美国国家公共电台 NPR Gabrielle Union Gets Real In 'We're Going To Need More Wine'

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Actress Gabrielle Union started off playing teenagers on TV in the 1990s. Now she stars in the BET show "Being Mary Jane," playing the role of a powerful cable news anchor who is equally fierce in her personal life.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BEING MARY JANE")

GABRIELLE UNION: (As Mary Jane) Don't touch me.

OMARI HARDWICK: (As Andre) Let me just explain what I was trying...

UNION: (As Mary Jane) What are you going to say, huh? What are you going to say, Andre? You bumped your head and forgot you were married? You forgot a wife and kids? You're married.

MARTIN: Union is also an advocate for rape¹ survivors² and an outspoken³ voice on a range of social issues. NPR's Mandalit del Barco spoke⁴ with her about her new book of essays. It's called "We're Going To Need More Wine."

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE⁵: Gabrielle Union says she loves regaling her friends about her adventures and misadventures, hence the title of her book.

UNION: I'll be like, girl, you don't have enough wine. A lot of these stories are helpful with a cocktail⁶ for sure.

DEL BARCO: She says she's never been a fan of celebrity⁷ tell-alls.

UNION: To narc on your co-stars - I think it's just kind of tacky.

DEL BARCO: But in her book, Union does dish about how dreamy it was to work with actor Heath Ledger⁸. She reminisces about parties Prince used to throw. And she calls out her ex-husband, retired¹⁰ NFL running back Chris Howard. She regrets that after they divorced, she paid his rent, co-signed for a Porsche he later abandoned and invested in the company he started that failed.

UNION: Had he paid up, perhaps I would have been (laughter) kinder or omitted some of his truth or our truth. But, alas¹¹, his bill is outstanding. And sorry.

DEL BARCO: Union's memoir¹² is funny and frank about many things, mostly herself. She details losing her virginity, sexual encounters, cheating, infertility¹³, miscarriages¹⁴. And her book gets real. In one essay, she describes being raped¹⁵ at gunpoint by a stranger in the back room of a shoe store where she worked. She was 19.

UNION: And it's weird¹⁶ to say. And it's awful to have to say that I had the luxury of being raped in an affluent¹⁷ community with an underworked police department and an underutilized rape crisis center - counselors¹⁸ who had gone through the sensitivity training.

DEL BARCO: Union credits the Santa Monica UCLA Rape Treatment Center for saving her life. But the incident still affects her.

UNION: I talk about the sense of rape energy that has continued to swirl¹⁹ around me - things happening to me that are out of my control. And then in a microcosm of Hollywood, being put in this situation where you're not supposed to have any boundaries. You're supposed to be grateful if your fans want to be around you or touch you or grope you or yank you around. And all of that is supposed to just be par⁹ for the course.

DEL BARCO: Union says her goal was never hearing the words me too again. But sexual assault is far too common. Her experience motivated her to take on a role in the film "Birth Of A Nation," about the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE BIRTH OF A NATION")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: (As character, singing) You've got a right. You've got a right.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (As characters, singing) You've got a right. You've got a right.

DEL BARCO: Union plays Esther, a slave who's raped by a drunken dinner party guest at a plantation²⁰. While the character was silent, the actress who portrayed²¹ her was not, especially after it was revealed that the film's director and actor Nate Parker had been charged with rape when he was a college student. Although he was acquitted²², Union says she could not take the allegations against him lightly. She wrote that in an op-ed piece for the LA Times, adding that she had conflicting feelings about promoting Parker's film.

UNION: Because there were so many women and so many people associated with the film that were sexual assault survivors, I thought it was important to highlight those stories. It just became a an impossible situation. And also offering understanding for people who did not want to support the film - I absolutely understand that. I hope, as someone who was in the film along with other survivors, that our art could be recognized, as well.

DEL BARCO: Union doesn't go into the Nate Parker controversy²³ in her book. But she has many things to say about racism²⁴. She was born into one of the largest and oldest black families in Nebraska, then grew up in Pleasanton, a white, liberal suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area.

UNION: As the chip in the cookie, what I found over and over and over again is that the more I assimilated, the more they forgot my blackness and just got very comfortable in their racism.

DEL BARCO: Union says, growing up, she was constantly called the N-word. Years later, she worries about what her two stepsons in Florida face.

