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VOA慢速英语2011--Michelle Obama Calls Young Africans to A

时间:2011-06-24 07:08:24

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AMERICAN MOSAIC1 - Michelle Obama Calls Young Africans to Action
美国万花筒 - 奥巴马夫人呼吁非洲年青人行动起来
DOUG JOHNSON: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.
(MUSIC)
I'm Doug Johnson. This week on our show we remember saxophone player, Clarence Clemons, who died last Saturday…
And, we take you to a consumer protection fair in Maryland…
But first we tell about Michelle Obama’s visit this week to South Africa.
(MUSIC)
Michelle Obama in Africa
DOUG JOHNSON: President Obama’s wife Michelle is on a week-long trip to South Africa and Botswana. The first lady is traveling with her daughters and her mother. On Wednesday, Mrs. Obama spoke2 to young people at a church in Soweto. Shirley Griffith has more on her message that day and her visit.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The first lady spoke after a lively musical performance and comments by South African women leaders. Mrs. Obama told the crowd that they were the future of Africa.
MICHELLE OBAMA: "You can be the generation that makes the discoveries and builds the industries that will transform our economies. You can be the generation that brings opportunity and prosperity to forgotten corners of the world and banishes3 hunger from this continent forever. You can be the generation that ends HIV/AIDS in our time, the generation that fights not just the disease, but the stigma4 of the disease."
Mrs. Obama spoke directly about women’s issues on the African continent. She said Africa’s young people must make sure that the rights of women are equal to the rights of men. She also said all young people must work to end violence against women in any form and any place.
The first lady gave this message in a building famed for its part in the movement that ended apartheid -- South Africa’s policy of racial separation. Regina Mundi is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the country. Thirty-five years ago, anti-apartheid activists6 sought refuge in the church to escape violence by police. Crowds also gathered there because South African blacks were barred from attending political meetings in most public places.
Michelle Obama noted7 that history. She said the anti-apartheid struggle and America’s civil rights movement had inspired each other years ago. She said the same could be said on a personal level between herself and the young Africa women of today. She said Africa had a lot to offer the rest of the world because of the continent’s high growth rates and growing democracies.
The speech came on the first day of a workshop and conference for women across Africa. The State Department and other American government agencies organized the events. More than seventy young women from twenty-five countries took part. They explored the ideas of leadership and community service. The women were between the ages of sixteen and thirty. They represented the fields of education, health, civil society, business and the media.
Among those taking part was twenty-one year old political activist5 Quiteria Guirengane.
QUITERIA GUIRENGANE: “This is our responsibility, not only for government but our responsibility of all of us to discuss, to have this sort of opportunity, to give more opportunities for other young African women leaders.”
On Tuesday, Michelle Obama and her daughters met with Nelson Mandela, a leader of the anti-apartheid movement. He was also South Africa’s first black president. Missus Obama told reporters the experience was “powerful.”
Consumers Affairs
DOUG JOHNSON: Consumer protection is a big issue in the United States. But there is disagreement about what the government should be doing, if anything, to protect Americans from dishonest businesses and their own bad decisions. Recently, hundreds of people attended a consumer education event in Montgomery County, Maryland. Christopher Cruise has the story.
CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Congressman8 Chris Van Hollen organized the consumer education fair. He is part of the Democratic Party leadership in the House of Representatives.
About thirty local, state and federal government agencies were represented at the fair. So were some private agencies that get public money. They were all providing free information. Many of the agencies showed their websites, full of free information designed to protect consumers. Much of the information was in English and Spanish.
Visitors to the consumer fair could learn how to buy a used car, how to select health and life insurance policies and how to save on prescription9 medicines. They could also learn how to prevent identity theft, how to understand their telephone bill, and even how to choose between competing cable television systems.
Some Americans want their government to provide a lot of consumer protection information. And some expect their government to be strong in protecting people from dishonest business practices and tricky10 con-artists. They want information they can trust, and many believe that information provided by governments is unbiased and trustworthy.
State and national officials spoke at the consumer fair. Douglas Gansler is the top government lawyer in Maryland. He says consumers need the government’s protection from dishonest businesses.
DOUGLAS GANSLER: “By the very nature of capitalism11, it’s free-flowing and unregulated. The problem is of course when you have a capitalist society you’re going to have people that take advantage of it, and take advantage of people. And there are some insidious12 people out there that will do these types of things and you have to capture them.”
John McCarthy is the elected State’s Attorney for Montgomery County. His job is fighting crime. He believes consumer fairs help people protect themselves.
JOHN MCCARTHY: “Public education is our greatest tool - arming people with knowledge about the ways in which common criminal enterprises have tried to take advantage of them.”
Mark Calabria was a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush. He is now the Director of Financial Regulation Studies at the Cato Institute. He says government officials believe they should spend money educating consumers and providing classes in what is called “financial literacy.” But he says such training did little to keep people from losing money during the recession.
Mister Calabria says there is a danger in government providing so much free consumer information. He fears that consumers will come to believe that the government has made judgments13 about products or investments. As a result, some people feel little need to do any investigating of their own.
MARK CALABRIA: “You are undermining the incentives14 for the consumer to make decisions and do their own research…I think we’re lulling15 people into a sense of false safety and at the end of the day I think they’re becoming worse off because of it.”
You can find links to consumer protection publication and pictures of the Montgomery County consumer fair at voaspecialenglish.com.
Clarence Clemons
DOUG JOHNSON: The United States lost a favorite musician last week. Clarence “Big Man” Clemons died on Saturday, a week after he suffered a stroke.
Clarence Clemons played saxophone in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band for forty years. His performances in many Springsteen songs were memorable16. But Clemons also was a calm and constant spirit in the band.
(MUSIC)
That is “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” with Clarence Clemons on the saxophone. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band recorded the song in nineteen seventy-three for the album, “The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle17.” It was just two years after Springsteen and Clemons met.
How the two men first met is now famous. Clemons went to a club where the Springsteen Band was playing. Clemons said the night was rainy and windy. He opened the door, and the wind tore it off from the wall and blew it away. Clemons said the whole band was looking at him in the opening in the wall. He told the group “I want to play with your band.” Springsteen was maybe a little shaken by the “Big Man’s” exciting entrance. Clemons said the band leader said “Sure, you do anything you want.”
That moment was captured in the words to Springsteen’s song “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.”
(MUSIC)
Clarence Clemons was born in the coastal18 area of Virginia in nineteen forty-two. His musical future began with the surprise Christmas gift of a saxophone when he was nine.
Clemons died at his home in Florida on June eighteenth. He was sixty-nine years old.
Bruce Springsteen said he had lost his great friend and partner. He called the loss “immeasurable.” We leave you with the Big Man, Bruce Springsteen and the rest of the E Street Band performing “Born to Run.”
I’m Doug Johnson. Our program was written by Chris Cruise and Caty Weaver19, who was also the producer. Join us again next week for music and more on AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.
词汇学习
1.lively a.活泼的,活跃的;栩栩如生的,真实的
2.transform vt.vi.改变
例句:The sofa can transform for use as a bed.
      这个沙发可改作床用。
      Marriage has completely transformed her.
      结婚使她完全改变了。
3.prosperity n.兴旺, 繁荣
例句:The new agreement raised hopes for conditions of prosperity and harmony.
      新的协议唤起了人们对繁荣与和谐前景的期望。
4.stigma n.耻辱的标记, 瑕疵
例句:It's a stigma to ask for money.
      要钱是一种耻辱。
5.inspire vt.鼓舞, 激励
例句:His speech inspired the crowd.
      他的演说鼓舞了群众。
6.undermine v.暗中破坏; 逐渐削弱
例句:Illness undermined his strength.
      疾病逐渐削弱了他的力气。
      Many severe colds undermined the old man's health.
     多次严重的感冒损害了老人的健康。
短语学习
1.Visitors to the consumer fair could learn how to buy a used car, how to select health and life insurance policies and how to save on prescription medicines.
save on节省
例句:Living there will save on fuel.
      住在那可节省燃料费。
2.By the very nature of capitalism, it's free-flowing and unregulated. The problem is of course when you have a capitalist society you're going to have people that take advantage of it, and take advantage of people.
take advantage of利用
例句:You should take advantage of it.
      你应该好好利用这个机会。


