英语听力文摘 English Digest 11、感人致深的蒙古音乐

　　The title track of Black Rose's newest CD, is called "Sky Stamp." It opens with a traditional Mongolian long-song:
This is the music of vast open spaces and big blue skies. It is the music of Mongolian nomads¹, calling out across the grasslands², soothing³ their horses, and herds⁴ of yak⁵. The words speak of the legend of Mongolians being born from a blue wolf and a deer. But then the music changes:
This gravely voice belongs to Amraamandakh - Black Rose's leader and founder⁶. It's a deliberate echo of traditional Mongolian throat singing. The best throat singers can sing two, or even three notes at once. But Amraa, as he's known, admits he's had no formal training:
Amraamandakh: "If you really want to sing it at a good level, you should really have a teacher. If you do it in an improper⁷ way, you will damage yourself, your throat. When people were warning me that I shouldn't be teaching myself, I didn't listen to them. But since I started doing this, my voice changed, really. So I can't do high pitches any more - only lower."
So for the higher pitches - and other things -- Amraa uses guest artists. It's his mother-in-law, Oyunjar, singing the long song in "Sky Stamp". Some of Mongolia's best-known opera singers and other artists have also made cameo appearances on his CD's.
Black Rose is now something of an institution in Mongolia. Amraa and a friend started it as teenagers, in 1991, in the heady days just after the Soviets⁹ pulled out of Mongolia. Mongolians were embracing democracy, and re-embracing their national hero - Genghis Khan. The Soviets had banned mention of Genghis - still resenting his destruction of Russia, and wanting to prevent any surges of Mongolian nationalism. Amraa - who'd been punished as a student for praising Genghis - was right out in front, once those restrictions¹⁰ were lifted.
Black Rose may have the distinction of offering the first rap tribute to Genghis. Many Mongolians believe he was not a bad man, he just had bad press:
Amraamandakh: "Not only westerners, even Mongolians don't have a right idea about Genghis Khan. Fifteen years ago, there was strong propaganda about what a bad person he was....The society was like that then. If you said something that has national pride, you were in trouble. In an interview, I said I worship Genghis Khan, and then some of the young people, my age, said, "You are saying strange things". Ten years later, they approached me and said, "Our development is just ten years slower than yours."
Amraa's hero worship of Genghis Khan extends to wearing some of his long hair in a top-knot, like Genghis. He dresses in black leather and silver rings when he's off-stage, and in elaborate warrior¹¹ costumes when he's on. Amraa's father and grandfather were both famous choreographers of traditional Mongolian dance - and Amraa clearly has their showman genes¹². He sometimes performs with dozens of costumed dancers onstage. He choreographs¹³ the moves, that combine hip-hop and traditional Mongolian dance.
Black Rose's music, too, combines traditional Mongolian music with rap, house and hip-hop. Mongolia's is a young, increasingly urban population. Two-thirds are under 30, and half live in cities. Besides getting those Mongolians out on the dance floor, Amraa hopes his music helps to instil¹⁴ in them a sense of national pride - which, he thinks, is important for Mongolia's survival between its two big neighbors, China and Russia:
Amraamandakh: "In my opinion, music is one of the strongest weapons. Back in the 1940s, during World War II, Russians were attacked by Fascist¹⁵ soldiers. They were singing songs and marching on the Red Square, singing one song. And that song could be heard in every corner of the big Soviet⁸ Union. I think the aim of my life is fulfilled, at least a little bit, if Mongolians have a pride for their country."
It seems they already do. Certainly, the spirit of Genghis Khan is everywhere in Mongolia these days. There are Genghis cafes and Genghis hotels. If someone is generous, or brave, a friend might compliment him by saying, "that's mighty¹⁶ Genghis-like". And when Mongolians were recently required to choose a last name -which few had before- most chose the name of Genghis Khan's tribe. In the midst of all this, it's no surprise that Black Rose's tribute to Mongolia's past glory has staying power - not to mention a danceable beat.
For The World, I'm Mary Kay Magistad, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
"Black Sky" and other CD's by Black Rose are available from

1 nomads   

n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 )；流浪者；游牧生活；流浪生活

参考例句：

• For ten years she dwelled among the nomads of North America. 她在北美游牧民中生活了十年。
• Nomads have inhabited this region for thousands of years. 游牧民族在这地区居住已有数千年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 grasslands   

n.草原，牧场( grassland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Songs were heard ringing loud and clear over the grasslands. 草原上扬起清亮激越的歌声。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Grasslands have been broken and planted to wheat. 草原已经开垦出来，种上了小麦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。

4 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

5 yak   

n.牦牛

参考例句：

• The most common materials Tibetan jewelry are Yak bone.藏饰最常见的材料当属牦牛骨。
• We can sell yak skin,meat and wool.我们可以卖牦牛的皮、肉和毛。

6 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

7 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

8 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

9 soviets   

苏维埃（Soviet的复数形式）

参考例句：

• A public challenge could provoke the Soviets to dig in. 公开挑战会促使苏联人一意孤行。
• The Soviets proposed the withdrawal of American ballistic-missile submarines from forward bases. 苏联人建议把美国的弹道导弹潜艇从前沿基地撤走。

10 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

11 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。

12 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

13 choreographs   

v.设计舞蹈动作( choreograph的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• And Nick Gillard, the fellow who choreographs the fights, came out as well. 设计这些打斗动作的尼克-吉拉德也去了。 来自互联网

14 instil   

v.逐渐灌输

参考例句：

• It's necessary to instil the minds of the youth with lofty ideals.把崇高理想灌输到年青人的思想中去是很必要的。
• The motive of the executions would be to instil fear.执行死刑的动机是要灌输恐惧。

15 fascist   

adj.法西斯主义的；法西斯党的；n.法西斯主义者，法西斯分子

参考例句：

• The strikers were roughed up by the fascist cops.罢工工人遭到法西斯警察的殴打。
• They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship.他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。

16 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。