英语听力—环球英语 947 El Sistema: The Gift of Music

 　　Voice 1

　　Hello I'm Marina Santee.

　　Voice 2

　　And I'm Steve Myersco. Welcome to Spotlight¹. 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

　　‘No one trusted me. Everyone was afraid of me. But no one cared for me. People said that I was like waste - they did not need me'.

　　Voice 1

　　Lennar Acosta described what life was like when he was fifteen years old. He was living with a criminal² group in Venezuela. Lennar's face was damaged. Other boys had cut his face in fights. People thought he was dangerous. The police had arrested him nine times for carrying weapons. But today, Lennar is a changed person. He no longer spends his time fighting on the streets. Instead, he plays music! He plays the clarinet beautifully. Lennar has played his clarinet in shows all around Venezuela. He has played with some of the best musicians in the country. So how did Lennar change from a dangerous criminal to an expert musician?

　　Voice 2

　　Lennar was helped by a special music programme. Its official Spanish name is quite long [*], so most people just call it "El Sistema". El Sistema is a Spanish name. In English, it means³ "the system". El Sistema is a way of helping⁴ young people to join musical groups. These children often come from very poor backgrounds. But El Sistema helps them to become successful music players.

　　Voice 1

　　El Sistema was started by José Antonio Abreu. José is a music conductor⁵. He stands at the front of a group of musicians - an orchestra⁶. He leads the orchestra by moving his stick or baton⁷ in time with the music. He helps the music players to play well together. José was a successful music player and university teacher. But he had a dream.

　　Voice 2

　　José wanted to help young people play music. He especially wanted to help poor children like Lennar. He believed that music training could change their lives. So in 1975, he gathered eleven young children together. These children came from poor homes. Many of them had received very little education. José began by teaching⁸ them musical skills. He then asked other music experts to help. Together they started to teach the children individual instruments. Then the children learned⁹ to play together. In this way José began his first children's orchestra.

　　Voice 1

　　Today El Sistema has 180 children's orchestras¹⁰ in Venezuela. And 350,000 children now enjoy the chance to learn music. For many of these children, El Sistema is the start of a better way of life. Through music the children learn the value of hard work. Learning¹¹ musical instruments takes time and effort. The children learn how to work well together. They learn to support and help each other. The music teaching is free. El Sistema lends the instruments to the children. But after two years the children can keep their instruments as a prize. Lennar Acosta says that he owes¹² his life to José's project.

　　Voice 3

　　‘El Sistema opened the doors for me. If it were not for El Sistema, I do not think I would be here today, enjoying this. None of my friends made it past fifteen or sixteen, because of the kind of life that we led.'.

　　Voice 2

　　Music experts from around the world have praised El Sistema. They say that the children receive excellent teaching. In Venezuela children start performing at an early age. Children as young as two receive musical instruments.

　　Voice 1

　　Many of the children that El Sistema helps go on to get jobs as music players. Some of them go to other countries to play. They join some of the world's greatest orchestras. José Abreu - leader of El Sistema says,

　　Voice 4

　　‘I see music as a way to rescue children. It is a weapon against poverty¹³. When a child can play an instrument well it builds his self worth. He works¹⁴ hard and succeeds. He can then build on that success. He does well in other areas of his life. He also becomes a good example for other children to follow. To me, poverty creates a feeling of powerlessness. But music creates happiness. The children succeed in making beautiful sounds. This represents¹⁵ hope for families and communities struggling to survive'.

　　Voice 2

　　El Sistema's main aim is not just to create great musicians. It is to save lives, build communities and create a better country. Experts from all over the world have recognised José's work. They have given him many awards and prizes. But José says that the best prize is seeing children like Lennar grow into good citizens. After years of learning music in El Sistema, Lennar became a music teacher. He has also played his clarinet all over the world.

　　Voice 1

　　José has worked with UNESCO to spread the El Sistema idea. There are now similar programmes in many other countries, especially in the Americas. And El Sistema has started in Britain - in Scotland¹⁶. Children in a poor area of the city of Stirling learn music, just like the children of Venezuela. The project has an English name - "Big Noise".

