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VOA慢速英语2013 AS IT IS 2013-05-06 Florence Fights Hate Crimes

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AS IT IS 2013-05-06 Florence Fights Hate Crimes

Hello, and welcome once again to As It Is, the daily magazine show from VOA Learning English. 

I’m Christopher Cruise.

Today, we report on an effort by eight United States senators to reform the country’s immigration policies.

And we go back 76 years ago to a deadly, fiery1 crash that ended the dream of a new kind of air transportation.

But first, we report on what artists did when African migrants in the Italian city of Florence were attacked.

Florence Fights Hate Crimes Against Immigrants

Florence is world famous for its art and beauty. Less well-known is that many immigrants live there. Recently, some immigrants from Africa were attacked.

Now, a group of artists is publicizing how immigrants to Florence have affected2 its culture -- past and present. VOA correspondent Henry Ridgwell recently visited the city.

Avi Arditti has his report.

Florence is known for its beautiful architecture and works of art. The city has been at the center of Western art for many years. It was the birthplace of the Renaissance3 -- the great expansion of Western art that began in the 14th century.

Now, a group of Florentine artists is thinking about what it means to be Florentine in the 21st century. They are re-creating Renaissance paintings using photographs of the city’s immigrants.

Mark Abouzeid is an American-Lebanese photographer who lives in Florence. He helped organize the show called “The New New World.” He says the exhibit gained speed after a gunman shot and killed two Senegalese immigrants in December of 2011.

“We decided4 instead of being angry and saying everything that’s wrong, why don’t we for once just show everything that’s right, from the Renaissance when we reached out to culture to create something so beautiful the world has never forgotten, to today when -- thanks to the immigrant community -- we have a cultural renaissance taking place again.”

Elhadji Sall is from Senegal, but now lives in Florence. He sat patiently as hair stylists, costume designers and lighting5 engineers prepared him for the photo shoot.

Sal explains that in Sengal he had worked for the public water utility. He says he had everything -- a job, a wife, two children, a home. While on vacation, he met another Senegalese who lived in Florence and insisted he visit, and he says he found the most beautiful city he has ever seen.

“The New New World” exhibit can be seen at Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. The organizers plan to bring the show to other parts of Italy.

I’m Avi Arditti.

Senators Try to Change America’s Immigration Rules

A group of eight United States senators has proposed a bill aimed at reforming the rules for foreigners wishing to immigrate6 to the country. The group has members in each of the two main political parties.

The bill would give citizenship7 to the more than 11 million immigrants now said to be living in the country illegally. But it would be years before they are permitted to become American citizens. The measure would also give money to pay for increased security along the border with Mexico. And it would change the visa system to make it easier for people to come to the United States legally.

Kelly Jean Kelly has our report.

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida says the bill would greatly improve the country’s immigration system.

“First and foremost it is about modernizing8 our legal immigration system. It’s about helping9 to attract the world’s best and brightest talent and to keep the world's best and brightest talent.”

He and the other members of the group believe that both the Senate and House of Representatives can pass the measure. Other attempts at immigration reform have failed.

The bill would require illegal immigrants to pay a fine and any taxes they owe. They would also be required to learn English. And they would have to wait 13 years before they could become citizens. 

Senator Charles Schumer of New York says the country’s current immigration policies are hurting the economy.

“We turn away people from entering the country who could create thousands of jobs, and let people cross our borders who take away jobs.”

But other lawmakers strongly oppose the bill. They are worried about the effect it would have on national security and the economy.

Congressman10 Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania belongs to the Republican Party.

“We have our immigration laws for two reasons: one, to protect our national security, and two, to protect American jobs. The proposal of the Senate “Gang of Eight” violates both of those principles, will make our borders less secure and jobs harder to find at a time when 22 million Americans can’t find work.”

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

A Terrible Day, An Eyewitness11 to Horror

Finally on the program, we go back 76 years, to May 6th, 1937.     