UNION: Raising teenage black boys and watching them going from being regarded as, oh, my God, they're so cute to (gasping) they're a threat just by breathing. And it's terrifying. In Florida, where not only do you have to worry about the police, you have to worry about how your neighbors are regarding you.

DEL BARCO: In her book, the 44-year-old actress also reflects on her career, which began with the 1990s sitcom²⁵ "Saved By The Bell: The New Class."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SAVED BY THE BELL THEME SONG")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing) When I wake up in the morning, and the alarm gives out a warning...

UNION: I started playing 14- and 15-year-olds when I was 23, finishing up at UCLA. And I continued to play 15-year-olds until I was 30. You know, I'm dying my grays, you know, and reporting to high school.

DEL BARCO: With her ever-youthful look and trademark²⁶ dimples, Union got bit parts on TV shows like "Moesha," "Friends" and "Star Trek²⁷: Deep Space Nine."

UNION: My mom is and was a massive Trekkie. So being a Klingon in my family was akin²⁸ to winning the Oscars.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "BRING IT ON")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESSES: (Singing) It's cold in here. There must be some Toros in the atmosphere.

DEL BARCO: One of her best-known movie roles was a high-school cheerleader named Isis in the 2000 movie "Bring It On." Union's Isis goes up against Kirsten Dunst's character in the championships.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "BRING IT ON")

UNION: (As Isis) And when you go to nationals, bring it. Don't slack off because you feel sorry for us. That way, when we beat you, we'll know it's because we're better.

DEL BARCO: Union says Isis was unfairly labeled a mean girl. Still, years later, the actress had an aha moment about her own behavior. Union made a startling confession²⁹ while accepting the Essence Fierce and Fearless award in 2013.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNION: I lived for the negativity inflicted³⁰ upon my sister actresses or anyone who I felt whose shine diminished my own.

DEL BARCO: Oprah Winfrey was in the audience and later told Union she was inspired by her candor³¹.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OPRAH WINFREY: As you started to speak, my own mouth dropped. And then it got wider and wider. And by the time you finished, we were all like, whoa. What was that?

DEL BARCO: Union says this was another moment in her evolution of becoming a better person.

UNION: That came on the heels of a lot of therapy, a lot of life coaching and just wanting to change the narrative³² about black women in Hollywood and just being honest.

DEL BARCO: That introspection and a willingness to change is central to Gabrielle Union's memoir and her life. Mandalit del Barco, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLK GIRL SOLDIER")

JAMILA WOODS: (Singing) See, she's telepathic. Call it black girl magic.

1 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

2 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

3 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

4 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。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

7 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

8 ledger   

n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿

参考例句：

• The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺，然后又埋头写起分类帐。
• She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的，家庭分类账记得清楚详细。

9 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

12 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

13 infertility   

n.不肥沃，不毛；不育

参考例句：

• It is the Geneva, Switzerland-based Biotech Company's second recombinant infertility drug. 它是瑞士生物技术公司在日内瓦的公司生产的第二种重组治疗不孕症的药。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术制药疫苗
• Endometritis is a cause of infertility. 子宫内膜炎是不育的原子。 来自辞典例句

14 miscarriages   

流产( miscarriage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Miscarriages are usually caused by abnormal chromosome patterns in the fetus. 流产通常是因为胎儿的染色体异常造成的。
• Criminals go unpunishedareconvicted and are miscarriages of justice. 罪犯会逍遥法外，法律会伤及无辜，审判不公时有发生。

15 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

16 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

17 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

18 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

19 swirl   

v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形

参考例句：

• The car raced roughly along in a swirl of pink dust.汽车在一股粉红色尘土的漩涡中颠簸着快速前进。
• You could lie up there,watching the flakes swirl past.你可以躺在那儿，看着雪花飘飘。

20 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

21 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

23 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

24 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

25 sitcom   

n.情景喜剧，（广播、电视的）系列幽默剧

参考例句：

• This sitcom is produced in cooperation with Hong Kong TV.这部连续剧是同香港电视台联合制作的。
• I heard that a new sitcom is coming out next season.我听说下一季会推出一个新的情境喜剧。

26 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

27 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

28 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

29 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

30 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

31 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。

32 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。