freed. However, he was exiled¹² to the country of Kazakhstan. He lived in exile for three years. During this time his cancer got much worse. Alexander wrote about it when he accepted the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970.
Voice 3
“At the end of 1953, I was very near death. I was unable to eat. I could not sleep and was severely¹³ affected¹⁴ by the poisons from the tumour¹⁵. However, I was able to go to a cancer medical centre at Tashkent, where, in 1954, I was cured.”
Voice 1
During his exile and sickness, Alexander still continued to write in secret. He wrote the truth of his experiences – even though this truth was dangerous. If it had been found, Alexander would have faced severe punishment. Because of this, he never thought he would be able to publish any of his writings. In fact, in his autobiography¹⁶ he said:
Voice 3
“During all the years until 1961, I was sure that I should never see a single line of mine in print in my lifetime...Finally, at the age of forty–two, this secret writing began to wear me down. The most difficult thing of all was that I could not get my works¹⁷ judged by people with training in literature.”
Voice 2
In 1956, a military court decided¹⁸ that Alexander Solzhenitsyn could return to the Soviet Union. And in 1961, the Communist party eased¹⁹ their firm laws about literature. In 1962, Alexander’s first book was published: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. This book was based on his experiences in the Gulag. It was this book that made him famous. He told the world the terrible things that took place in the labour camps, by describing one prisoner’s day there.
Voice 1
Alexander struggled to continue publishing his work. His next two books, The First Circle and The Cancer Ward⁸, were based on his experiences with cancer during exile. In the Soviet Union, the secret police seized these writings. However in 1968, he finally published these books in England and Western Europe.
Voice 2
In 1970, Alexander was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature. This was an amazing honour. But Alexander was not able to travel to receive his prize. Alexander was afraid that if he left the Soviet Union, the government would not let him return.
Voice 1
In 1973, Alexander decided to publish another book about his experience in the gulag. He hid The Gulag Archipelago from the Soviet authorities²⁰ for a long time. It was a series of three books about the Soviet forced labor prison system. They contained true stories about the lives of prisoners. And they described in greater detail how the Soviet prison system worked.
Voice 2
Alexander finally published The Gulag Archipelago in Paris, France. It caused a new understanding in Western Countries. Many people understood in a new way how the Soviet Union treated its citizens. This release²¹ of Soviet secrets to the world made the Soviet government angry. So in 1974, the government once again exiled Alexander. And this time, they said he was no longer a citizen of the Soviet Union.
Voice 1
So, Alexander lived in Germany and Switzerland before finally moving to the United States. In the U.S. he continued to write. For over seventeen years, he worked on a four part history of the Russian Revolution. It was called The Red Wheel. And while he lived in the United States, he was able to continue publishing all his writing. But, Alexander was never very happy in the United States. He saw many problems in Western countries – in particular, people’s weakness and spiritual emptiness.
Voice 2
In 1990, changes in the politics of the Soviet Union made it possible for Alexander to become a citizen again. However, he did not return to his home country at this time. He still did not agree with the government.
Voice 1
In 1991, the Communist government of the Soviet Union was defeated. The Soviet Union broke into many countries. And in 1994, Alexander returned to his home country of Russia.
Voice 2
In Moscow, Alexander continued to write until he died. Not everyone agrees with Alexander Solzhenitsyn. In fact, many people did not like him or what he wrote. But he knew he must share the truth. And this commitment²² to the truth has encouraged and inspired people all over 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 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。

3 literary   

adj.文学（上）的

参考例句：

• Literary works of this kind are well received by the masses.这样的文学作品很受群众欢迎。
• The book was favourably noticed in literary magazines.这本书在文学杂志上得到好评。

4 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

5 exile   

n.流放，被流放者；vt.流放，放逐，使流亡

参考例句：

• After an exile of eight years her uncle returned to Cairo.她叔叔背井离乡8年后返回开罗。
• Napoleon was sent into exile on an island.拿破仑被流放到一个岛上。

6 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

7 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

8 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

11 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。

12 exiled   

adj. 流亡的，放逐的 动词exile的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• diehard supporters of the exiled king 顽固支持流亡国王的人
• The king exiled one of his official for murder. 国王因他的一个大臣犯谋杀罪而将他放逐。

13 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

14 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。

15 tumour   

n.(tumor)(肿)瘤，肿块

参考例句：

• The surgeons operated on her for a tumour.外科医生为她施行了肿瘤切除手术。
• The tumour constricts the nerves.肿瘤压迫神经。

16 autobiography   

n.自传

参考例句：

• He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。
• His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。

17 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。

18 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。

19 eased   

adj. 放松的 动词ease的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。
• The news that her child was safe eased her mind. 孩子平安的消息使她放心了。

20 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》

21 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

22 commitment   

n.奉献，忠诚，辛劳，委托，实行，承担义务，赞助

参考例句：

• The builder had a commitment to finish the work on time.那个承建商答应过准时完工。
• He made a commitment to pay the rent on time.他保证按时付房租。