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VOA慢速英语2012 THIS IS AMERICA - Clowning Around; Making Magic; Hair Care for Less

时间:2012-10-08 03:19:39

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THIS IS AMERICA - Clowning Around; Making Magic; Hair Care for Less

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I’m Barbara Klein.

And I’m Christopher Cruise1. Clowning has been a part of show business for hundreds of years, across many cultures. In the circus, at theaters or birthday parties, clowns bring laughter to young and old. This week, we look at the people who wear the colorful wigs3, big shoes and red noses. We also hear from a young magician4. And later in our program, we learn about a business gaining in popularity5 across the country.

Clowning Around

The main idea behind clowning is the same today as it was in ancient times.

“Clowns don’t normally tell a lot of jokes, they are the joke.”

Elena Day is director and co-producer of a multi-media production called On the Nose. In the show, clowns Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell play a professor and his assistant.

“He’s trying to give a lecture. He’s already studied. He knows everything.”

Their performance includes parts of a film documentary6 about clowning.

“You see on the video, you see these clowns interviewed, talking very seriously, well - not always seriously, but they are talking about clowning, the intellectual side, the theory and the issues of clowning.”

Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell are husband and wife in real life. They also operate a performance company called Happenstance Theater. Sabrina Mandell says their two worlds are interconnected.

“It’s there all the time. Like sometimes we take off the makeup7 and we’re walking around and we’re still a clown. So, I love it.”

Clown and actor Matthew Pauli says face paint is an important part of a clown’s identity. To him, the paint does not cover the face, but is instead more like a magnifying8 glass.

“The white is very specifically a lot like putting a little spot light on a part of your face. I white around my mouth a little bit so that the movement and expression of my mouth is easy to see from a distance. But I would never paint on a smile or a frown, or a particular facial expression because then I’m limited.”

Elena Day says interacting9 with people is what makes clowning a unique performing experience. But she says it also is serious business that takes training and education.

“Many of the top universities teach clowning now. They teach theatrical10 clowning."

She notes that modern clowns might not always look like the performers of the past, but they are continuing a tradition.

“The clown may not be wearing white face makeup, crazy wig2, they may not even wear the red nose and yet all of the other qualities of clowning are there.”

Mark Jaster says those qualities include the ability to connect with crowds through facial expressions and physical skill, and -- a sense of humor.

“Mime became an important element of the clowning because of the language barrier. A kick in the seat of the pants is funny in any language, providing it is somebody else’s pants.”

Making Magic

Magic tricks are nearly as old as written history. In modern times, magic is a stage show where buildings can disappear and women are cut in half. But it is more than just smoke and mirrors. It is about the show and the magician.

“I’m Josh Norris and I’m going to show you a really cool trick that you can do with a toothpick. In a moment we’ll come back, and I’ll actually teach you how it’s done, but first, check it out! Gone. All you’ve got to do is reach up in the air and grab11 it.” 

Some people spend a lifetime in search of a calling. But sometimes it just comes naturally.

Josh Norris spends a lot of his time performing magic tricks for his family and friends.

“I’ve been doing magic since I was 12 years old… but right away I knew this was something I wanted to do the rest of my life.” 

But he says the real magic is in the show…

“Do you have a fruit or vegetable in mind? Take a look at it.

“Oh, it’s ripe, yeah?? Okay, okay, you got a good one. Drop it in the bag. Drop it in the bag.”

“It’s really about the performer and his character. Each performer has his own style.”

“What is the fruit or vegetable that you’re thinking of?”

“A lime12.”

“A lime. Inside the bag, I reach down and I get, check this out, a little lime.”

But he pulls out an egg.

“It’s not really about the tricks that he does… but the way that they do them and the story that they tell.”

“Reach down inside and show them the egg.”

“Let me try one last time… Inside the bag we get… a lime.”

“Everyone in my entire life has told me I’m crazy, yeah, except for my family.”

That is partly because Josh Norris graduated with honors from the University of Maryland. He rejected several job offers and decided13 on a career as a magician.

“It wasn’t crazy, because this is something I loved, and what’s crazy about pursuing your passion?”

It is a spirit of showmanship that keeps Josh performing, and the crowd in its seats. This night, however, he performs for some special guests…

“The president of the United States of America… Barack Obama! … You all looked!”

“Barack Obama, ladies and gentlemen!”

Even if that is a trick, too. Because sometimes the show is about the performer, and not as much the trick.

Blow-Dry Bar

Since the economic problems of two thousand eight, surviving has been difficult for businesses in many industries. But in Los Angeles, one kind of business that has grown during recession14 times is the blow-dry bar.

A blow-dry bar is not your usual hair care salon15. The workers at Dry Bar do not cut or color hair. Their goal is to make everyone look like a star with a top quality shampoo and blow dry. The price for everything is thirty-five dollars.

College student Adrienne Zubia loves this kind of service.

“It is such a good deal that I am willing to set aside thirty-five dollars every week for it. So I save my money on meals, because this is more worth it for me than going out to eat."

Ali Webb is the founder16 of Dry Bar.

“We feel like we are not selling blow-outs. We are selling happiness and confidence that comes with a great blow-out, and I think women everywhere want to feel that way.”

Ali Webb opened her first blow-dry salon in Los Angeles. 

“I found that there was a really big hole in the marketplace. There was either a high-end salon where you’re paying upwards17 of $80, $90, $100 or there was the discount chain where you kind of don’t know what you are getting, and I just felt like we needed a place where you can go in and get a great blow-out at a great price.”

Hollywood stars including Julia Roberts and Cindy Crawford have gone to Dry Bar for get their hair styled. Business has been so good that in just two years, Ms. Webb has set up a total of sixteen blow-dry businesses across the United States. By the end of next year, she expects to open nine more. 