On that day, the Hindenburg -- Germany’s huge dirigible, or airship -- exploded as it attempted to land near Lakehurst, New Jersey12. The Hindenburg was the best of Germany’s fleet of lighter-than-air craft. The airship had just flown across the Atlantic Ocean. It was floating toward its landing position when disaster struck.

Suddenly, there was an explosion, and the 245-meter-long dirigible caught fire and fell to the ground.

Reporter Herbert Morrison was doing a radio broadcast of the landing when the Hindenburg exploded. His emotional description was heard on radio stations throughout the country that night.

“It’s practically standing13 still now. They’ve dropped ropes out of the nose of the ship. The back motors of the ship are just holding it, just enough to keep it from…it burst into flames! (inaudible) It’s crashing, and it’s crashing, it’s crashing terrible. Oh my, get out of the way please. It’s burning, bursting into flames, and its falling on the mooring14 path, and all the folks in between (inaudible). But this is terrible. This is one of the worst catastrophes15 in the world. (inaudible). Oh four, five hundred feet into the sky. It’s a terrific crash ladies and gentlemen, the smoke and its flames now. And the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite to the mooring mast. Oh the humanity and all the…”

The Hindenburg had 36 passengers and 61 crew members. Thirty-five people on the ship died, and one member of the ground crew was killed. But, surprisingly, a majority of the passengers survived.

The radio broadcast and the widely-seen film of the crash led to the end of the dream to use lighter-than-air dirigibles for long-distance transportation. 

That’s As It Is for today.

Thanks to Avi Arditti and Kelly Jean Kelly for their reports.

And many thanks to you for sharing part of your day with us.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 fiery ElEye     
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的
参考例句:
  • She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
  • His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。
2 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
3 renaissance PBdzl     
n.复活,复兴,文艺复兴
参考例句:
  • The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
  • The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。
4 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。
5 lighting CpszPL     
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光
参考例句:
  • The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
  • The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。
6 immigrate haAxe     
v.(从外国)移来,移居入境
参考例句:
  • 10,000 people are expected to immigrate in the next two years.接下来的两年里预计有10,000人会移民至此。
  • Only few plants can immigrate to the island.只有很少的植物能够移植到这座岛上。
7 citizenship AV3yA     
n.市民权,公民权,国民的义务(身份)
参考例句:
  • He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生,但没有瑞典公民身分。
  • Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后,她选择了澳大利亚国籍。
8 modernizing 44bdb80e6ee4cb51b9829f1073fceee0     
使现代化,使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 ); 现代化,使用现代方法
参考例句:
  • Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化,从而达到增加利润,增强竞争力的目的,是一件复杂的事情。
  • The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。
9 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。
10 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。
11 eyewitness VlVxj     
n.目击者,见证人
参考例句:
  • The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
  • He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。
12 jersey Lp5zzo     
n.运动衫
参考例句:
  • He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
  • They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致,都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。
13 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
14 mooring 39b0ff389b80305f56aa2a4b7d7b4fb3     
n.停泊处;系泊用具,系船具;下锚v.停泊,系泊(船只)(moor的现在分词)
参考例句:
  • However, all the best mooring were occupied by local fishing boats. 凡是可以泊船的地方早已被当地渔船占去了。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
  • Her mind was shaken loose from the little mooring of logic that it had. 就像小船失去了锚,她的思绪毫无逻辑地四处漂浮,一会为这个想法难受,一会为那个念头生气。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
15 catastrophes 9d10f3014dc151d21be6612c0d467fd0     
n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 );灾难;不幸事件;困难
参考例句:
  • Two of history's worst natural catastrophes occurred in 1970. 1970年发生了历史上最严重两次自然灾害。 来自辞典例句
  • The Swiss deposits contain evidence of such catastrophes. 瑞士的遗址里还有这种灾难的证据。 来自辞典例句

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