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VOA慢速英语2009年-EXPLORATIONS - World's Fringe Festivals Ce

时间:2009-09-03 02:29:19

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(单词翻译)

VOICE ONE:

I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we travel to the boundaries of artistic1 production by visiting fringe festivals around the world. Something that is on the "fringe" means it is on the edge, outside established boundaries. Fringe festivals celebrate all kinds of art in many exciting, unusual and experimental forms.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The roots of these independent festivals are in Scotland. In nineteen forty-seven, eight theater groups showed up uninvited to the first Edinburgh International Festival. Every year, more and more artists came to town during this festival to perform outside, or on the "fringe," of the official festival.

In nineteen fifty-eight, the performers formed a Fringe Society to organize their event and provide tickets and programs. The central aim of the Festival Fringe Society was not to have a selection process deciding who could or could not take part. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is open to anyone who wants to perform.

VOICE TWO:
 
Scotland's Jake Cogan

Today, it is the largest arts festival in the world. Starting on Friday, this year's festival will run for more than three weeks. Over two thousand shows will be performed in over two hundred and fifty different places around Edinburgh. Performers and visitors travel to the city from around the world for this event.

You could hear local performers like the Scottish folk singer Jake Cogan.

(MUSIC)

Or you could listen to the experimental music of Greek singer Marika Klambatsea.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The Fringe also includes theater, dance, comedy, and performances for children. There is something for everyone at these events. Local galleries also hold exhibits of art work and other forms of culture. A show might include some of the most important names in modern art. Or, a gallery show could include art made from aprons2, protective clothing worn when cooking. Some Fringe shows are very strange and experimental, while others are more normal, or mainstream3.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

At any given moment, there is a good chance a fringe festival is going on somewhere in the world. Like in Edinburgh, these events are open to any artists who want to perform. Many festivals even give the artists part of the money raised from ticket sales.

VOICE ONE:

There are fringe events in Britain, Canada, Australia, the Czech Republic and Singapore, just to name a few of the more than eighty examples. In the United States, there are about twenty official fringe gatherings4. One of the first American fringe festivals was in Orlando, Florida. Some festivals, like the one in Adelaide, Australia, are very large and have been going on for many years.

Others, like the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, D.C., are relatively5 new.

LYNN OLSON: "I love the Fringe. I think it's the absolute best event in DC. You get to see all different types of performances, you go to things you might not normally go to."

VOICE TWO:

That was a volunteer at this year's Capital Fringe which ended last month. The festival is in its fourth year. This year, most performances took place in the center of Washington in a group of old buildings that used to be businesses. The abandoned buildings added to the experimental "fringe" feel of the event. Visitors to the festival could see all kinds of performances with all levels of artistry and talent.

VOICE ONE:

Capital Fringe describes itself as rebellious6 and adventurous7, alive in the present moment. Festival organizers asked visitors to put their worries aside and laugh, cry, clap, dance and hug.

JULIANNE BRIENZA: "Local people, individuals and their voice are important."

VOICE ONE:

That was Julianne Brienza, the executive director of the Capital Fringe Festival. Here she explains why she thinks fringe festivals are so popular.

JULIANNE BRIENZA: "And no matter where you are in the world, that is a very important thing, to be proud of who you are and be able to let people hear what you have to say, whether they like it or not. That is what Fringe enables people to do. You don't have to be from the theater world to do a show. It's not pretentious8, it's not expensive to attend, and there are no judgments9."

VOICE TWO:

Julianne Brienza says the fringe festival will never be mainstream. She says it remains10 fresh and unusual because the event does not try to tell society's views about the performing arts. It is about giving individuals freedom to create.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:
 
Performers in "Magnum Opus"

At the Capital Fringe Festival, members of Opera Alterna skillfully performed the opera "Magnum Opus." It tells about a troubled writer named Robert who makes a deal with women with magic powers to help him finish his play.

(MUSIC)

The two muses11 promise to give him artistic greatness. But the agreement comes at a price for Robert.

VOICE TWO:

Like many of the performances at Capital Fringe, this opera is not about costly12 and complex production values. The sets on the stage are very simple. The performers look like they used their own personal clothing for costumes. But this simplicity13 helps bring attention to the creativity of the music and the strength of the actors' performances.

VOICE ONE:

Some of the performances at the festival are very strong, while others are less skillful. But it is the energy of the artists and their willingness to share their work with others that makes the festival so interesting.

We asked the Washington, D.C., arts blogger Bob Anthony how this summer's festival compared to those of past years.

BOB ANTHONY: "It's better and better. It's very professional this year. It used to be more mediocre-type stuff. This year there are some two-hour plays. There used to be just an hour play and a lot of monologues14."

VOICE TWO:
 
Dancers in "Annabel Lee"

Dancers from Old Lore15 Theater performed the poem "Annabel Lee" by the nineteenth century American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The performance combined dance with song and theater.

(SOUND)

The dancers expressed the sadness of the poem which tells about the deep love of a man for his sweetheart, Annabel Lee. The dancers used their bodies to express the setting where the poem takes place, in a kingdom by the sea. "Annabel Lee" won this year's audience award for best dance performance.

