英语听力—环球英语 997 Words from the Past

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Hello and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Adam Navis.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I'm Marina Santee. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The sounds of native Canadian people. They are called ‘the First Nations'. Their ancestors were there before Canada became Canada. But these sounds come from four young men. They are standing² around a circular³ drum, and beating it with wooden sticks. They are reproducing⁴ the sounds of their ancestors. The boys are part of a Canadian group called ‘Native Drum.'. They use music and art to communicate the ways of their ancestors.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　But these boys also listen. They listen to older people tell stories of long ago. Grandmothers and grandfathers share wisdom for the heart. ‘Watch what you say, words are medicine.' ‘Words can harm or heal⁵.' Communicating by word of mouth is very important - it is part of the First Nation's oral tradition. Their ancestors used stories in the same way. They told stories with messages about life. It was their way of sharing knowledge.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In today's Spotlight we hear some stories about the power of knowledge sharing by word of mouth! We hear how a project in the Caribbean is saving⁶ knowledge and wisdom from the past for future generations. And we hear how knowledge in a natural disaster saved a whole country!

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　People everywhere remember the tsunami⁷ of 2004. The powerful waves were the result of an earthquake deep below the sea bed. People watched the pictures of the tsunami on their televisions. They saw the mass destruction⁸ that the tsunami caused. The huge waves destroyed schools, hospitals and homes. Around two hundred and thirty thousand people died.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But on one island, almost the whole population survived. The Island of Simeulue lies on the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is just forty kilometres from where the centre of the earthquake was. Eighty three thousand people live here. When the tsunamis⁹ hit, only seven of the people died. In the mainland¹⁰ town close by, Aceh, over one hundred thousand people were killed. What saved the people of Simeulue? It was knowledge.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Antos Ceeranto is from the Island of Simeulue. He was nine years old when the tsunami hit. He and his friends were playing football by the sea. He said:

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　‘We knew we had to run to the hills. It was very frightening. The whole island moved.'

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Anthony and his friends all survived. They saw the sea move back into the ocean. Like the other people in Simeulue, they knew that this was a sign to run! They had learned¹¹ this from knowledge passed down through generations. An older man in the village explained:

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　‘Thanks to our ancestors, everyone knows what to do. There was a tsunami here in 1907. Our grandmothers always advised us: If an earthquake happens, look at the sea. If the water is falling back, like a very low tide, it means the tsunami is coming. Everyone must run to higher ground straight away.'

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Everyone in Simeulue seemed to have heard about the ‘smong' stories. Smong is the word for tsunami in the native language. There is not much written information about the smong of 1907. But Simeulue has an oral history - the people have passed information from one generation to the next. They shared their stories and knowledge. The people believe that almost seventy percent of the population died in 1907. There were stories about bodies found in the tops of trees. Grandmothers told their children how to see warning signs from the sea. They made sure their children passed on the stories to their children. And in 2004, this knowledge saved the lives of thousands of people.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　‘An old man dies ...a book is lost.'

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　This is an African saying. It holds deep meaning. ‘An old man dies... a book is lost'. But in today's world of technology this does not have to be true. Modern methods can help to keep the memory of the past alive. It is much easier to record the stories and wisdom of old people. And this is the purpose of the Jamaican Memory Bank!

