美国国家公共电台 NPR--Besides singer and actor, Belafonte leaves another legacy: civil rights activist

Besides singer and actor, Belafonte leaves another legacy¹: civil rights activist²

Transcript³

Harry⁴ Belafonte died Tuesday at the age of 96. NPR's Michel Martin talks to publisher and author Lavaille Lavette about the legacy of the singer, actor and civil rights activist.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Tributes continue for Harry Belafonte. He died yesterday at the age of 96. He was a Hollywood actor and singer who popularized calypso music in the 1950s.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DAY-O (BANANA BOAT SONG)")

HARRY BELAFONTE: (Singing) Work all night on a drink of rum. Daylight come, and we want to go home. Stack banana till the morning come.

MARTIN: He was also active in the civil rights movement and a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Here he is speaking at the March on Washington in 1963.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BELAFONTE: Any society which ceases to respect the human aspirations⁵ of all its citizens courts political chaos⁶ and artistic⁷ sterility⁸. We need the energies of these people to whom we have for so long denied full humanity.

MARTIN: Here to talk with us about his legacy is publisher and author Lavaille Lavette. She wrote a children's biography of Belafonte. Good morning. Thank you so much for joining us.

LAVAILLE LAVETTE: Good morning. Thank you for having me.

MARTIN: So at the top, we heard part of his speech at the March on Washington. How else was he active in the civil rights movement?

LAVETTE: Well, Mr. Belafonte was a leader that challenged us. You know, he challenged young artists to do more. He challenged everyone to do more. Just so grateful for his presence and grateful for the things that he helped us to become, you know? Become a better person, become a better nation. So...

MARTIN: What are some of the things people may not know about his legacy, particularly people who only know him as an entertainer?

LAVETTE: He had a tremendous connection with young activists⁹, with young people. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind. He wasn't afraid, even in his later years, to challenge artists to do more. So I think that - you know, I think that people, particularly our young people today, didn't know that he was more than an entertainer.

MARTIN: I'm thinking about the role - do you remember that he had a - I think we would call it a cameo, but it was a very impactful scene in Spike¹⁰ Lee's film, like "BlacKkKlansman," for example, where, in the space of just a couple of minutes, he talked about the legacy of, you know, extrajudicial killings¹¹ and things of that sort. But he was just mesmerizing¹² even in just a few minutes on screen. You know, why do you want kids to know - in particular, to know more about Harry Belafonte? Mentioning earlier that you wrote a children's book about him.

LAVETTE: Yeah. I think that, you know, we must never forget. And I think that with the hustle¹³ and bustle¹⁴ of the world, the digital age, people on their computers and their devices, that we tend to forget about the struggle and the people that actually paved the way for us. And I think that it was very important for me to honor him, you know, this great warrior¹⁵ of social justice. I wanted people, particularly young people and young parents, to know about his life and legacy and what he stood for.

MARTIN: All right. That is Lavaille Lavette. She's the author of "Harry Belafonte: A Little Golden Book." Lavaille Lavette, thanks so much for joining us.

LAVETTE: All right. Thank you for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ISLAND IN THE SUN")

BELAFONTE: (Singing) All my days, I will sing in praise of your forest, waters, your shining sand.

1 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

2 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。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

5 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

6 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

7 artistic   

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。

8 sterility   

n.不生育，不结果，贫瘠，消毒，无菌

参考例句：

• A major barrier to interspecific hybridization is sterility in the F1 progeny.种间杂交的主要障碍是F1代的不育性。
• Sterility is some permanent factor preventing procreation.不育是阻碍生殖的一种永久性因素。

9 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

11 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

12 mesmerizing   

adj.有吸引力的，有魅力的v.使入迷( mesmerize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I think you must be mesmerizing me, Charles. 查尔斯，我想你一定在对我施催眠术啦。 来自辞典例句
• The attendant one-dimensional wave equation has mesmerizing harmonic properties. 伴生的一元波平衡具有迷人的和谐特性。 来自电影对白

13 hustle   

v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌)

参考例句：

• It seems that he enjoys the hustle and bustle of life in the big city.看起来他似乎很喜欢大城市的热闹繁忙的生活。
• I had to hustle through the crowded street.我不得不挤过拥挤的街道。

14 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

15 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。