VOICE ONE:

Some of the performances at Capital Fringe were for children. Many others were for adults only. One of the very popular theater shows was called "Bare-Breasted Women Sword Fighting."

WOMAN: "What a magnificent night we have in store for you! A scintillating16 spectacular of swords!"

VOICE ONE:

For this event, a group of women acted out a series of funny performances. At the end, two women had a sword fight while dancing to tango music. Every time a woman lost a round of the fighting, she had to take a piece of clothing off. It was the sort of performance that you do not see very often. But you can see this kind of show daily at the Fringe.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

August is a busy month for fringe festivals in the United States. There are fringe events in cities including Minneapolis, Minnesota; Boulder17, Colorado, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Fringe New York City will help organize over one thousand performances this month. Like many fringe events, some performances at the New York City fringe are free, while others require visitors to buy tickets. These tickets are generally less costly than the price of going to a New York theater or arts show. Tickets alone do not pay for the festivals. They receive support from companies, local organizations and individuals.

VOICE ONE:

In Washington, Julianne Brienza notes that next year it will be more difficult to get donations for Capital Fringe. The recession has deeply cut the number of groups willing to give money.

Yet, the recession did not keep people from attending the festival. She says they sold four thousand more tickets this year than last year. And, Mizz Brienza noted18 another thing that made the festival special this year.

JULIANNE BRIENZA: "People made friends more. I noticed that people would sit with strangers and have conversations, so that was a great thing. It is about coming out and meeting new people and listening to different ideas."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find transcripts19, MP3s and podcasts of our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 artistic IeWyG     
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
参考例句:
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
2 aprons d381ffae98ab7cbe3e686c9db618abe1     
围裙( apron的名词复数 ); 停机坪,台口(舞台幕前的部份)
参考例句:
  • Many people like to wear aprons while they are cooking. 许多人做饭时喜欢系一条围裙。
  • The chambermaid in our corridor wears blue checked gingham aprons. 给我们扫走廊的清洁女工围蓝格围裙。
3 mainstream AoCzh9     
n.(思想或行为的)主流;adj.主流的
参考例句:
  • Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
  • Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。
4 gatherings 400b026348cc2270e0046708acff2352     
聚集( gathering的名词复数 ); 收集; 采集; 搜集
参考例句:
  • His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
  • During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次,其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。
5 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
6 rebellious CtbyI     
adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的
参考例句:
  • They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反,他们就要发生危险。
  • Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和,但她的心里十分反感。
7 adventurous LKryn     
adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的 
参考例句:
  • I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
  • He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。
8 pretentious lSrz3     
adj.自命不凡的,自负的,炫耀的
参考例句:
  • He is a talented but pretentious writer.他是一个有才华但自命不凡的作家。
  • Speaking well of yourself would only make you appear conceited and pretentious.自夸只会使你显得自负和虚伪。
9 judgments 2a483d435ecb48acb69a6f4c4dd1a836     
判断( judgment的名词复数 ); 鉴定; 评价; 审判
参考例句:
  • A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
  • He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。
10 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
11 muses 306ea415b7f016732e8a8cee3311d579     
v.沉思,冥想( muse的第三人称单数 );沉思自语说(某事)
参考例句:
  • We have listened too long to the courtly muses of Europe. 欧洲那种御用的诗才,我们已经听够了。 来自辞典例句
  • Shiki muses that this is, at least, probably the right atmosphere. 志贵觉得这至少是正确的气氛。 来自互联网
12 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
13 simplicity Vryyv     
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯
参考例句:
  • She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
  • The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。
14 monologues b54ccd8f001b9d8e09b1cb0a3d508b10     
n.(戏剧)长篇独白( monologue的名词复数 );滔滔不绝的讲话;独角戏
参考例句:
  • That film combines real testimonials with monologues read by actors. 电影中既有真人讲的真事,也有演员的独白。 来自互联网
  • Her monologues may help her make sense of her day. 她的独白可以帮助她让她一天的感觉。 来自互联网
15 lore Y0YxW     
n.传说;学问,经验,知识
参考例句:
  • I will seek and question him of his lore.我倒要找上他,向他讨教他的渊博的学问。
  • Early peoples passed on plant and animal lore through legend.早期人类通过传说传递有关植物和动物的知识。
16 scintillating 46d87ba32ffac8539edf2202d549047e     
adj.才气横溢的,闪闪发光的; 闪烁的
参考例句:
  • Statistics on unemployment levels hardly make for scintillating reading. 失业统计数据读来不大会有趣味。
  • You were scintillating on TV last night. 您昨晚在电视上妙语如珠。
17 boulder BNbzS     
n.巨砾;卵石,圆石
参考例句:
  • We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲,把大石头搬开了。
  • He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。
18 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
19 transcripts 525c0b10bb61e5ddfdd47d7faa92db26     
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本
参考例句:
  • Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样,都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
  • You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书,你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

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