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VOA慢速英语 2007 0117b

时间:2007-07-05 03:26:10

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(单词翻译)

VOICE ONE:

I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Mario Ritter with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. We continue our series about ways older Americans are keeping mentally active. Today, we tell about lifelong learning programs.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:


Members of an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Yavapai College in Arizona

Older Americans who are either retired1 or reaching retirement2 age are concerned about keeping active when they leave their jobs. They know that staying physically3 and mentally active is necessary for good health.

It is easy for an individual to get exercise by walking, swimming or bicycling. But keeping mentally active is easier in a group. So, many programs have been created for aging Americans where they can continue to learn and experience new things.

VOICE TWO:

There are many education programs in communities across the United States. More than three hundred fifty of these learning programs belong to the Elderhostel Institute Network. It is part of Elderhostel, an organization that provides travel and learning experiences for hundreds of thousands of older Americans every year.

VOICE ONE:

Programs in the Elderhostel Institute Network are connected with the colleges and universities in the communities. Yet they are independent. Members elect leaders and help make decisions about what will be taught and by whom. There are no tests to take or papers to write. Anyone over the age of fifty can pay to belong. People do not have to travel to take the courses.

The Elderhostel Institute Network provides an Internet Web site where groups from all over the United States can exchange experiences. It helps organize conferences and offers advice for people wanting to start new programs.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Some community-based education programs for people over fifty-five are called Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes. Many of these programs also belong to the Elderhostel Institute Network. The difference is that the Bernard Osher Foundation gives money to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes to help support them.

Bernard Osher was born in the state of Maine. He was a very successful businessman. He started a foundation thirty years ago to give money to help educational and cultural organizations in Maine and in California.

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen ninety-seven, the University of Southern Maine invited older adults who lived in the area to a meeting to talk about an exciting new chance to learn. The program would offer study groups and discussions on many different subjects, but there would be no tests or grades. It would be open to people who were at least fifty years old. Organizers expected one hundred fifty people to attend. Five hundred showed up.

The program, known as Senior College, quickly became successful. In two thousand one, the Osher Foundation provided financial support that let the program expand its offerings to almost one thousand adults. The University of Southern Maine's Senior College became the first Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. A national movement had begun.

VOICE TWO:

Mary Bitterman is president of the Bernard Osher Foundation. She says Bernard Osher always placed a high value on education. He had been giving financial assistance to people who wanted to continue their education but lacked money.

Miz Bitterman says Mister Osher became interested in supporting educational programs for older people when he visited his hometown in Maine in two thousand. He found differences among his friends. Some were inactive and depressed4. Others were lively and happy. They were attending Senior College at the University of Southern Maine. Miz Bitterman says Mister Osher was surprised that people could gain so much by learning new things every day.

VOICE ONE:


Osher members at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Mister Osher decided5 his Foundation should support the development of more learning communities of older adults. He wanted to create Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in as many states as possible and to be in different kinds of communities. Mary Bitterman says the Osher Foundation gives one hundred thousand dollars a year for up to four years to the programs that are accepted as members.

An Osher Lifelong Learning Institute may request a grant of one million dollars for its long term needs when it has about five hundred members and is offering college level courses. So far, seventeen of them have received the grants.

VOICE TWO:

Mary Bitterman thinks that the lifelong learning movement is just beginning. Americans today are living longer. Yet she says the important issue is not how long we live but how many exciting, productive6 years we have ahead of us.

Miz Bitterman says that taking part in Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes gives people energy. It confirms the importance of continued personal development. She says it lets older people feel that every day there is the possibility of learning something new that will open doors to a new life.

VOICE ONE:

Kali Lightfoot is executive7 director of the National Resource Center for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes. The center is at the University of Southern Maine.

Miz Lightfoot says there are now almost one hundred Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in about forty states. More than forty thousand people are members of them.

The resource center helps member groups exchange information about their problems, solutions and experiences. They do so through an Internet Web site, national conferences and a research journal.

VOICE TWO:

Miz Lightfoot says she has discovered that lifelong learners are looking to the future and not living in the past. One example, she says, is a ninety-three year old member who talks about how excited she is to be learning about Afghanistan. This woman forgets about the difficulty she has climbing the stairs to the classroom.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Thirty adults fill the hallway in a university building in Washington, D.C. talking and drinking coffee. They are having loud, lively discussions about current international and national events. They are on a short break from their class, News in Context8, a very popular offering of the Osher Lifetime Learning Institute at American University.

The class is part of the continuing education program at American University. It began in nineteen eighty-two as the Institute for Learning in Retirement. It is a new member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

VOICE TWO:

Sidney Steinitz is chairman of its Board of Directors. He says the name has changed, but nothing else has. Fifty courses are offered in the autumn and fifty different courses in the spring. Each course meets for two hours once a week for eight to ten weeks.

Mister Steinitz says members decide what will be taught. They find the study group leaders or teachers. Study group leaders are experts in the subjects. Some have taught in colleges or high schools. Others have knowledge of the subject from their work. Still others have become experts by learning on their own.

Teachers are not paid. They teach because they are interested in sharing their knowledge and learning from other members. Some of the teachers are members of the group. Mister Steinitz was a lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission9 before he retired. Now he teaches courses on Great Books, a subject he loves.

VOICE ONE:

Anne Wallace is executive director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at American University. She says the subjects of most courses are similar to what is taught at colleges. They include history, politics, philosophy, archeology, science and literature.

Courses taught by retired scientists about the universe, genetic10 research and the history of science are always popular. Other popular courses include Understanding the Information Age taught by a retired telecommunications engineer. Great European Trials is taught by a long-time lawyer. A doctor leads a study group on Human Nature. A woman who worked at the United States Treasury11 teaches a course on Ballet: Star Performers and Performances.

VOICE TWO:

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at American University has about five hundred thirty members. They pay four hundred dollars for a year's membership12. Members are able to take up to three courses in the fall and three more in the spring.

Anne Wallace says almost all of the members say they belong because they enjoy the intellectual activity. They also enjoy the new friends they make, and the community spirit they experience. Miz Wallace says the members are what make the Lifelong Learning Institute so special.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Marilyn Christiano. It was produced by Mario Ritter. I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Mario Ritter. You can read scripts of our programs and download audio at www.unsv.com. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.
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1 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
2 retirement TWoxH     
n.退休,退职
参考例句:
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
3 physically iNix5     
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
参考例句:
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
4 depressed xu8zp9     
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的
参考例句:
  • When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
  • His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。
5 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。
6 productive nQxxT     
adj.能生产的,有生产价值的,多产的
参考例句:
  • We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议,解决了一些问题。
  • Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。
7 executive Ymlxs     
adj.执行的,行政的;n.执行者,行政官,经理
参考例句:
  • A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
  • He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。
8 context DZnyc     
n.背景,环境,上下文,语境
参考例句:
  • You can always tell the meaning of a word from its context.你常可以从上下文中猜出词义来。
  • This sentence does not seem to connect with the context.这个句子似乎与上下文脱节。
9 commission 1bkyS     
n.委托,授权,委员会,拥金,回扣,委任状
参考例句:
  • The salesman can get commission on everything he sells.这个售货员能得到所售每件货物的佣金。
  • The commission is made up of five people,including two women.委员会由五人组成,其中包括两名妇女。
10 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
11 treasury 7GeyP     
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库
参考例句:
  • The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
  • This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
12 membership ECnx7     
n.成员资格,会员全体,从属关系
参考例句:
  • I must renew my membership of the sailing club.我必须延续我的航海俱乐部会员的资格。
  • He made up his mind to apply for membership in the Party.他决心申请入党。

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