But Dry Bar is not the only hair salon of its kind to find success. Gretty Hasson owns MyBlow LA.

“They are popping up every single day in a different location and they are everywhere all across the U.S."

Gretty Hasson started the business two years ago.

“We realized it was a big trend that started. It was in San Francisco, in Canada and some in New York of these blow-dry bars opening up, and we realized what better place than Beverly Hills to open one up. We opened up during the recession time. It actually helped us in a way, a lot, because women who were going and getting their hair done once a week and paying $70 were now able to go and get their hair done twice a week and pay $70. And women who weren’t really able to get their hair done for $70 were now able to go and get their hair done for $35.”

She will soon be opening her second blow-dry bar. 

Many blow-dry bars offer women a spa-like treatment. A visit may include sparkling18 wine and something to eat. Some salons19 even play movies. Susanna Brisk20 says she likes the ability to get good service without paying a lot.

“I am a writer, actor, mom kind of person. I am not a lady who ‘lunches.’ I am not going to go and get $500 hair cuts every week. So yeah, I love it. I think it is really good.”

Gretty Hasson says blow-dry bars are not just a popular trend. She expects them to be on every street in every city, in the not so distant future. 


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 cruise 2nhzw     
v.巡航,航游,缓慢巡行;n.海上航游
参考例句:
  • They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
  • She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。
2 wig 1gRwR     
n.假发
参考例句:
  • The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
  • He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。
3 wigs 53e7a1f0d49258e236f1a412f2313400     
n.假发,法官帽( wig的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • They say that wigs will be coming in again this year. 据说今年又要流行戴假发了。 来自辞典例句
  • Frank, we needed more wigs than we thought, and we have to do some advertising. 弗兰克,因为我们需要更多的假发,而且我们还要做点广告。 来自电影对白
4 magician 287zL     
n.魔术师,变戏法的人,术士
参考例句:
  • With a wave of his hand,the magician made the rabbit vanish.魔术师手一挥兔子便不见了。
  • The magician transformed the man into a rabbit.魔术师把那个人变成了兔子。
5 popularity bO4xU     
n.普及,流行,名望,受欢迎
参考例句:
  • The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
  • Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。
6 documentary wsxx5     
adj.文献的;n.纪录片
参考例句:
  • This case lacked documentary proof.本案缺少书面证据。
  • I watched a documentary on the Civil War.我看了一部关于内战的纪录片。
7 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织;性格;化装品
参考例句:
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗?
8 magnifying 034e3f0a47b1b761a42e4e7bb21d3b80     
放大的
参考例句:
  • Fame is a magnifying-glass. 名誉是放大镜。
  • It is unusual for people to press their differences by magnifying them. 对人们来说,以夸大差异的方式强调差异是不正常的。
9 interacting Jq3zFP     
adj.相互影响的;相互作用的
参考例句:
  • The interacting surfaces were lubricated with a mineral oil. 相互作用表面是用矿物油润滑的。
  • Proteins which have two separate but interacting sites are called allosteric proteins. 这种具有两个不同而又相互作用位置的蛋白质叫做变构蛋白质。
10 theatrical pIRzF     
adj.剧场的,演戏的;做戏似的,做作的
参考例句:
  • The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果,叫人失望。
  • She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。
11 grab ef0xd     
vt./n.攫取,抓取;vi.攫取,抓住(at)
参考例句:
  • It is rude to grab a seat.抢占座位是不礼貌的。
  • The thief made a grab at my bag but I pushed him away.贼想抢我的手提包,但被我推开了。
12 lime URIzd     
n.石灰,酸橙,酸橙树,粘鸟胶,钙;vt.施石灰,涂上粘性物质,沾上粘鸟胶
参考例句:
  • Lime exists in many soils.许多土壤中都含有石灰。
  • A broad avenue of lime trees led up to a grand entrance with huge oak doors.一条栽有酸橙树的宽阔林阴道通向巨大的橡木门的雄伟入口。
13 decided lvqzZd     
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。
14 recession GAozC     
n.(工商业的)衷退(期),萧条(期)
参考例句:
  • Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响,制造业急剧衰退。
  • A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。
15 salon VjTz2Z     
n.[法]沙龙;客厅;营业性的高级服务室
参考例句:
  • Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗?
  • You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。
16 Founder wigxF     
n.创始者,缔造者
参考例句:
  • He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
  • According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说,罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。
17 upwards lj5wR     
adv.向上,在更高处...以上
参考例句:
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
18 sparkling xvYwy     
adj.发火花的,闪亮的;灿烂的,活泼的;闪闪发光的,闪烁的;起泡沫的v.闪光,闪耀(sparkle的现在分词)
参考例句:
  • the calm and sparkling waters of the lake 平静的波光粼粼的湖水
  • Other sparkling wines are often considered the poor relations of champagne. 其他起泡的葡萄酒通常被认为较香槟酒为次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 salons 71f5df506205527f72f05e3721322d5e     
n.(营业性质的)店( salon的名词复数 );厅;沙龙(旧时在上流社会女主人家的例行聚会或聚会场所);(大宅中的)客厅
参考例句:
  • He used to attend to his literary salons. 他过去常常去参加他的文学沙龙。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Conspiracy theories about Jewish financiers were the talk of Paris salons. 犹太金融家阴谋论成为巴黎沙龙的话题。 来自互联网
20 brisk Ss7zp     
adj.轻快的,生气勃勃的,(天气等)令人振作的
参考例句:
  • The actress is walking at a brisk pace.那位女演员正以轻快的步伐走着。
  • It's great to work outdoors during brisk fall days.清爽的秋日里在户外工作是很愉快的。

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