2007年VOA标准英语-Mandela Statue Unveiled in London

By Tendai Maphosa
London
29 August 2007

A statue of Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, is seen after it was unveiled in Parliament Square, London, 29 Aug 2007

A three-meter bronze statue of former South African President Nelson Mandela was unveiled in London Wednesday to commemorate¹ his struggle against apartheid. Tendai Maphosa has more in this report for VOA.

The unveiling ceremony was held on Parliament Square where Nelson Mandela's statue will join other notable leaders as Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln who also resisted oppression.

Mr. Mandela, 89, made his way to the platform, leaning on the arm of his wife, Graca Machel. Despite his frail² appearance, he spoke³ very clearly.

"Though this statue is of one man is of one man it should in actual fact symbolize⁴ all those who have resisted oppression especially in my country," said Mr. Mandela. "The history of the struggle in South Africa is rich with the stories of heroes and heroines some of them leaders, some of them followers⁵ all of them deserve to be remembered."

London Mayor Ken⁶ Livingstone, anti-apartheid campaigners and community leaders also attended the ceremony outside Britain's Parliament, close to Westminster Abbey, along with a gospel choir⁷ and 40 dancers in carnival⁸ costume.

Before unveiling the statue British Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid a moving tribute to Mr. Mandela.

"He is a man whose belief in the future was so powerful not even twenty-seven years behind bars and barbed wire could destroy his dream and his demand that by fighting apartheid from his prison cell millions today could be and are free," said Mr. Brown.

Film director Richard Attenborough, a trustee of the Mandela Statue Fund, introduced Mr. Mandela at the unveiling. He spoke of the the bravery of the late Donald Woods, a South African journalist who was a friend of the late anti-apartheid activist⁹ Steve Biko whose idea it was for the Mandela statue.

"Donald was a very courageous¹⁰ man, He fled his country with his wife Wendy and there five children and came here as a refugee, thrown out by the apartheid system. He would have given anything to be here today because it was his concept," he said.

Mandela described how on a visit to Westminster in 1962 with his late comrade in the struggle Oliver Tambo they had half jokingly hoped that one day a statue of a black person would be erected¹¹ there alongside that of Jan Smuts, a former South African prime minister. That dream became reality today.

1 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

2 frail   

adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的

参考例句：

• Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了，身体虚弱，不便独居。
• She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上，看上去特别虚弱。

3 spoke   

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。

4 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

5 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

6 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

7 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

8 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

11 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。