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VOA慢速英语2011--Author Lisa See Talks About Her New Book

时间:2011-06-10 07:03:31

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AMERICAN MOSAIC1 - Author Lisa See Talks About Her New Book 'Dreams of Joy'

FAITH LAPIDUS: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.
(MUSIC)
I'm Faith Lapidus. On our program this week, we play songs from some of Broadway’s top musicals…
We tell about a training program that is helping2 immigrants find employment…
But first we talk to Chinese-American writer Lisa See about her new book.
(MUSIC)
Lisa See “Dreams of Joy”

FAITH LAPIDUS: The writer Lisa See takes readers on a trip across the Pacific Ocean in her latest book, “Dreams of Joy.” It continues the story of two Chinese sisters who readers met in See’s novel, “Shanghai Girls.” In that book, Pearl and May escaped the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in the nineteen thirties. The sisters fled to California.
In “Dreams of Joy,” Pearl is forced to return to Shanghai on a search for her daughter. Bob Doughty3 has more about the new novel and the writer.
BOB DOUGHTY: “Dreams of Joy” takes place in the nineteen-fifties. Pearl’s nineteen year old daughter, Joy, is angry at her mother and her Aunt May. So she runs away to China to find the father she has never met. She not only finds him but becomes involved with the changes taking place in the country. Lisa See says this situation was not uncommon4 at the time. She says many young Chinese were sympathetic to the country’s new government.
LISA SEE: “Actually, there were a lot of Chinese going back to the People’s Republic of China at that time, ninety-thousand in one year from Fukien Province alone. But also a lot of other people who weren’t Chinese, who were going to China kind of inspired by what was going on there, or even hoping to start a business.”
Once in mainland China, however, it was not easy to leave. Some who returned, Chinese and foreigners, became victims of political unrest. In the late nineteen fifties, China’s government ordered major changes that caused economic problems.
Here, from “Dreams of Joy,” the character Pearl describes the moment she finds her daughter.
READER: “Her delicate eyebrows5, pretty nose and full lips register absolute astonishment6 at seeing me. Her eyes widen and become even brighter. Then I see not happiness, sadness or even anger that I’m here. It’s worse than any of those. The cool shadows of indifference7 fall over her features. She stares at me but doesn’t say a word.”
Lisa See has written several best-selling novels about Chinese-related subjects. She says those themes have special appeal for her.
LISA SEE: “I’m part Chinese. But I have red hair and freckles8 so I don’t look very Chinese, but I did grow up in a very traditional Chinese American family. I live in Los Angeles and today, in Los Angeles, I have about four hundred relatives, of which the majority of them are still full Chinese and there there’s this spectrum9 with me on one end – there are about a dozen that look like me – but then, sort of, this spectrum all the way up to the majority being full Chinese.”
She says she is also part Irish. Like most Americans, she celebrates her ethnicities.
LISA SEE: “I think all of us here in the United States, we all had someone in our families who was brave enough, scared enough, dumb enough, crazy enough to leave their home country to come here. But there is still a part of us that is tied to our original homeland and we all share in that feeling no matter where you came from.”
Lisa See is already at work on her next book. It deals with Chinese American culture from the first half of the twentieth century. And one of her books has already made it to Hollywood. “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” will be released in movie theaters across America on July fifteenth.
Goodwill10’s Job Training Program
FAITH LAPIDUS: Many Americans donate clothes, furniture and small goods to Goodwill Industries. The non-profit group then sells them at low prices at its stores across the United States and in other countries. Money from those sales is used to provide job training for poor people and the disabled. In America, Goodwill also offers special training for immigrants. Barbara Klein has more.
BARBARA KLEIN: Yafet Deferesu from Ethiopia and Perline Rasoanoromalala from Madagascar are working on their resumes. Employers seeking workers usually ask for a copy of a resume. It gives details of the person’s educational and employment history, plus other information.
Ms. Rasoanoromalala came to the United States six months ago on a work visa. Mr. Deferesu has been in the country for thirty years. But he has trouble getting a job because he is blind in one eye and has other disabilities.
Both immigrants recently completed a three-week long, career enhancement program at Goodwill. Each hopes the experience will help them find work in a very competitive job market. Perline Rasoanoromalala praises the organization.
PERLINE RASOANOROMALALA: “Goodwill is a good support for us job seekers and also for immigrants to help us to understand how does it work here in the U.S.”
Yafet Deferesu feels the same.
YAFET DEFERESU: “Every day I come here, and every energy I see here is so positive that it promotes what I want to accomplish and finding a job.”
Ms. Rasoanoromalala has a college degree. She formerly11 worked for an American development organization in Madagascar. She would like to work for another here.
Mister Deferesu has not held a job in several years. He wants to keep financial records for a company.
They both received training at a Goodwill center in Arlington, Virginia. They learned how to discuss a job opening with a possible employer. They also learned ways to market their skills. The head of the training program, Lisa Bauer, says her students learn how to write a resume.
