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VOA慢速英语2010年-THIS IS AMERICA - Valentine's Day Offe

时间:2010-03-01 02:31:55

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(单词翻译)

STEVE EMBER:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA. I'm Steve Ember.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. These are important days for makers1 of sweets and sellers of flowers. For owners of fine restaurants and publishers of greeting cards. For salespeople2 at clothing stores. And for all the people whose job is to make other people's hair and fingernails look their best.

STEVE EMBER:

These are important days because soon it will be February fourteenth, Valentine's Day. This week on our program, we ask three generations of people what the holiday for love and romance means to them.

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

We begin with the youngest generation. Sixteen-year-old Jarrah was with a group of Chinese students visiting the United States. What does Valentine's Day mean to her?

JARRAH: "I know that's a Western festival for lovers who date or they love each other. We are not allowed to date in high school."

She explains that some people in China may celebrate Valentine's Day, but China also has its own version. It is based on the story of a fairy from heaven who comes to Earth and marries a cowhand3 on a farm. In the end, they are permitted to meet just once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

JARRAH: "There's a girl named Zhi Nu and a boy named Niu Lang. Now they are stars in the sky, so they meet each other in lunar months, seventh in July, each year once. We celebrate that day like the Valentine's Day in Western culture."

STEVE EMBER:

So how did February fourteenth come to be celebrated4 as it is? Explanations date back to ancient Rome. But nothing is sure, not even the identity of the Roman Catholic saint celebrated by this day. As a result, in nineteen sixty-nine, the church removed Saint Valentine's Day from its official worldwide calendar of Catholic feasts.

But the popular meaning of Valentine's Day continues to capture hearts around the world, even if not always on February fourteenth. Camile and Nietzsche were among a group of Brazilian Youth Ambassadors visiting the United States.

CAMILE: "We have Valentine's Day but in a different day. It's June twelfth."

NIETZSCHE: "So in Brazil, I would translate as 'the Day of the Couple. And it's like you don't give friends or family gifts, you give your boyfriend or your girlfriend. And the guys, they are sometimes pretty boring because they like to give chocolate and flowers. And girls are tired and sick of that."

CAMILE: "Yeah!"

NIETZSCHE: "So I believe I'd better give a hot Brazilian kiss. It would be better on the Day of the Couple."

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Next, we talk to some college students. Jack5 Feldman is from Iowa in the American Midwest. What is his best Valentine's Day memory?

JACK FELDMAN: "Any and all Valentine's when I actually had a girlfriend."

And the worst memory?

JACK FELDMAN: "All the other ones."

He remembers as a child choosing valentine cards to give to his classmates, a tradition for American schoolchildren.

JACK FELDMAN: "I always tried to get like the coolest ones, like the Pokeman ones and trying to give them out to everybody. I only wanted to give them to all the cute girls, but you had to give them to everybody back then."

STEVE EMBER:

Andrew Shim is twenty-two years old, from Maryland. We asked him what American teenagers like to do for Valentine's Day. He listed the usual -- chocolate, a movie, maybe go to a party. But then we asked him if he had ever done anything special.

ANDREW SHIM: "Oh yeah, I actually made my own chocolate at home. But I kind of messed it up. It was OK, I give to that person I like. It didn't turn out well, but you know, I mean it was a nice memory though, a good experience making chocolate."

Andrew Shim and Jack Feldman are doing college internship6 programs in Washington. So are these three international students we are about to meet, starting with Jeong Kim from Seoul.

JEONG KIM: "Normally in Korea, well the girls take the opportunity to give out chocolates to guys that they have a crush on."

KATTIA: "In Mexico we're used to like for, for more for couples, not like so for friends and stuff. It's a cool day because everybody gets to give balloons and chocolates and all that stuff to the person you're in a relationship in or whatever."

SONIA ZIADE: "In Canada it's pretty much the same as the U.S. It's very consumer based, where we buy chocolate. We go to the restaurant, have a romantic dinner. Every day should be Valentine's Day, right?"

