VOA慢速英语 2007 1019b

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We listen to some music from a record company that helps listeners explore different musical traditions ‿/P>

And we answer a question about Wal-Mart stores.

Wal-Mart

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Foqrul Islam asks about the huge American discount store called Wal-Mart.

The first Wal-Mart store opened in nineteen sixty-two in Arkansas.  Businessman Sam Walton believed a store could succeed by selling more products at lower prices than other stores.

 
 
His idea proved correct. Lower prices brought more people into the store and resulted in more sales. Within five years, the company had twenty-four stores in Arkansas.  Wal-Mart expanded outside the state in nineteen sixty-eight, and began trading stock² in nineteen seventy-two.  Wal-Mart opened its first international store in Mexico in nineteen ninety-one.

Today, Wal-Mart is one of the largest companies in the world.  It sells more than three hundred billion dollars worth of goods in more than six thousand stores.  It employs almost two million people in thirteen countries.

People shop at Wal-Mart mainly for the low prices.  The stores also offer many different kinds of products, from food to furniture to clothing.  However, some people refuse to shop at Wal-Mart. They say the company pays low wages, is not fair to women and treats its workers poorly. 

Wal-Mart also has been criticized³ for opposing unions and buying many of its products outside the United States. Many Americans oppose the building of Wal-Mart stores in their communities because they say the huge stores ruin local businesses. 

Wal-Mart has had other problems recently. Last year, the company closed its stores in Germany and South Korea because of poor sales. In August, Wal-Mart announced that sales at stores open for at least a year increased only about two percent in the business period that ended in June. That was the worst showing in the company’s history.  And its share price on the stock exchange has not increased since two thousand.

Recent news reports say Wal-Mart is trying to improve the public's ideas about the company by becoming more environmentally friendly.  Last month, Wal-Mart announced that it is joining with the Carbon Disclosure Project to measure the amount of energy used to create the products it sells. 

Officials say Wal-Mart wants its suppliers to reduce the amount of harmful gases they release⁴ into the atmosphere.  And they say that Wal-Mart wants other large companies to do the same.

Putumayo World Music

HOST:

 
 
Putumayo World Music helps listeners explore different musical traditions. The record company recently released⁵ an album called “World Hits.‿nbsp; The eleven songs on this album are world music songs that became internationally successful. They are called "crossover hits" because of their popularity⁶ in both local and international markets. Putumayo says the songs show that people love good music no matter where it comes from. Barbara Klein has more.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN:

That was the song ‿ Seconds‿performed by the Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour and the Swedish-born singer Neneh Cherry.  Youssou N’Dour was born and raised in Dakar. He started singing as a young man and soon became one of the most popular singers in Senegal. Later, he performed around Europe and recorded songs with the famous singers Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel. The song ‿ Seconds‿sold over two million copies around the world, making it one of Youssou N’Dour’s most financially successful single recordings⁸.

Putumayo World Music also has an interesting success story. Dan Storper started the company in nineteen seventy-five. He owned several Putumayo stores that sold handmade clothing and objects from South America and other parts of the world.

By the early nineteen nineties, Mister⁹ Storper had seven stores. One day he heard African singers performing outside in a park in San Francisco, California. He bought their album and started playing it in his stores. His workers and customers loved the music. Dan Storper soon started Putumayo World Records to support international musicians and introduce people to new musical traditions.

The company has released one hundred fifty recordings. Some albums include the songs of one artist. Other albums combine different artists from one area of the world.

The company’s goal is to make music that is “guaranteed to make you feel good.‿Dan Storper sold his stores in nineteen ninety-seven and now works¹⁰ on his music business full-time¹¹. He says that great music helps connect people to other cultures in a good way. He says this helps people see past the bad images of war, poverty and disease¹² that are so often in the news.

(MUSIC)

That was the song ‿You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back‿performed by Peter Tosh and Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones.  Peter Tosh was one of the most popular reggae musicians in Jamaica. He and a group of reggae musicians including Bob Marley created the band called the Wailers in the nineteen sixties. When Peter Tosh left the Wailers, he continued recording⁷ on his own. His performance at the One Love Peace Concert in nineteen seventy-eight caught the attention of Mick Jagger. Peter Tosh soon started recording and performing with the Rolling Stones.

Since its beginning, Putumayo has taken on other projects. In two thousand, the company started a one-hour-long weekly radio show called Putumayo World Music Hour. The show plays music from different cultures by unknown as well as famous artists. Over one hundred fifty radio stations around the world broadcast the music show. The company even makes a series of world music records for children on its Putumayo Kids label.

Putumayo also gives money to non-profit organizations around the world. For example, part of the profit from the “World Hits‿record will be given to World Learning¹³. This international organization supports intercultural learning and economic development through its training and education programs.

We leave you with the song “Lambada.‿It was first recorded by a Bolivian band. This version¹⁴ was made in nineteen eighty-nine by the French band Kaoma. The song is performed by the Brazilian singer Loalwa Braz. “Lambada‿became a huge hit, first in France and then around the world. Its lively beat makes you want to get up and start dancing.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson.  I hope you enjoyed our program today.

It was written by Dana Demange and Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver¹⁵ was our producer.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 stock   

n.存货，储备；树干；血统；股份；家畜；adj.存货的；平凡的，惯用的；股票的；畜牧的；vt.进货，采购；储存；供给；vi.出新芽；进货

参考例句：

• The shop takes stock every week on Friday mornings.这家商店每星期五早晨盘点存货。
• Experts have forecast an upturn in the stock market.专家已预测股票市场价格有上升趋势。

3 criticized   

vt.批评(criticize的过去式)v.评论，批评( criticize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The decision was criticized by environmental groups. 这个决定受到了环保团体的批评。
• The movie has been criticized for apparently legitimizing violence. 这部电影因明显地美化暴力而受到了指责。

4 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

5 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

6 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

7 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

8 recordings   

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

9 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

10 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

11 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

12 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

13 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

14 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

15 weaver   

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。