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The Caribbean is one of the most beautiful parts of the world. And there is a rich cultural mix in this group of islands. However, much of its cultural history is not recorded. To put this right, a small group of people started the Jamaica Memory Bank. Jamaica is one of the largest islands in the Caribbean. The Jamaica Memory Bank began in 1981. Its aim is to rescue some of the knowledge and skills of the past. It seeks to open the memories of old people, so that their knowledge can be passed to future generations.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Jamaica is divided into fourteen parishes, or areas. Each parish has a team of trained workers. The workers travel around the parish asking people questions, and recording¹² their answers. They record simple answers and whole stories. They also record songs, ceremonies and celebrations. They collect meaningful pictures, writings and films. They take a copy of everything to the Memory bank at the Institute of Jamaica. This is in the capital city, Kingston.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The original recordings¹³ were on magnetic¹⁴ tape. Tape decays¹⁵ with time. So in 2003 the Memory Bank began ‘digitising' their collection. They received financial help from UNESCO to copy their whole collection onto computers. This ensures its survival¹⁶ for generations to come. The Memory Bank now issues information on CDs for educational purposes. For example, a recent CD is about the history of religions in Jamaica.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Oral tradition is passing on stories and ideas by word of mouth. Today, many people groups still use the method as a way of passing tradition from old to young. Often, they use poems and songs - because poems and songs are easier to remember. Another device¹⁷ is the story. Experts believe that even parts of the Bible¹⁸ started life by being passed down by word of mouth. Much of Jesus' teaching¹⁹ was in the form of stories that contained teaching about God. These are his famous parables²⁰.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Do you have important stories and wisdom that you would like to share from your culture? What information would you like to pass on to future generations? Write and tell us about them. Our email address is radio @ english . net.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writer and producer of today's programme was Marina Santee. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom, the United States and Africa. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users²¹ can find our programmes on our website at http://www.radio.english.net This .programme is called: ‘Words From the Past.' Thank you for listening to today's Spotlight programme. Goodbye.

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 circular   

adj.圆(形)的，环形的；循环的；n.传单，通报

参考例句：

• The bright boy altered it to a circular form.这个聪明的男孩把它改成了圆形。
• The lamp stands on a circular base.这盏台灯是装在圆形底座上的。

4 reproducing   

复制( reproduce的现在分词 )； 重现； 再版； 生殖

参考例句：

• Mind has become self-reproducing through man's capacity to transmit experience and its products cumulatively. 通过传递生活经验和积累创造的产品，人类的智慧在不断地进行着自我丰富。
• Spores form a lipid membrane during the process of reproducing. 孢于在生殖过程中形成类脂膜。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器

5 heal   

v.使愈合，治愈，使康复；平息(争吵等)；消除，解决(分支等)

参考例句：

• Time helped heal the old wounds.时间有助于治愈旧创伤。
• This wound will soon heal if yon keep it clean.如果你保持伤口清洁，它很快就会痊愈。

6 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

7 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

8 destruction   

n.破坏，毁灭，消灭

参考例句：

• The enemy bombs caused widespread destruction.敌人的炸弹造成大面积的破坏。
• Overconfidence was his destruction.自负是他垮台的原因。

9 tsunamis   

n.海啸( tsunami的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our oceans are alive with earthquakes, volcanoes, and more recently, tsunamis. 海中充满着地震、火山，包括最近发生的海啸。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年2月号
• Please tell me something more about tsunamis! 请您给我讲讲海啸吧！ 来自辞典例句

10 mainland   

n.大陆，本土

参考例句：

• The new bridge will link the island to the mainland.新的桥梁将把该岛与大陆连接在一起。
• Hong Kong's prosperity relies heavily on mainland.香港的繁荣在很大程度上依赖于大陆。

11 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

12 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。

13 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

14 magnetic   

adj.磁的，有磁性的；有吸引力的，有魅力的

参考例句：

• If we charge it with electricity,it will become magnetic.如果充上电，它就会带有磁性。
• I have a magnetic disc.我有一张磁盘。

15 decays   

v.（使）腐烂，腐朽( decay的第三人称单数 )；衰败，衰退，衰落

参考例句：

• A specimen which is much thicker than the penetration depth decays exponentially. 一个比穿深透度厚得多的样品，按指数律衰减。 来自辞典例句
• The nucleus decays into three particles which go off in separate directions. 这个核衰变成飞向不同方向的三个粒子。 来自辞典例句

16 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

17 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

18 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

19 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

20 parables   

n.（圣经中的）寓言故事( parable的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jesus taught in parables. 耶酥以比喻讲道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In the New Testament are the parables and miracles. 《新约》则由寓言利奇闻趣事构成。 来自辞典例句

21 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。