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Those last two voices were Kattia from Mexico and Sonia Ziade from Montreal, Canada.

(MUSIC)

STEVE EMBER:

Now we talk to a group of parents. They all live in the Washington area and are involved together in the Boy Scouts7 of America.

Ming Hong Ward8 came to the United States from China in nineteen eighty-nine. What does Valentine's Day mean to her?

MING HONG WARD: "I was in college when I came to United States and it was interesting that in America they celebrate people in love and express love to each other, because in China people are very reserved and they do not show appreciation9 openly.

STEVE EMBER:

Andrea Liddell says she and her husband exchange cards for Valentine's Day.

ANDREA LIDDELL: "I look forward to getting flowers and, if I'm really lucky, a date. We get to go out together."

And what is her best Valentine's Day memory?

ANDREA LIDDELL: "I knew you'd ask that. Valentine's Day ... when I've been surprised. When we had like a surprise -- we got to go out to someplace very fancy, didn't really know what was going to happen ahead of time. That was a really lovely one. It involved a lot of food at that time."

And her worst memory?

ANDREA LIDDELL: "Let me get back to you on that. Oh, oh, oh -- in college, the boyfriend who absolutely forgot Valentine's Day. That hurt my feelings. So there you go, that was the worst one."

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Lauri and Bob Dacey have been married for twenty years. Any special memories of Valentine's Day?

LAURI DACEY: "I don't remember any one in particular. I mean, they're pretty much the same, like we'll just celebrate, exchange cards, may go out to dinner. So once we had the children, Valentine's Day, I think, became more about them. We were starting to give them gifts and treats and really not going out in the evening anymore for that day."

REPORTER: "And Bob, I mean what's a typical gift, Valentine's Day gift that you buy?"

BOB DACEY: "Candy and sweets all the time. And we always have those little hearts. That's what my fondest memory is, too, of the little Valentine's hearts that come out once a year, little candies with little nice kind of love sayings on them."

FAITH LAPIDUS:

And what does Valentine's Day mean to their children in school?

LAURI DACEY: "In school, I think it means exchanging cards and getting a candy, or multiple candies."

BOB DACEY: "And they exchange cards, they sometimes decorate nice little boxes so they can put valentines in each other's box in school."

STEVE EMBER:

Bob Steinrauf has been married for almost twenty-eight years. What does he think of Valentine's Day?

BOB STEINRAUF: "I think it's actually a good opportunity to remember those things that we want to do on Valentine's Day -- you know, special things for the spouse10 or whoever -- you probably ought to do them year-round. Because so often, especially with guys, you'll say, 'Hey, we had Valentine's Day. I got you roses, I got you chocolate, it says I love you. What more do we need?' But I think it really is a call to make sure you remember to do that during the day, during the week, during the months before and after Valentine's Day."

Does he follow his own advice?"

BOB STEINRAUF: "You would have to get the second opinion from my wife. Sometimes yes, but not as much as I ought to."

And sometimes, as the old saying goes, it is the thought that counts.

BOB STEINRAUF: "Early in our marriage my wife came -- she was going to school and working late and driving home, so I baked a cake. Now it was not just any old cake. It came in the round cake pans, and I baked it, but then I attempted to cut out a heart and used pink icing and decorated it. Now the sides of the cake fell apart tremendously. But that was probably the best thing I could have done. She looked at it. It was pathetic. But she goes 'Oh, I love you.' So that was a nice Valentine's Day."

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Not everyone is a big fan of Valentine's Day. This is Joe Durso, twenty years old, from Louisville, Kentucky. What does it mean to him?

JOE DURSO: "Nothing, and I'm not even sure when it is. If I was in the chocolate business I think I would probably support it. Or in the flower business. But it isn't really something that matters to me."

This seemed to be a dissenting11 opinion, though, at least among the people we spoke12 to. Next we meet a group of friends from a social club in Northern Virginia, including Marge Lubeley. Reporter Nancy Steinbach asked her what she does on Valentine's Day.