LISA BAUER: “Resumes are different throughout the world and here the employers really expect to see what that person has achieved, really almost asking somebody to boast about themselves, and in other countries, that’s not favored as a practice.”
Immigrants also learn that cultural differences may be misunderstood during job interviews. Behavior and body language can affect whether or not a job is offered.
PERLINE RASOANOROMALALA: “I did not know that crossing your arms is perceived a different way in the U.S. For us, it’s a sign of I’m listening carefully to you. Here maybe it’s a lack of openness.”
Goodwill has twenty-five hundred stores around the world. Most are in the United States and Canada. Jim Gibbons is the head of Goodwill Industries International. He says the organization helps trainees12 correctly measure their skills and abilities.
JIM GIBBONS: “What I think Goodwill does for the disabled and immigrants is to have high expectations, give the facts and then surround the individual with the tools and support for them to be successful.”
Perline Rasoanoromalala says that support is making her hopeful she will find a job soon.
PERLINE RASOANOROMALALA: “America is a land of opportunities, so I keep faith, and ‘cross my fingers’ as you say.”
Tony Award Nominated Musicals
FAITH LAPIDUS: Actors, directors, playwrights13 and others will gather this Sunday at the Beacon14 Theater in New York City. Many in the crowd will be hoping to hear their names called for a Tony Award, the top honor for Broadway Theater productions.
Four plays were nominated for Best Musical. One is “Catch Me If You Can,” a funny play about a likeable criminal.
(MUSIC: “Live, In Living Color”)
He tricks people into thinking he is a pilot during his run…or flight…from the law. The musical is based on a movie from two thousand two.
The musical “Sister Act” is also based on a movie. Whoopi Goldberg was the star of the nineteen ninety two movie. She is a producer of the Broadway musical.
The main character, Deloris, is placed in a witness protection program in a convent a center for Catholic religious workers. Here she sings “Take Me to Heaven.”
(MUSIC)
“The Book of Mormon” also deals with organized religion in a humorous way. It involves two young Mormons who are sent to a far away land to get more people to accept the Mormon religion as their own. The young men pray to be sent to Florida. In “Two By Two,” they find out where they really going.
(MUSIC)
A musical drama is the final nominee15. “The Scottsboro Boys” is about the trial of nine African-American young men. They were falsely accused and found guilty of the rape16 of two white girls in the nineteen thirties.
(MUSIC “Commencing in Chattanooga”)
FAITH LAPIDUS: I’m Faith Lapidus. Our program was written and produced by Caty Weaver17. Additional reporting was provided by Mike O’Sullivan and Deborah Block.
Join us again next week for music and more on AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 mosaic CEExS     
n./adj.镶嵌细工的,镶嵌工艺品的,嵌花式的
参考例句:
  • The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
  • The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。
2 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
3 doughty Jk5zg     
adj.勇猛的,坚强的
参考例句:
  • Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质:脾气倔强,性格刚强。
  • The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。
4 uncommon AlPwO     
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的
参考例句:
  • Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
  • Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。
5 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
6 astonishment VvjzR     
n.惊奇,惊异
参考例句:
  • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
  • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
7 indifference k8DxO     
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎
参考例句:
  • I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
  • He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。
8 freckles MsNzcN     
n.雀斑,斑点( freckle的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时,脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 spectrum Trhy6     
n.谱,光谱,频谱;范围,幅度,系列
参考例句:
  • This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
  • We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成,我们已了解不少。
10 goodwill 4fuxm     
n.善意,亲善,信誉,声誉
参考例句:
  • His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
  • We paid £10,000 for the shop,and £2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店,两千英镑买下了它的信誉。
11 formerly ni3x9     
adv.从前,以前
参考例句:
  • We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
  • This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
12 trainees 576ef87c519dfddb06b6987e1e66077f     
新兵( trainee的名词复数 ); 练习生; 接受训练的人; 训练中的动物
参考例句:
  • We've taken on our full complement of new trainees. 我们招收的新学员已经满额了。
  • The trainees were put through an assault course. 受训人员接受了突击训练课程。
13 playwrights 96168871b12dbe69e6654e19d58164e8     
n.剧作家( playwright的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We're studying dramatic texts by sixteenth century playwrights. 我们正在研究16 世纪戏剧作家的戏剧文本。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Hung-chien asked who the playwrights were. 鸿渐问谁写的剧本。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
14 beacon KQays     
n.烽火,(警告用的)闪火灯,灯塔
参考例句:
  • The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
  • The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。
15 nominee FHLxv     
n.被提名者;被任命者;被推荐者
参考例句:
  • His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
  • Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。
16 rape PAQzh     
n.抢夺,掠夺,强奸;vt.掠夺,抢夺,强奸
参考例句:
  • The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
  • He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。
17 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。

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