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VOA慢速英语2013 AMERICAN MOSAIC - Ancient "Declaration of Human Rights" on Display in Washington, DC

时间:2013-03-17 13:47:47

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AMERICAN MOSAIC1 - Ancient "Declaration of Human Rights" on Display in Washington, DC

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

I’m June Simms.

On the show today, we hear new music from “outlaw2” Shooter Jennings.

And, we answer a question about the meaning of Washington, DC.

But first we here about a public showing in that city of a very old and important object.

Cyrus Cylinder3

In 1879, British scientists discovered an important, ancient object at an archaeological dig in what is now Iraq. The small, simple clay cylinder is covered in cuneiform writing. Many experts believe the writing is the world’s first declaration of human rights. The cylinder is now on display for the first time in Washington, DC. Jim Tedder4 has more on this highly valued piece of history.

The object called the Cyrus Cylinder is about 2,600 years old. The cylinder was found at the bottom of a religious center in what was the ancient city-state of Babylon. The writings on it are orders declared by King Cyrus the Great of Persia. 

Neil McGregor is the director of the British Museum in London.

“Why this object is so important is because it’s probably the first time in human history that we have evidence of a ruler thinking about how you manage a society with people of different traditions, different languages, different ethnicities, and, above all, different religions.”

King Cyrus captured Babylon more than 25 centuries ago. He controlled the largest empire, or state, in history. John Curtis organized the Cyrus Cylinder exhibit in Washington. He says the clay object provides a look into the moral leadership of King Cyrus.

“First of all, Cyrus says that he captured Babylon peacefully – he didn’t burn the city, raze5 it to the ground, as was the general custom at that time. And he actually says in the Cylinder that he allowed the inhabitants of Babylon to go about their business in peace.”

The cylinder is described in Christianity’s holy book, the Bible. King Cyrus also permitted the newly captured people to practice, or exercise, whatever religion they wished. And he permitted displaced Jews to return to their homeland.

Neil McGregor says it is interesting to consider these actions in connection with the current tensions between Israel and Iran.

“For Jews through the millennia6, Cyrus has always been a hero, and the Persian Empire has always been the great moment in history for the Jews and for the recovery of Jerusalem. So it’s surprising, if you like, that relations are now so difficult. And the same also, of course, with the relations between Iran and the United States because when the founding fathers of the United States are framing the Constitution they opt7 for the model of Cyrus, who has a view that different faiths should co-exist but government should not endorse8 any of them.”

Thomas Jefferson is said to have owned two copies of a biography of Cyrus by the ancient Greek historian Xenophon. Many historians believe the book influenced Jefferson as he wrote the American Declaration of Independence.

The Cyrus Cylinder is a permanent part of the British Museum in London. This is the first time it has been shown in America. It can be seen at the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries in Washington. After it leaves the galleries, the cylinder and other ancient objects will travel to four other American cities. Curator John Curtis says the combination helps provide a full picture of ancient Persia.

“What I would hope to get out of the exhibition is to show people what a very sophisticated civilization there was in ancient Persia – in ancient Iran – and to give some idea of the strong influence that it had on the development of civilization, not just in the ancient Near East, but, actually in the whole world.”

Museum officials hope visitors to the Cyrus Cylinder exhibit will understand that civil rights and religious freedom are deeply rooted in human history.

A listener recently e-mailed us to ask what Washington, D.C. means. Here’s the answer.

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. The city is also known simply as Washington. It was named for the country’s first president, George Washington.

That story goes back to the beginning of the United States more than two hundred years ago. The states approved a constitution in seventeen eighty-eight. But they could not decide where to build the permanent capital. Northern states did not want the capital in the South because slavery existed there. The southern states did not want the capital in the North.

Finally, after much negotiation9, the United States Congress agreed to build the capital along the Potomac River between the states of Virginia and Maryland. The city would be built in a federal area on land provided by the two states. The city would be called Washington. The larger federal area would be named the District of Columbia.

Columbia was another name for the United States, used mostly by poets and other writers. The name came from Christopher Columbus, the explorer. So the city became known as Washington, the District of Columbia or Washington, D.C.

Many other places in the United States are named after President George Washington. They include the western state of Washington and the town of Washington, Pennsylvania. In fact, twenty-four different American states have towns named Washington.

Many other townships and counties within states are also called Washington. And at least fifteen mountains in the United States are called Mount Washington. So you can find many places in the United States called Washington, but only one called Washington, D.C. 

Shooter Jennings

American country music artist Shooter Jennings released a new album this week. Some critics say “The Other Life,” his sixth album, is his best work yet. Caty Weaver10 tells about the record and plays some of its songs.

Shooter Jennings makes what is called “outlaw” country music. It has roots in the 1960s. It started when critics accused country artists of going soft in their music and in the subjects they sang about.

Artists like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Shooter Jennings’ father Waylon were leaders in the outlaw style. They sang about drugs, drinking, jail and failed love.

Shooter Jennings follows in his father’s musical footsteps. Here is “Gunslinger” from “The Other Life.”

The title track of “The Other Life” tells about the hard reality of trying to mix the life of a musician with that of a family man.

Several guest artists perform on the new album. Scott H. Biram sings with Jennings on “The White Trash Song.” Jim Dandy joins him on “15 Million Light-Years Away.” And Shooter Jennings shares the beautiful song “Wild and Lonesome” with singer Patti Griffin.


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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 outlaw 1J0xG     
n.歹徒,亡命之徒;vt.宣布…为不合法
参考例句:
  • The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
  • The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。
3 cylinder rngza     
n.圆筒,柱(面),汽缸
参考例句:
  • What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少?
  • The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。
4 tedder 2833afc4f8252d8dc9f8cd73b24db55d     
n.(干草)翻晒者,翻晒机
参考例句:
  • Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆?特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
  • Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆?泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网
5 raze wTDxH     
vt.铲平,把(城市、房屋等)夷为平地,拆毁
参考例句:
  • The nuclear weapons stored by the United States alone are sufficient to raze the planet.仅美国储存的核武器就足以毁灭地球。
  • The earthquake made the city raze to the ground.地震把这个城市夷为平地。
6 millennia 3DHxf     
n.一千年,千禧年
参考例句:
  • For two millennia, exogamy was a major transgression for Jews. 两千年来,异族通婚一直是犹太人的一大禁忌。
  • In the course of millennia, the dinosaurs died out. 在几千年的时间里,恐龙逐渐死绝了。
7 opt a4Szv     
vi.选择,决定做某事
参考例句:
  • They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
  • Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗?
8 endorse rpxxK     
vt.(支票、汇票等)背书,背署;批注;同意
参考例句:
  • No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
  • I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。
9 negotiation FGWxc     
n.谈判,协商
参考例句:
  • They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判,他们的食糖生意成交了。
  • The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。
10 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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