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VOA慢速英语2010年-EXPLORATIONS - Visiting the Met

时间:2010-09-04 01:44:15

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(单词翻译)

STEVE EMBER:

I’m Steve Ember.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

And I’m Shirley Griffith with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we travel to New York City to visit one of the most famous museums in the world. The Metropolitan1 Museum of Art collection covers five thousand years of human culture from all over the world. The museum, also known as the Met, was created in eighteen seventy by a group of businessmen, artists and thinkers. Their goal was to create a leading museum that would bring art and art education to the American people.

(MUSIC)

STEVE EMBER:

We start our visit on Fifth Avenue at Eighty-Second Street and climb up the huge number of steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to enter its Great Hall.

(SOUND)

Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City

In this huge room with tall ceilings visitors can pick up a map and decide what area of the museum they want to explore. It is a hard decision as there are more than two million works of art. Let us begin with the collection of Greek and Roman Art.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

We look closely at a marble statue of a “kouros”, or young man that was made over two thousand five hundred years ago. It is one of the earliest known marble statues of a human from the Greek area of Attica. The man is standing2 very straight, with his left leg slightly forward. His form is made up of smooth lines and geometric forms. The statue was found on the grave of a young nobleman from Athens.

To see how Greek art evolved, you can look at a statue made about a hundred years later. The bronze statue is a male diskos thrower. But the artistic3 style is very different from the earlier statue. This work is extremely detailed4 and life-like. It shows careful attention to how the body’s muscles work.

STEVE EMBER:

The Met’s Egyptian art collection takes us even further back in time. One object is a brightly painted coffin5 that is nearly four thousand years old. It once held the body of a person named Khnumnakht. The painted drawings and writings tell about gods of death and rebirth. There are many other examples of funeral art such as statues, coffins6, and jewelry7 to protect the dead.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

The Temple of Dendur

It takes an entire room to house one important object in this department. The Temple of Dendur is over two thousand years old. It is one of many religious buildings that ruler Augustus Caesar of Rome had built to honor Egyptian gods. This temple honors the goddess Isis. The temple once stood about eighty kilometers south of the Egyptian city of Aswan. Egypt gave it to the United States in nineteen sixty-five.

STEVE EMBER:

Visitors can choose to see many other kinds of artworks. There are treasures of ancient and current art from Asia, Africa, the Pacific islands and Central and South America. There is also an entire department for musical instruments and for historical clothing.

(MUSIC)

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

The Met’s medieval art collection centers on works made in Western Europe from the fourth to the early sixteenth century. This area of the museum has the feel of a church. Many objects came from Christian8 religious centers. For example, there are stained glass windows from European churches and many objects used in religious ceremonies.

STEVE EMBER:

A group of sixteenth century warriors9 on horseback welcomes you in the Equestrian10 Court. The warriors and horses are wearing finely made steel armor. Owning such protective armor helped show a ruler’s wealth and power. The armor also showed the extreme skills of a country’s best artisans. One protective head covering from Japan dates to the fifth century. The iron and copper11 helmet was probably used for ceremonies. There are also two Japanese swords, one long and one short, that were made in the fourteen hundreds.

(MUSIC)

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Armor on display in the Equestrian Court at the Met

It would take a day just to explore the Met’s large collection of European paintings. The paintings hanging in these large rooms give a lesson in the history of art over hundreds of years.

There are many Italian paintings of religious stories. But one is especially important. The Italian artist Duccio painted his “Madonna and Child” in thirteen hundred. His painting had a huge influence on later European art. Earlier paintings showed Mary and Jesus in an impersonal12 and severe way. But Duccio chose to show the very human and emotional interaction between Mary and Jesus.

STEVE EMBER:

The Spanish painter Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velazquez made an interesting painting of his assistant in sixteen fifty. The artist captured Juan de Pareja’s intense look with great skill. When this painting was first shown to the public, one critic wrote that all other works were paintings, but this one represented truth.

One well known work by the French painter Jean Antoine Watteau shows a man in a garden playing a musical instrument. The colorful painting is called “Mezzetin.” This artist is most famous for painting sensual actors and dancers. He was influenced by Italian theater traditions of the late sixteen hundreds.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

The English painter J.M.W. Turner painted “Venice, from the Porch of Madonna della Salute” around eighteen thirty-five. His specialty13 was representing the effect of light on an environment with color and loose brushstrokes.

Turner’s awareness14 of changing light would also interest a group of nineteenth century artists known as the Impressionists. The Met’s collection of Impressionist works includes paintings by Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Auguste Renoir.

