英语听力—环球英语 1435 Monday Morning Art

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Liz Waid.

 

　　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

 

　　It is a normal Monday morning in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the beginning of a new work week.  The streets are busy with traffic.  Public transport stations are full of people. But on this particular Monday morning, there is more color than usual.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　At Nairobi’s central bus station, a large group of men and women carry many brightly colored yellow balloons.  They offer the balloons to people travelling to work. People see the balloons and smile. Soon many more individuals are carrying yellow balloons.  Some of the people holding a balloon get on the buses.  Others begin walking.  Slowly, the balloons spread around the city as people continue on their way to work.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　These yellow balloons are part of an art project called Monday Morning. Today’s Spotlight is on this living art project.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Yazmany Arboleda is an artist from New York City. He uses art to examine cultural issues. His art projects ask many questions about society, politics and morality³. Arboleda believes that artwork is more than just something to look at. So he presents his art projects in interesting ways.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In 2011, Arboleda launched⁴ a new art project.  He called it Monday Morning. He knew that many people around the world do not like Mondays.  Monday is the beginning of a new work week.  It represents the end of the weekend - the end of people’s time off of work. He told the magazine UP: Nairobi’s Urban Perspective⁵, that he got the idea for Monday Morning while working in India.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“I was sitting on the grass thinking ... Then an idea came to me. Parties usually mark our happiest times in life. And what is the one element that symbolizes⁷ parties? A balloon. Combine that symbol with the usual negative feelings surrounding Monday mornings.  This was the perfect way to make art with a positive influence.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Arboleda wanted his art to change how people felt about Monday morning. He decided⁸ to do the art project in seven different countries.  In each country, he would make one Monday morning feel like a party. He wrote about his plan in the Huffington Post.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“My "party" would include as many people as possible. My first interest as an artist is how people physically⁹ relate with art. So, I decided to give out 10,000 brightly colored balloons on a Monday morning. I would do this in the transportation center of a city. And I would do this in cities around the world. I would give a balloon to each person going to work. And I would ask them to hold it until he or she got to work.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Arboleda has now launched the Monday Morning art project in three countries: India, Japan, and Kenya. Before each project, Arboleda stayed in each particular country for weeks or even months. He learned¹⁰ what it was like to live in that country.  And he tried to make each project fit the particular country.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　For each country, Arboleda chose a different balloon color.  He chose the color he believed best represented the country.  In India he used orange balloons.  To Arboleda, orange represented the spices Indian cooks used to add taste to food. In Japan he used green balloons. The color green represented Japan’s success in developing green technology - or technology that is good for the environment.  And for Kenya, Arboleda chose the color yellow.  This was because he loved the golden, Kenyan sun.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In each country, Arboleda also organized a large group of people to help him.  On the day of the art project, this group of people met at the city’s transport center.  Together, they brought 10,000 balloons.  They gave one or a few balloons to thousands of individuals on their way to work.  Slowly, the balloons spread all around the city.  As more people saw the balloons, more people’s mornings were affected¹¹.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Arboleda believes that the Monday Morning experience gives workers a positive start to their day. He also believes it helps people think about how life and work relate to each other. He told the Japan Times,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“Balloons symbolize⁶ celebration. They make us remember happy times in our lives. The clash¹² of the expected with the unexpected¹³ creates interesting connections.  These connections cause people to question established ways of understanding things...This art piece opens up discussions¹⁴ about what we think and feel about work...There is a difference between the repeated nature of work and the playfulness of a balloon – or thousands of them moving through a city. This difference fills the art piece with the ability to shake the established understanding of a 'Monday Morning'."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In Kenya, the Monday Morning project did just what Arboleda hoped. On Novemeber 7, 2011, Miriam Muthoni was on her way to work in Nairobi. Suddenly, someone gave her a gift of balloons.  The gift surprised her. She told the Huffington Post news organization,

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　"I feel it has given me the energy to work. It may be a blessing¹⁵.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　But Arboleda wanted to do more than just explore established social ideas about work. He also wanted to change how people think about and define¹⁶ art. He told the B B C,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"We are celebrating the people as they go to work. And we are explaining that art is not just a photograph or a sculpture or a painting. It is also a planned movement of balloons as they spread through a whole city."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The Monday Morning project had even greater meaning in Kenya. While Arboleda was planning and organizing people for the event, terrorists¹⁸ announced that they were going to attack the city of Nairobi. And on Monday, October 24, there were two bomb attacks in Nairobi. One of these attacks happened at a bus stop.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　After this, many Kenyans were afraid to ride the buses again.  However, they still needed to go to work. So Arboleda kept his plans to perform the Monday Morning art project. On November 7 - two weeks after the bomb attacks - he filled Nairobi with balloons. This act gave people balloons, but also a new hope. To them, the balloons were a sign of peace after the terrorist¹⁷ bombings. Arboleda told the Huffington Post,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"I think fear creates negative energy. This needs to be opposed by something beautiful and colourful - something that speaks to the heart of the people and beauty. And I think that is what art is about."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The writer of this program was Courtney Schutt. The producer was Mark Drenth.  The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can find our programs on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called “Monday Morning Art.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　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 morality   

n.道德（性），德行，品行，道德观（规范）

参考例句：

• Morality was the emphasis of his speech.道德是他讲话的重点。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality.他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

4 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

5 perspective   

n.视角，观点，想法

参考例句：

• You can get a perspective of the whole city from here.从这里你可以看到城市的全景。
• We may get a clear perspective of the people's happy lives.我们知道人民对幸福生活的展望。

6 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

7 symbolizes   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The use of light and dark symbolizes good and evil. 用光明与黑暗来象征善与恶。
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace. 她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

10 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。

11 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。

12 clash   

vi.冲突，不协调，砰地相撞；n.冲突，不协调

参考例句：

• There is a clash between two classes at 2 p.m. on Thursday.星期四下午两点有两堂课是冲突的。
• The pot came down on the stone floor with a clash.锅“当”地一声掉到石地上。

13 unexpected   

adj.想不到的，意外的

参考例句：

• I always keep some good wine in for unexpected guests.我总保存些好酒，用来招待不速之客。
• His promotion was unexpected.他的升迁出人意料。

14 discussions   

n.讨论( discussion的名词复数 )；商讨；详述；论述

参考例句：

• Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department. 讨论限于在本部门内非正式地进行。
• Her specialist input to the discussions has been very useful. 她在这些讨论中提供的专家建议很有助益。

15 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

16 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。

17 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

18 terrorists   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子( terrorist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The terrorists have halted their bloody campaign of violence. 恐怖分子已经停止了他们凶残的暴力活动。
• They were finally forced to capitulate to the terrorists' demands. 他们最后被迫屈从恐怖分子的要求。