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VOA慢速英语2010年-EXPLORATIONS - UNESCO Lists 'Intangibl

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STEVE EMBER: And I’m Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we tell about recent efforts by the United Nations to honor and protect different cultural traditions from around the world. U.N. experts meeting in Nairobi, Kenya recently announced this year’s cultural protection list.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: One of the many aims of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization is to protect culture in all of its many representations. Its World Heritage program identifies threats to valuable natural and cultural places around the world. But what about cultural expressions that are not a set place, building or collection of objects?

Since two thousand three, UNESCO has also worked to protect what it calls the “intangible heritage” of humanity. It defines intangible heritage as living traditions that are passed on from one generation to another. These include spoken traditions, festivals, performing arts, social ceremonies and cultural knowledge. UNESCO recently announced fifty-one additions to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

STEVE EMBER: Several of this year’s intangible heritage traditions are about food. For example, France made the list for its rich traditions involving the cooking and enjoyment1 of food and drink. A traditional French meal includes several wines and dishes including meat, cheese and dessert. The importance of the meal in France is also about bringing together family and friends to honor special occasions.

Mexico was also chosen for its food traditions. Many cooking methods in that country are ancient. The three main foods in Mexican cooking include corn, beans and chili2. The foods are linked to special methods of farming and also to special celebrations.

A Flamenco dancer

Spain, Greece, Italy and Morocco were recognized for their collective cooking traditions, described by UNESCO as the Mediterranean3 diet.

Croatia is listed for its gingerbread tradition. This sweet bread is made from flour, sugar, baking soda4 and spices. It takes skill and speed to make gingerbread. Each baker5 paints the gingerbread and can add pictures and messages to the design. Gingerbread can be made to observe special events such as weddings.

BARBARA KLEIN: Other intangible traditions take place at festivals. For example, the oil-wrestling tradition in Turkey takes place in Edirne. Men wear pants made out of leather. Their bodies are covered in oil. They compete to be the best fighter. The winner gets a golden belt.

In Luxembourg, a festival in the ancient town of Esternach involves prayer, song and dance. As many as eight thousand dancers take part in this event that dates back to the year eleven hundred.

An example of Croatian gingerbread

STEVE EMBER: This year’s list of intangible heritage includes several traditions from Iran. These include the skill of making floor coverings. Important places for carpet-weaving include Fars and Kashan. Another Iranian tradition is Ta’ziye. This performance art tells stories about religious and historical events through music, song and movement. Pahlevani is a form of physical training for self-defense. But it is about more than movement. The tradition includes knowledge of religious, moral and social teachings.

BARBARA KLEIN: Many of this year’s cultural traditions involve music.

(MUSIC)

Flamenco from Spain combines music, dance and song. This intense music expresses emotions such as joy, grief or pain. Flamenco dancers use their feet to pound complex rhythms. Guitar music adds to the emotional performance. Flamenco is performed in many areas of southern Spain, including Andalusia.

Marimba music and singing are performed in the South Pacific area of Colombia. The area’s African ancestry6 influences this music.

(MUSIC)

A carpet weaver7 in Fars, Iran

Men and women sing to the beat of hand-made musical instruments including marimbas, rattles8 and drums.

The music is sung for special events including religious worship or to mourn someone’s death.

STEVE EMBER: The Angklung musical instrument from Indonesia is made out of bamboo. Each instrument produces only one musical sound. So, several musicians are needed to play a song. Angklung music is often played to mark important events such as rice planting and harvesting.

Ojkanje singing is a tradition in villages in the Dalmatian area of Croatia. It is performed by two or more singers.

(MUSIC)

Singers use their throats to produce a special sound. Each song lasts as long as the main singer can hold his or her breath.

These songs can be about subjects including love, politics and current social events. These throat-singers must pass down their skills to younger generations for this tradition to survive. But as more and more young people move to cities, there are fewer people left to carry on this special tradition.

BARBARA KLEIN: Ojkanje singing is one of four additions on a special List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The goal of this list is to identify threatened cultural traditions so that nations can work with UNESCO to protect them. The three other traditions added to the urgent safeguarding list are in China. They are the Meshrep tradition of the Uighur people; the method of building traditional Chinese boats called junks, and a kind of printing using wooden forms.

STEVE EMBER: Some people criticize UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage. They say the rules are so inclusive that any tradition can qualify. Others note that nations and groups apply for recognition of traditions in an effort to increase attention to their local industries, such as agriculture or travel.