(MUSIC)

STEVE EMBER:

The area of the museum known as the American Wing contains fine examples of American art, sculpture, glass, silver and other design objects. There are also twenty historical rooms which show different periods of American building and furniture design.
The Samuel Hart Room, originally in Ipswich, Massachusetts, dates to about sixteen eighty. The room has white plaster walls with large ancient pieces of dark wood. It has very little light and very low ceilings. The room was used for cooking, eating and sleeping.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

One area of the American Wing contains thousands of objects in storage. In most museums, storage areas are not open to the public. But here, the many objects are stored behind glass so the public can explore the Met’s rich collection of historical objects.

Some paintings that are part of the American Wing tell about important historical events. One of these is “Washington Crossing the Delaware” painted by Emanuel Leutze in eighteen fifty-one. It shows George Washington and his soldiers during an important event of the American Revolution.

STEVE EMBER:

Others are portraits of individuals. John Singer Sargent’s painting known as “Madame X” was disputed when it was shown in eighteen eighty-four. The painting is of a wealthy American woman who lived in France. She was famous for her beauty. Madame Pierre Gautreau is wearing a low-cut black dress that shows off her pale skin. Mr. Sargent considered this his best work.

One unusual painting finished in eighteen nineteen takes up a whole room. Artist John Vanderlyn created a panoramic15 painting of the gardens and palace of Versailles in France. The painting hangs in a circular room and completely surrounds visitors standing in the middle of the space. The circular painting was first shown in a circular building in downtown New York.

(MUSIC)

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Another area of the museum is named after a major donor16, the Robert Lehman Wing. Upon his death, Mr. Lehman left the museum over three thousand works of art. Museum organizers set up the collection so that the rooms look like Mr. Lehman’s apartment in New York. The many Italian and Northern European paintings hang in rooms with wall and floor coverings, lamps, and furniture.

STEVE EMBER:

The painting, "Cow's Skull17: Red, White, and Blue," by Georgia O'Keeffe from 1931

So far, the works we have looked at are from the past. But the Met also has an excellent modern art collection. For example, you can see Spanish-born painter Pablo Picasso’s colorful work “Reading at a Table.” The artist uses curving shapes and waving lines to represent his lover as she reads.

“Cow’s Skull: Red, White and Blue” is a well known work by American artist Georgia O’Keefe. She often painted animal bones because of their interesting shapes and simple beauty.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

We end our visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the museum’s Roof Garden. Here, visitors can sit and enjoy the views of New York City after a long day learning about art from around the world.

(MUSIC)

STEVE EMBER:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Steve Ember.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

And I’m Shirley Griffith. You can see pictures of some of these works of art at our website, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts18 of our programs and download audio. And you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.

 


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 metropolitan mCyxZ     
adj.大城市的,大都会的
参考例句:
  • Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
  • Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。
2 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
3 artistic IeWyG     
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
参考例句:
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
4 detailed xuNzms     
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的
参考例句:
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
5 coffin XWRy7     
n.棺材,灵柩
参考例句:
  • When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
  • The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。
6 coffins 44894d235713b353f49bf59c028ff750     
n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 );使某人早亡[死,完蛋,垮台等]之物
参考例句:
  • The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热,空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
  • Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里,捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白
7 jewelry 0auz1     
n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝
参考例句:
  • The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
  • Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。
8 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
9 warriors 3116036b00d464eee673b3a18dfe1155     
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
  • The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。
10 equestrian 3PlzG     
adj.骑马的;n.马术
参考例句:
  • They all showed extraordinary equestrian skills.他们的骑术都很高超。
  • I want to book two equestrian tickets.我想订两张马术比赛的票。
11 copper HZXyU     
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
参考例句:
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
12 impersonal Ck6yp     
adj.无个人感情的,与个人无关的,非人称的
参考例句:
  • Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远,没有人情味。
  • His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。
13 specialty SrGy7     
n.(speciality)特性,特质;专业,专长
参考例句:
  • Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
  • His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。
14 awareness 4yWzdW     
n.意识,觉悟,懂事,明智
参考例句:
  • There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
  • Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。
15 panoramic LK3xM     
adj. 全景的
参考例句:
  • Most rooms enjoy panoramic views of the sea. 大多数房间都能看到海的全景。
  • In a panoramic survey of nature, speed is interesting because it has a ceiling. 概观自然全景,速率是有趣的,因为它有一个上限。
16 donor dstxI     
n.捐献者;赠送人;(组织、器官等的)供体
参考例句:
  • In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下,接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
  • The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。
17 skull CETyO     
n.头骨;颅骨
参考例句:
  • The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
  • He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去,跌裂了颅骨。
18 transcripts 525c0b10bb61e5ddfdd47d7faa92db26     
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本
参考例句:
  • Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样,都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
  • You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书,你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

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