英语听力—环球英语 990 One Thousand Paper Birds

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Christy VanArragon.

 

　　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

 

　　War. It happens for many complicated² reasons. Sometimes it is necessary. But for many innocent³ people, the end results are tragic⁴. War damages life, land and health. But it cannot destroy hope. Today's Spotlight is on that hope. We tell the story of Sadako Sasaki and her hope for peace and healing⁶.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　It was August the sixth, 1945. The world was at war. This conflict brought destruction⁷ to many places around the world. As part of the war, the United States and Japan had been fighting each other since 1941. However, on this day, the sun was shining on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The people in the city thought it would be a normal day.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But at 9:15 in the morning things changed forever. The United States dropped an atomic⁸ bomb on the city of Hiroshima. It destroyed the city of Hiroshima - flattening⁹ everything in the area. It killed around one hundred and forty thousand people over the next year - most of them innocent civilians¹⁰. They had terrible burns. But this was not the end of the destruction. For many years, radiation from the bomb continued to make people very sick.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Sadako Sasaki was only two years old when the atomic bomb landed in her city. She was very close to the place where the bomb fell. But she was not killed. At first, she seemed fine. Ten years after the bomb, Sadako seemed to be growing up healthy. She liked sports. She represented her school class as a runner. And she won many races. But, radiation from the bomb was slowly poisoning Sadako's body. When she turned twelve years old, she became very sick from the radiation. It had given her a form of cancer, called leukaemia.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Sadako entered the hospital in February 1955. The doctors told her parents that she would die in a year. But she was still a young girl. She could not believe that she was going to die. While she was in the hospital, many of her school friends would come to visit her. They told her about school, and made her laugh. She also made new friends in the hospital. One of these was her roommate, Kiyo Okura. In a memorial record, Ms Okura remembered Sadako,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"Sadako was such a curious girl. She would explore the rooms around the hospital and collect information from other patients. One day she learned¹¹ that boiled cabbage vegetables tasted good with a little soy sauce. The two of us went to the hospital kitchen and tried it out, and it tasted really good."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Over time, Sadako became weaker and weaker. One day, a special gift arrived at the hospital - one thousand simple folded paper crane¹² birds. The cranes¹³ were part of an old Japanese belief. If someone made one thousand of these paper cranes, then the gods would heal⁵ their sickness. The colorful paper birds were for all the patients at the hospital. But Sadako and many other patients were inspired.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　With courage and faith Sadako began to make her own paper cranes. She made them every day. Even when she was feeling very sick, she still continued to make the cranes. Her father remembered,

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　"We warned her, 'If you keep up that speed you will be very tired.' Sadako continued to fold, saying, "It is okay, it is okay. I have a plan." You could feel the strength of her desire to live in the way she would not stop folding, and it hurt."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　It was difficult for Sadako to get enough paper. So she would use the paper coverings from medicine, and the paper from other patients' gifts. By September, 1955, she had succeeded in making one thousand cranes - and she continued to make even more cranes. But she did not recover. On October 25, 1955, with her family around her, Sadako died. Sadako was buried with her paper cranes - more than thirteen hundred [1300].

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Sadako's death made her friends and classmates very sad. Many of them had survived the bomb too. They knew its terrible effects. In school, this class had been very close. Their teacher had encouraged this closeness. They even formed a "Unity¹⁴ Club" to continue to visit Sadako in the hospital. After her death, they wanted a place to remember her, and other children affected¹⁵ by the bomb.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　They began to raise money at their school, and other schools. They wanted everyone to remember these innocent victims. In 1958, with the help of the city, they built a statue to honour Sadako in Hiroshima's Peace Park. This green area encourages all people to remember the effects of the bomb. It also encourages all people to work for peace. The statue of Sadako holds a bird in her arms. The statue has writing on it. This is its message for the world.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Sadako's message for peace is clear and strong. Sadako died because the world was at war.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　War continues in the world today. Problems such as greed¹⁶, envy, and fear continue to cause conflicts. People continue to die. What are people doing today to show their concern for world peace?

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Many countries have nuclear weapons, like the bomb that killed Sadako. Many people worry that other children will die, that other cities will be destroyed. People continue to work to prevent more deaths in war.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Today, people still remember Sadako and her paper birds. Every year, children all over the world learn about Sadako in school. They make thousands of paper birds and send them to Hiroshima. They are a symbol of peace. They show the desire of people everywhere for an end to war.

 

　　In folding her cranes, Sadako chose hope. In building the statue, Sadako's friends and classmates also chose hope. And in hearing her story, children around the world continue to choose hope.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　What do you think? What do you learn from Sadako's story? Share your opinion on our website http://www.radio.english.net or em,ail us at [email protected].

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The writer of today's program was Rebekah Schipper and Christy VanArragon. The producer was Joshua Leo. The voices you heard were from the United States. This program is called "One Thousand Paper Birds."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　You can also find Spotlight on Facebook. Just search for Spotlight Radio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. 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 complicated   

adj.错综复杂的，麻烦的，结构复杂的

参考例句：

• The poem is so complicated that I cannot make out its meaning.这首诗太复杂，我理解不了它的意思。
• This is the most complicated case I have ever handled.这是我所处理过的最为复杂的案子。

3 innocent   

adj.无罪的，清白的；无害的；天真的，单纯的

参考例句：

• I'm not quite so innocent as to believe that.我还不至于简单到相信那种事的地步。
• I was very young,and very innocent.我那时非常年轻，幼稚无知。

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 heal   

v.使愈合，治愈，使康复；平息(争吵等)；消除，解决(分支等)

参考例句：

• Time helped heal the old wounds.时间有助于治愈旧创伤。
• This wound will soon heal if yon keep it clean.如果你保持伤口清洁，它很快就会痊愈。

6 healing   

n.康复，复原adj.有治疗功用的v.（使）愈合( heal的现在分词 )；治愈；（使）结束；较容易忍受

参考例句：

• miraculous powers of healing 神奇的治病能力
• She seems to have a vocation for healing. 看来她具备治病救人的才能。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 destruction   

n.破坏，毁灭，消灭

参考例句：

• The enemy bombs caused widespread destruction.敌人的炸弹造成大面积的破坏。
• Overconfidence was his destruction.自负是他垮台的原因。

8 atomic   

adj.(关于)原子的；原子能(武器)的

参考例句：

• The atomic theory is important.原子理论很重要。
• We should take part in the peaceful uses of atomic energy.我们应该参与原子能的和平应用。

9 flattening   

n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词

参考例句：

• Flattening of the right atrial border is also seen in constrictive pericarditis. 右心房缘变平亦见于缩窄性心包炎。
• He busied his fingers with flattening the leaves of the book. 他手指忙着抚平书页。

10 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

11 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。

12 crane   

v.伸长(脖子)；n.起重机，吊车

参考例句：

• We used a crane to lift the piano into the theatre.我们使用起重机将钢琴搬进剧场。
• Must we wait till the crane arrives before we start loading?非要等起重机来了才能装运吗？

13 cranes   

n.鹤( crane的名词复数 )；起重机，吊车

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Huge cranes are swinging cargo up. 巨大的起重机正在吊运货物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

15 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。

16 greed   

n.贪食，贪心，贪婪

参考例句：

• His greed knows no limits.他的贪心永无止境。
• Greed was his only motive for stealing.贪婪是他盗窃的唯一动机。