One reporter questioned why Flamenco music is on the list since it is extremely popular and economically successful. He questioned whether a relatively9 new and extremely popular tradition should be on the same list as traditions that are ancient and disappearing.

BARBARA KLEIN: Cecile Duvelle is the chief of UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage program. She says globalization is threatening many cultural traditions. Here she talks about the Urgent Safeguarding List.

CECILE DUVELLE: “The most important list is of course the Urgent Safeguarding List. These states are inscribing10 by themselves, are proposing by themselves, elements they feel deem the attention of the international community. They foresee safeguarding plans, but they very often need the mobilization including by funding of the international community.”

STEVE EMBER: UNESCO explains that protecting intangible traditions requires making sure that a community continues to share the knowledge and skills of each tradition with younger generations. Traditions that are no longer considered meaningful or useful to a community die out. But a community that is concerned about a tradition that is disappearing can choose to act.

UNESCO does not choose the local traditions to be protected. The group requires that local communities take part in the proposal process. They approve of the protection efforts and can be involved as plans move forward.

CECILE DUVELLE: “The elements are proposed by states. But states must ensure for each element they propose, that they have the free prior and informed consent of the communities. They are not allowed to propose an element without the consent of the community. Moreover, they need to ensure the full participation11 of the communities in the safeguarding plan.”

BARBARA KLEIN: Ms. Duvelle says that the future of intangible culture depends on the education of younger generations. UNESCO works with governments to help strengthen educational programs in communities.

CECILE DUVELLE: “The young generation are very much targeted with this list because they must understand that they are the ones who are going to ensure, or not, the vitality12 and transmission of these elements to the next generations. So we need also to show that intangible heritage is not only something at risk of disappearing, but also something that is embodied13 in our daily lives.”

STEVE EMBER: UNESCO says intangible heritage is important to give people a sense of identity and belonging. It also links a community’s past and present. UNESCO says recognizing these traditions supports a shared sense of respect for humanity’s many ways of life.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Barbara Klein.

STEVE EMBER: And I’m Steve Ember. Our programs are online with transcripts14 and MP3 files at voaspecialenglish.com. And you can find us on Twitter, Facebook 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 enjoyment opaxV     
n.乐趣;享有;享用
参考例句:
  • Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同,我们这次访问更加愉快了。
  • After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话,这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。
2 chili JOlzm     
n.辣椒
参考例句:
  • He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
  • It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉,辣椒,和其他的调味品。
3 Mediterranean ezuzT     
adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的
参考例句:
  • The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
  • Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。
4 soda cr3ye     
n.苏打水;汽水
参考例句:
  • She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
  • I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。
5 baker wyTz62     
n.面包师
参考例句:
  • The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
  • The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。
6 ancestry BNvzf     
n.祖先,家世
参考例句:
  • Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
  • He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。
7 weaver LgWwd     
n.织布工;编织者
参考例句:
  • She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快,而且布的质量很好。
  • The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。
8 rattles 0cd5b6f81d3b50c9ffb3ddb2eaaa027b     
(使)发出格格的响声, (使)作嘎嘎声( rattle的第三人称单数 ); 喋喋不休地说话; 迅速而嘎嘎作响地移动,堕下或走动; 使紧张,使恐惧
参考例句:
  • It rattles the windowpane and sends the dog scratching to get under the bed. 它把窗玻璃震得格格作响,把狗吓得往床底下钻。
  • How thin it is, and how dainty and frail; and how it rattles. 你看它够多么薄,多么精致,多么不结实;还老那么哗楞哗楞地响。
9 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
10 inscribing sqOzCq     
v.写,刻( inscribe的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Some galleries commemorate donors by inscribing their names on the walls. 一些美术馆把捐赠者的姓名镌刻在墙上以示纪念。 来自辞典例句
  • They kept records by inscribing words on those materials. 他们在这些材料上刻字来记录信息。 来自互联网
11 participation KS9zu     
n.参与,参加,分享
参考例句:
  • Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
  • The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。
12 vitality lhAw8     
n.活力,生命力,效力
参考例句:
  • He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后,身强体壮,充满活力。
  • He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。
13 embodied 12aaccf12ed540b26a8c02d23d463865     
v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 );象征;包括;包含
参考例句:
  • a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
  • The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 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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