　　Voice 2

　　The head of education in Stirling is Fergus Wood. He says El Sistema has been a big success in the Raploch area of the city.

　　Voice 5

　　‘Sistema has given children in Raploch a whole new way of looking at their lives and their relationships. They are now showing the good character and teamwork¹⁷ that is necessary for the creation¹⁸ of an orchestra. I am sure that as the Big Noise progresses the children will develop their musical skills. They will reach a high level similar to the El Sistema musicians in Venezuela.'

　　Voice 1

　　A generation of children has now passed through El Sistema in Venezuela. One of its former students, Gustavo Dudamel, is now one of the most famous music conductors¹⁹ in the world. He has led many of the world's best orchestras. He may be the best example of El Sistema's success. But Gustavo says that the real success of El Sistema is not the music. There is more to it than that. He said,

　　Voice 6

　　‘I have studied music since I was four years old. From that time I have been part of a family. That family has taught me things - not only musical things, but things I face in life. That is the real success of the system.'

　　Voice 2

　　The writers of today's programme were Elizabeth Lickiss and Steve Myersco, who also produced the programme. The voices you heard were from the United²⁰ Kingdom and the United States. Computer users²¹ can find more Spotlight programmes on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called, ‘El Sistema: The Gift of Music.'

　　*"Sistema Nacional de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela" (in English, "National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela")

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 criminal   

n.罪犯，犯人，刑事；adj.犯了罪的，罪的，有罪的

参考例句：

• He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
• We captured the criminal.我们捕获了那个犯人。

3 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

4 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。

5 conductor   

n.领队，指挥；售票员，列车员；导体

参考例句：

• The conductor handed the sick man out of the bus.售票员扶病人下公共汽车。
• Copper is a good conductor of heat.铜是热的良导体。

6 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

7 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

8 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

9 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。

10 orchestras   

管弦乐队( orchestra的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The orchestras, the choruses, the drama and opera casts, will be cut to pieces. 各个管弦乐队、合唱队、戏剧和歌剧的演员名单都将支离破碎。
• In Indonesia, gamelan orchestras play music on gongs, drums, and xylophones. 印度尼西亚，佳美兰乐队用锣、和木琴演奏音乐。

11 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

12 owes   

v.亏欠，负债，感恩；感激( owe的第三人称单数 )；应把…归功于；欠…债；（对位高权重者）忠诚

参考例句：

• He owes a lot of money to Mr. Smith. 他欠史密斯先生许多钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 poverty   

n.贫穷， 贫困， 贫乏， 缺少

参考例句：

• We must continue to war against poverty and disease.我们一定要继续同贫穷和疾病作斗争。
• He showed his poverty in his knowledge of agriculture.他表现出缺乏对农业知识的了解。

14 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。

15 Represents   

v.表现( represent的第三人称单数 )；代表；体现；作为…的代表

参考例句：

• This represents a volte-face in government thinking. 这代表着政府观点的彻底转变。
• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history. 俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 Scotland   

n.苏格兰

参考例句：

• He has been hiking round Scotland for a month.他围着苏格兰徒步旅行了一个月。
• Scotland is to the north of England.苏格兰在英格兰之北。

17 teamwork   

n.合作，协同工作

参考例句：

• Only teamwork will enable us to get the job done on time.只有团结一致，我们才能按时完成这项工作。
• Good teamwork between the players is not easy to get.队员之间很难做到配合默契。

18 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。

19 conductors   

n.导体( conductor的名词复数 )；售票员；（乐队）指挥；导管（套管的一种）

参考例句：

• The diesels roared, the conductors jumped aboard, and off the train went. 内燃机发出轰鸣声，列车员跳上车厢，火车开走了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In addition to copper, there are many other metals which are good conductors. 除了铜之外，还有很多其他金属都是良导体。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 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。

21 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。