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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 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
3 banishes ebee0cb224c5d094a949e0f38cb605a5     
v.放逐,驱逐( banish的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Work banishes those three great evils: boredom, vice, and poverty.(Voltaire, French philosopher) 工作撵跑三个魔鬼:无聊、堕落和贫穷。(法国哲学家伏尔基泰) 来自互联网
  • The Consumer: It Banishes Uterine Fibroids, but for How Long? 消费者:它驱逐子宫的纤维瘤,但是为多久? 来自互联网
4 stigma WG2z4     
n.耻辱,污名;(花的)柱头
参考例句:
  • Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
  • The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。
5 activist gyAzO     
n.活动分子,积极分子
参考例句:
  • He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
  • He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。
6 activists 90fd83cc3f53a40df93866d9c91bcca4     
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
  • Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
8 Congressman TvMzt7     
n.(美)国会议员
参考例句:
  • He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
  • The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
9 prescription u1vzA     
n.处方,开药;指示,规定
参考例句:
  • The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
  • The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。
10 tricky 9fCzyd     
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的
参考例句:
  • I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手,你能帮我吗?
  • He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题,只做了个笼统的表述。
11 capitalism er4zy     
n.资本主义
参考例句:
  • The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
  • Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。
12 insidious fx6yh     
adj.阴险的,隐匿的,暗中为害的,(疾病)不知不觉之间加剧
参考例句:
  • That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
  • Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。
13 judgments 2a483d435ecb48acb69a6f4c4dd1a836     
判断( judgment的名词复数 ); 鉴定; 评价; 审判
参考例句:
  • A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
  • He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。
14 incentives 884481806a10ef3017726acf079e8fa7     
激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 ); 刺激; 诱因; 动机
参考例句:
  • tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
  • Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者,提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
15 lulling 527d7d72447246a10d6ec5d9f7d047c6     
vt.使镇静,使安静(lull的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Ellen closed her eyes and began praying, her voice rising and falling, lulling and soothing. 爱伦闭上眼睛开始祷告,声音时高时低,像催眠又像抚慰。 来自飘(部分)
16 memorable K2XyQ     
adj.值得回忆的,难忘的,特别的,显著的
参考例句:
  • This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
  • The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。
17 shuffle xECzc     
n.拖著脚走,洗纸牌;v.拖曳,慢吞吞地走
参考例句:
  • I wish you'd remember to shuffle before you deal.我希望在你发牌前记得洗牌。
  • Don't shuffle your feet along.别拖着脚步走。
18 coastal WWiyh     
adj.海岸的,沿海的,沿岸的
参考例句:
  • The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
  • This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
19 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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