英语听力—环球英语 674 Celebrating the Unseen

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Mike Procter.
Voice 2
And I'm Bruce Gulland. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Here is a question: what do the following places have in common? What links them?
Voice 1
Hoi An city in Vietnam, Persepolis in Iran. Old Quito in Ecuador, and the Tower of London in England.
Voice 2
The answer is that all four are special places! They have been chosen by the United Nations. The UN's cultural organisation², UNESCO, says that all these places are world heritage³ sites - places that are important in the history and culture of their countries and of humans in general. In fact there are over 900 such sites around the world. There is probably one - or more - in your country. UNESCO's idea is to protect these places for people to enjoy - now and in the future.
Voice 1
However, some things that define⁴ our culture and history are not physical things, not places or buildings. Some are things that you cannot touch, cannot visit, cannot see, and cannot smell. These are 'intangible' things, yet they are still important. Language is a good example. UNESCO has a separate list of such things. Today's Spotlight is on "UNESCO's Intangible Heritage List".
Voice 2
Spain is a country rich in heritage and culture. It has many World Heritage Sites. But it also has Flamenco!
Flamenco brings together dance, music and song to create a rich art form. The dances, clothes, songs and instruments are different from area to area, but Flamenco is a tradition that is completely Spanish. It is used to express emotion and tell stories. Rhythm⁵ is an important part of Flamenco: the sound of hands clapping together; the clicking of wooden castanets; the tap of shoes on a hard floor; these are all part of the unique music. The music is normally⁶ played on a guitar. The guitar player moves his fingers across the strings⁷ of his instrument fast and with great skill.
Flamenco passes to each new generation through groups in local communities. Each community has its own dances, music and clothes. But as people move around, communities change, and their Flamenco traditions could easily be lost. UNESCO aims to protect these traditions.
Voice 1
There is a reason for UNESCO's desire to protect traditions like Flamenco. The United Nations aims to achieve world peace - and UNESCO is part of the United Nations. It works⁸ towards peace by helping⁹ people understand what makes us different from each other. Such things raise our value as human beings.
Human beings are unique. No two people are exactly the same, even if they look the same. This is also true for groups of people. A group, small or large, will develop its own culture - what it believes, its social rules, its way of life, its music, stories, clothes, food and art.
Voice 2
A group of people called the Zápara live in the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador and Peru. They have very wide understanding of the animals and plants around them - including their uses for medicine. All the Záparas' knowledge is passed on by word of mouth. They have no writing. Their language is the last of its kind. Other, similar languages have died out since the discovery of the New World.
Voice 1
UNESCO has added the Zápara language to its Intangible Heritage list. The aim is to record and protect the Zápara language, and with it all the riches of the people's knowledge.
Language is important - but traditional ways of doing things are also part of Intangible Cultural Heritage. One example is methods of building. Much of the modern world uses machines and computers to design and build buildings. Some old skills for building have already been lost.
Voice 2
In parts of China there are bridges called Wooden Arch¹⁰ Bridges. They were built using traditional, ancient methods. The bridges are made of wood and have a roof covering them. They are beautiful to look at, and have always been an important part of the community. They are the meeting places for the villages and towns. They are places where ideas, news and problems have been discussed for centuries.
Building these bridges requires special knowledge and skills. There are no books to describe them. The skills have been passed down from generation to generation, but the fear is that they may be lost in the modern world. Part of UNESCO's work in this project is to encourage young people to learn the art of bridge building. It also encourages local financial support to keep the skills in the community and to pass the knowledge on.
Voice 1
It is easy to see that language, music and dance are part of culture, but what about the food we eat? What about diet? One of the things UNESCO added to the Intangible Heritage list recently is 'the Mediterranean¹¹ diet'. The people of Southern Europe and North Africa live close to the Mediterranean Sea. UNESCO says that the people's diet is similar across several of these countries. It normally contains olive¹² oil, cereals¹³ such as wheat, fruit, vegetables, and a moderate¹⁴ amount of fish, meat, cheese or yogurt. Their drink may be wine or different kinds of tea - always respecting the beliefs of each community.
Voice 2
It may seem strange to include diet in a cultural heritage list. For some people, it raises questions about what UNESCO includes on its list. Miguel Anxo Murado is a Spanish writer. He writes for the Guardian¹⁵ newspaper. He criticised UNESCO's choosing of both Flamenco and the Mediterranean diet. Flamenco, he says, is not an ancient tradition - but a modern art-form that is still changing. And he claims that the Mediterranean diet is not real. He says it was invented by an American diet expert just after World War Two. He says the only people who really keep to such a diet are those whose doctors have told them to - for medical reasons.
Voice 1
Choosing what to include in a list of intangible things must be difficult. After all, these are things you cannot see. It is very probable¹⁶ that not everyone will agree with all the things on the list - and there are over 180 of them. Miguel Anxo Murado's criticism¹⁷ of particular items on the UNESCO list does not mean that he thinks the whole list is bad. He says:
Voice 3
"I think the list is a good idea. Our urge to protect and celebrate is strongly linked to our urge to destroy and forget. Both come from that deep human drive: the desire for knowledge."
Voice 1
The UNESCO Intangible Heritage List tries to celebrate and protect the things that make us different. That helps us to know the rich mixture of things that makes us the same. We can celebrate our differences and our similarities - our diversity and our common humanity¹⁸.
Voice 2
The writers of today's programme were Rebecca Strivens and Mike Procter. The producer was Nick Mangeolles. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted and read by Spotlight.
This programme and many more are on our website This programme is called 'Celebrating the Unseen'.
Thank you for listening to Spotlight today. Goodbye.

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 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

3 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

4 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。

5 rhythm   

n.韵律；节奏

参考例句：

• He has an ear for the rhythm of Irish speech.他对爱尔兰语的节奏很敏感。
• His poem has a pleasing rhythm.他的诗有和谐的韵律。

6 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。

7 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

8 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。

9 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。

10 arch   

n.拱门，桥洞；v.拱起，成为弓形

参考例句：

• Dip your head under the low arch.在低矮的门拱下要低头。
• The trees arch overhead.树木在头顶上弯成拱形。

11 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

12 olive   

n.橄榄，橄榄树，橄榄色；adj.黄绿色的，黄褐色的，橄榄色的

参考例句：

• Have you eaten a kind of fruit called olive?你吃过橄榄这种水果吗？
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace.她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。

13 cereals   

n.谷类食品，谷类；麦片粥

参考例句：

• By cereals we mean wheat,oats,rye,barley,and all that.谈到谷物，我们指的是小麦、燕麦、黑麦、大麦之类的东西。
• Wheat and rice are cereals.小麦和水稻是谷类植物。

14 moderate   

adj.适度的，稳健的，温和的，中等的；v.节制，使...稳定，使...缓和；n.稳健的人

参考例句：

• You should moderate your language when children are present.在孩子面前，你说话应该有节制。
• The wind is moderate today.今天的风很柔和。

15 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

16 probable   

adj.可能的，有望发性或实现的

参考例句：

• It is probable to finish the job before dark.天黑之前有可能完成这项工作。
• It is hardly probable that he will succeed.他不会成功。

17 criticism   

n.批评，批判，指责；评论，评论文章

参考例句：

• Some youth today do not allow any criticism at all.现在有些年轻人根本指责不得。
• It is wrong to turn a deaf ear to other's criticism.对别人的批评充耳不闻是错误的。

18 humanity   

n.人类，[总称]人(性)，人道[pl.]人文学科

参考例句：

• Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
• We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。