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VOA慢速英语2013 声音专家与耳聋作斗争

时间:2013-08-08 13:27:47

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AS IT IS 2013-08-03 Sound Expert Races Against Deafness声音专家与耳聋作斗争

Hello there, I’m June Simms and this is As It Is!

Recycling efforts are increasing around the world as people consider new ways to preserve the world’s limited resources. These recycling efforts are no longer limited to paper, plastic and cans. Today we hear how fabric1 scraps2 and used clothing are also being given new life.

But first, we hear about a man who is in a race against time to record the sounds of nature.

Our world is a noisy place, filled with the sounds of traffic, airplanes, machines and people. But quiet places remain, if you know where to look. Eight years ago, audio engineer Gordon Hempton identified the quietest place in the continental4 United States. He calls the place “One Square Inch of Silence.” He has used this symbolic5 spot in a northwestern rain forest to campaign against noise pollution. But the self-described “Sound Tracker” is now going deaf. Steve Ember reports.

For Gordon Hempton, it started with an experience known to many people. He had to repeatedly ask “What? What did you say?” Then his hearing got worse.

“I was laying in bed in the springtime about a year ago. The sun was shining. The birds could be singing. They should be singing. And I was hearing none.”

Hempton leaned over to his partner at their home in a wooded, rural neighborhood on Washington’s Puget Sound.

“And I said, 'Kate, do you hear birdsong?' And she said yes. I knew my life was going to be different.”

Hempton's eyes get watery6 as he describes the cruel irony7 of his situation. More than twenty years ago he trademarked his nickname as “The Sound Tracker.” Sharp hearing defined his career as an Emmy award winning sound recordist. It also led to his activism against noise pollution.

He has circled the globe three times in search of the perfect sounds of nature.

Those are howler monkeys in a tropical rain forest in Belize. Closer to home, coyotes howl in an eastern Washington canyon8.

He also found places so quiet that he could hear the soft sound of a hummingbird's wings.

Hempton says his hearing loss is quickly getting worse; creating what he says is a “real urgency” to finish his project.

“I'm not totally deaf. But I have lost most of my hearing. So I am running a race to finish the Quiet Planet collection.”

That's the title of a planned 19-volume set of nature recordings9.

Volunteer assistants now help Hempton review and edit sound files and identify imperfections.

“I miss it. I feel so connected when I can listen to the place I am. And the difference between hearing where you are and not is like the difference between being awake and not.”

The exact cause of his hearing loss is not clear. Doctors say it may be the result of an infection, or a tumor10 or a combination of things. More tests are needed.

Hempton is self-employed. He says his health care plan does not pay for hearing loss treatment. So, for now, he's directing his attention to completing his “greatest hits” album.

“After I get Quiet Planet finished, out there and I have an economic cash flow to get my hearing back, then we're going to do it. That's the first thing on my to-do list.”

The Sound Tracker says he's hopeful his hearing loss can be reversed. I'm Steve Ember.

And I’m June Simms. You are listening to As It Is from VOA Learning English.

Giving New Life to Yesterday’s Fashions 

The clothes at most dress shops are ready to wear, but not at Ginger11 Root. Charlie Heck is a regular customer. The store’s owners turn old dresses that she bought at a thrift12 store into stylish13 new outfits14.

“The problem with clothing nowadays is that it seems to be standard sizing. And if you don’t fit into that exact standard sizing that the clothing doesn’t fit well. But then I can come in here and spend a little bit of money and get it to fit my body.”

For her, recycling and repurposing is a way of life. She promotes it as the editor of the magazine Luri and Wilma.

“We profile eco-friendly designers.”

These include designers like Kristen Swenson and Erin Derge. The two friends opened Ginger Root two years ago. The store specializes in turning yesterday's fashions into 21st century styles.

Ms. Swenson says there are many creative ways to turn an old piece of clothing into something new and exciting.

“Sometimes you can just get away with hemming15 something and that’s all it needs. Otherwise, you can hem3 it, remove the sleeves, take in the waist and that’s good. Or sometimes we'll take dresses and turn them into blouses.”

Ms. Derge says redesigning old clothing is often interesting, sometimes challenging and always fun.

“It’s kind of like sculpture. It sort of feels like that like, you’re kind of chipping away at this fabric, cutting out the damaged parts. It’s kind of fun. It feels kind of like archeology when you open up a jacket and see the way someone else worked on it. It teaches you more about your own craft.”

Turning neckties into bow ties was Mariama Bramble’s hobby. Now it's her business.

Ms. Bramble sells her bowties online under the brand name Brownbelle. She says the fact that they are recycled makes them more marketable.

“I definitely see that people are appreciating something that is a little bit more unique. It's not mass produced, so it's a little bit more special.”

Ginger Root’s Erin Derge agrees. She says the demand for environmentally friendly fashion is increasing. So too is her feeling that she’s making a difference in the industry.

“The fashion industry has so much waste associated with it. So much fabric is thrown out, so many dyes and things that can really affect the environment. And it feels really good to be able to be a part of the industry, but on our terms.”

For her and other eco-friendly designers, green fashion is more than a passing trend. It is a style for a lifetime.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 fabric 3hezG     
n.织物,织品,布;构造,结构,组织
参考例句:
  • The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
  • I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。
2 scraps 737e4017931b7285cdd1fa3eb9dd77a3     
油渣
参考例句:
  • Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
  • A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。
3 hem 7dIxa     
n.贴边,镶边;vt.缝贴边;(in)包围,限制
参考例句:
  • The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
  • The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。
4 continental Zazyk     
adj.大陆的,大陆性的,欧洲大陆的
参考例句:
  • A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
  • The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。
5 symbolic ErgwS     
adj.象征性的,符号的,象征主义的
参考例句:
  • It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
  • The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。
6 watery bU5zW     
adj.有水的,水汪汪的;湿的,湿润的
参考例句:
  • In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
  • Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏,她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。
7 irony P4WyZ     
n.反语,冷嘲;具有讽刺意味的事,嘲弄
参考例句:
  • She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
  • In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。
8 canyon 4TYya     
n.峡谷,溪谷
参考例句:
  • The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
  • The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。
9 recordings 22f9946cd05973582e73e4e3c0239bb7     
n.记录( recording的名词复数 );录音;录像;唱片
参考例句:
  • a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
  • old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐
10 tumor fKxzm     
n.(肿)瘤,肿块(英)tumour
参考例句:
  • He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
  • The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。
11 ginger bzryX     
n.姜,精力,淡赤黄色;adj.淡赤黄色的;vt.使活泼,使有生气
参考例句:
  • There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
  • Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。
12 thrift kI6zT     
adj.节约,节俭;n.节俭,节约
参考例句:
  • He has the virtues of thrift and hard work.他具备节俭和勤奋的美德。
  • His thrift and industry speak well for his future.他的节俭和勤勉预示着他美好的未来。
13 stylish 7tNwG     
adj.流行的,时髦的;漂亮的,气派的
参考例句:
  • He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
  • What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。
14 outfits ed01b85fb10ede2eb7d337e0ea2d0bb3     
n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 );一套服装;集体;组织v.装备,配置设备,供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
  • Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具,因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句
15 hemming c6fed4b4e8e7be486b6f9ff17821e428     
卷边
参考例句:
  • "Now stop hemming and hawing, and tell me about it, Edward. "别再这个那个的啦,跟我说说吧,爱德华。 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
  • All ideas of stopping holes and hemming in the German intruders are vicious. 一切想要堵塞缺口和围困德国侵略军的办法都是错误的。

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