英语听力—环球英语 1359 Robin Hood: An Old Hero

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Nick Page.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I’m Robin² Basselin. 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

 

　　Many years ago, a man lived in the forests of England. He always carried his bow and arrows. He hunted deer and other animals. He had great skill with his weapons. He was poor, but many people respected him. The most beautiful woman in the kingdom loved him. He was a hero. But why? This man is a thief. He steals money from rich people. Then, he gives the money to poor people.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　This is the story of Robin Hood³. Robin Hood’s story is famous. People like it because the story is about justice. And they have been telling versions⁴ of the story for centuries. But is the story true? Today’s Spotlight is on the story of Robin Hood.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Many people around the world think they know the story of Robin Hood. A lot of people have seen the films of the story. But these are only the most recent versions. The Robin Hood story has changed a lot over the centuries. The true story of Robin Hood is much older and is very different.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Stories about Robin Hood first appeared in the 13th century. The name often appears in court records from that time. The authorities⁵ tried many men named “Robin Hood” for different crimes. People do not know a lot about these men. But they do know that these men were criminals. Experts have investigated many of these men, to find out if any of them were Robin Hood.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In 1440, a writer made a note about a man named “Robert Hood.” Some experts think that this man may be the real Robin Hood. The writer tells of Robert Hood and his friend Little John. They lived in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England. A criminal named Roger Godberd was using the name “Robert Hood”. This false name hid his identity⁶. Godberd was not a good man - he was a murderer⁷. How, then, did the stories make him into a hero?

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Godberd was an outlaw⁸. The authorities had forced him out of the kingdom. Historical records say that Godberd was an outlaw because he fought against the King of England, King Henry III. During that time, rebels⁹ were fighting to control the government. They did not want a king. Instead, they wanted to rule. They believed that King Henry the Third was not just - he was too powerful.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Godberd was one of those rebels. He fought against the king in a great bloody¹⁰ battle. This made many people like him. They believed his fight against the king was good. And this is why some experts think Godberd was Robin Hood. However, the truth is unclear. The true Robin Hood may be someone else. And some experts do not think that there is a real Robin Hood!

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　In the 15th century, ballads¹¹ began to tell the story of Robin Hood. Ballads are stories set to music. Most people could not read in those times. So ballads were a popular way to hear stories. They were easy to remember and easy to listen to. People would sing stories of great heroes and frightening battles. More and more people heard about Robin Hood because of these ballads.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Many people told the story of Robin Hood. But they all told the story in ways that were a little bit different. As a result, the story of Robin Hood began to change. It became difficult to know the true story. There was no way to know if he was even a real man. In the early ballads, Robin Hood is a great figure, always fighting for the poor. He fights against the Sheriff of Nottingham. The sheriff was like the police, a man who governed the area. But in these ballads, Robin Hood is a farmer, not a soldier like Godberd. And he does not steal from the rich.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　These ballads about Robin Hood became a part of the culture in England. Every May, there is a holiday called May Day. May Day celebrates the season of Spring. And in the 15th century, it was very popular to celebrate Robin Hood on May Day. People wore green clothes to look like Robin Hood. They carried bows and arrows. They sang the ballads about him. They performed plays telling the story of Robin Hood.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　These May Day celebrations changed the stories. The stories became more like the stories we know now. For example, the plays added the character of Maid Marian. Maid Marian was a beautiful, wealthy woman. Writers added her to the plays to give Robin Hood a woman to love.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　These plays also changed when Robin lived. Originally, the stories were in the time of King Henry III. But the plays told the story in the time of King Richard. King Richard lived almost 100 years before King Henry.  King Richard was called “The Lionheart” because he led many great battles. King Richard was a popular king, but he was frequently far away from England fighting battles. Robin Hood in these plays liked the king. He fought for the king while the king was away.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　These May Day celebrations created a new and different Robin Hood. He is not the Robin Hood of the early ballads. Instead of being a farmer, he is a loyal¹² friend of the king. Instead of being alone, he now has Maid Marian. And instead of fighting against the king, he fights for the king while the king is gone. This is the Robin Hood many people know now.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　But there is one part that did not change. Robin Hood is still a hero because he fights for the poor. He gets them the money that they need. He steals from rich people. Then he gives money to poor people. Robin Hood has become a symbol of justice for many people. He fights for justice for the poor - he wants all people to live well. And he wants to see equality between the poor and the rich. Many people think this is good.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But most people also think stealing is wrong. Do you think people can do wrong and still be good? Do you think Robin Hood can steal and still be a hero? You can email us your thoughts at [email protected]. Or you can leave a comment on the script¹³ page of the program on our website.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writer and producer of this program was Dianna Anderson. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called, “Robin Hood: An Old Hero.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　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 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

4 versions   

n.译本( version的名词复数 )；版本；（个人对事件的）描述；（原物的）变体

参考例句：

• There are two versions of the game, a long one and a short one. 这游戏有两个版本，一长一短。
• When both versions of the story were collated,major discrepancies were found. 在将这个故事的两个版本对照后，找出了主要的不符之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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》

6 identity   

n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致

参考例句：

• He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
• He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。

7 murderer   

n.杀人犯，凶手

参考例句：

• How long should a murderer be kept in prison?犯了谋杀罪的人应在监狱关多少年？
• They discovered the murderer to have run away.他们发现凶手已逃之夭夭。

8 outlaw   

n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法

参考例句：

• The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
• The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。

9 rebels   

n.反政府的人( rebel的名词复数 )；反叛者；造反者；叛逆者v.反抗政府( rebel的第三人称单数 )；反抗权威

参考例句：

• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。
• The rebels went on an orgy of killing. 叛乱者肆意杀人。

10 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

11 ballads   

民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴

参考例句：

• She belted out ballads and hillbilly songs one after another all evening. 她整晚一个接一个地大唱民谣和乡村小调。
• She taught him to read and even to sing two or three little ballads,accompanying him on her old piano. 她教他读书，还教他唱两三首民谣，弹着她的旧钢琴为他伴奏。

12 loyal   

adj.忠诚的，忠心的

参考例句：

• He is a loyal friend.他是一位忠诚的朋友。
• I judge him to be loyal.我认为他很忠诚。

13 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。