MARGE LUBELEY: "I usually get together with a daughter and a granddaughter and we go out to dinner and exchange gifts. I'm a widow and so this is a fun time for me."

REPORTER: "How about before, when you were single and younger?"

MARGE LUBELEY: "It wasn't that important. But when I married, it was always a dozen red roses from my husband. So it was special."

STEVE EMBER:

Sally Margolis also lost her husband. But two of her four children live locally. So on Valentine's Day she might go out to dinner with one of them or babysit for her grandchildren.

SALLY MARGOLIS: "I think it's a nice remembrance. It's a nice holiday. I think it's a meaningful holiday just to be nice to people and to remember people."

Greg Ogden would agree with that.

GREG OGDEN: "I think probably some of the nicest ones, the more memorable13 ones are back when I was a teenager. And I enjoyed those. The family celebrated Valentine's Day in a little bit bigger way than we do now. So there was bigger meal. There was a girlfriend involved, sometimes invited over to our house as well for the meal, and part of the family, and cards back and forth14. When you're teenagers, you don't quite know what to write on there. Little Os and Xs for kisses and things like that. You brought back a moment of nostalgia15 for me. I thank you for that."

STEVE EMBER:

We leave you with these words from another one of the friends, Nancy Lang.

NANCY LANG: "Valentine's Day is a wonderful opportunity for people to refocus on what love is all about. Because it's sharing, it's giving. Love is a strange element of our lives. But it's very important because without it you have nothing."

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Our program was written by Avi Arditti and produced by Caty Weaver16. I'm Faith Lapidus.

STEVE EMBER:

And I'm Steve Ember. We would love to have you join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 makers 22a4efff03ac42c1785d09a48313d352     
n.制造者,制造商(maker的复数形式)
参考例句:
  • The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
  • The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 salespeople xjuz25     
n.售货员,店员;售货员( salesperson的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The shop usually employs additional salespeople for the Christmas toy trade. 这家商店通常雇一些临时售货员来做圣诞节玩具生意。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Under our new system, salespeople sit down with each of our dealers. 根据新的制度,销售人员应逐个地同承销商洽商。 来自辞典例句
3 cowhand 5zex2     
n.牛仔,牧牛工
参考例句:
  • Do you know the legend of the Cowhand and Weaver Maid?你知道牛郎和织女的传说吗?
  • A cowhand herds cattle past a petroleum processing plant.一个牧牛人赶着一群牛在一家石油加工厂附近经过。
4 celebrated iwLzpz     
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的
参考例句:
  • He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
  • The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。
5 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
6 internship oqmzJB     
n.实习医师,实习医师期
参考例句:
  • an internship at a television station 在电视台的实习期
  • a summer internship with a small stipend 薪水微薄的暑期实习
7 scouts e6d47327278af4317aaf05d42afdbe25     
侦察员[机,舰]( scout的名词复数 ); 童子军; 搜索; 童子军成员
参考例句:
  • to join the Scouts 参加童子军
  • The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组,然后开始巡逻这个地区。
8 ward LhbwY     
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开
参考例句:
  • The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
  • During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时,我要点根火把,抵挡蚊虫。
9 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨
参考例句:
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
10 spouse Ah6yK     
n.配偶(指夫或妻)
参考例句:
  • Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
  • What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么?
11 dissenting kuhz4F     
adj.不同意的
参考例句:
  • He can't tolerate dissenting views. 他不能容纳不同意见。
  • A dissenting opinion came from the aunt . 姑妈却提出不赞同的意见。
12 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
13 memorable K2XyQ     
adj.值得回忆的,难忘的,特别的,显著的
参考例句:
  • This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
  • The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。
14 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
15 nostalgia p5Rzb     
n.怀乡病,留恋过去,怀旧
参考例句:
  • He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
  • I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌,心中充满了怀旧之情。
16 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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