英语听力—环球英语 1454 Ngugi wa Thiong’o: Writing in His Own Language

 　　Voice 1

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Liz Waid.

　　Voice 2

　　And I’m Joshua Leo. 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

　　In Kenya, a young man sits in his high school classroom. He is learning² in English. His classes are in English. His books are in English. His teachers speak English and he must ask questions in English. Everything is in English.

　　Voice 2

　　But when he steps out of the school, everything is different. Outside of the school, the boy does not speak in English. He speaks his native language – Gikuyu. Every day, it is like he is living in two different countries. For Ngugi wa Thiogn’o, this was his life. This experience changed how he understood language and art. Today’s Spotlight is on Ngugi wa Thiogn’o, the Kenyan writer.

　　Voice 1

　　Ngugi was born in a small village in Kenya. It was 1938. At the time, Great Britain ruled Kenya. They built English schools for the Kenyan people. Ngugi attended Alliance³ High School. At school, he learned⁴ history and stories from a British perspective⁵. They told Britain’s version⁶ of the story, not the African version. He learned about British writers like Shakespeare⁷. He also had a British name. During this time, it was common for Kenyans to take British names. Ngugi was called “James Ngugi.”

　　Voice 2

　　During his time at school, Kenya was at war. The Kenyan people wanted independence from British rule. They wanted to govern themselves. This war made things very difficult for Ngugi at school. He told the news organization, NPR:

　　Voice 3

　　“Inside my school, I would feel wonderful - I was learning Shakespeare! But the second I stepped out of the gates of the high school, something difficult would happen. It made me remember that war was happening. People were dying⁸, people were being arrested, people were living in fear.”

　　Voice 1

　　The war affected⁹ Ngugi’s whole life. His older brothers fought in the war. They would be gone for long periods of time. Ngugi worried about them. The war also affected his village and his home. One year, he went on a holiday trip with his school. When he returned home, his village had been completely¹⁰ destroyed. The British army had attacked and destroyed it. The memory of this experience is still very hard for Ngugi. He told NPR:

　　Voice 3

　　“That memory, even today, is a little difficult. To go home, expecting to meet my mother. I expected to have a big welcome, as a high school student returning home in glory¹¹. Only, I found that my home did not exist. I did not know where my mother was, or my brother. It was not only my own house, but my whole village. My village, that I had come to know and love my whole life, had been burned to the ground.”

　　Voice 2

　　This event changed Ngugi’s life. After his village was destroyed, he began to study harder. He earned degrees from schools in Uganda and in England. He became very good at speaking and writing in English. His first book was published in 1964. It was called “Weep Not, Child.” It was the first book in English by an East African writer. People all over the world read his work.

　　Voice 1

　　After he finished school, he moved home to Kenya and continued writing. He wrote many books and plays in English. But he worried about writing in English. The people who taught him English were the same people who destroyed his village. He began to write more about the government.

　　Voice 2

　　It was not long before Ngugi was in trouble. In 1977, he wrote a play about the government. It encouraged the people watching to join in the play. It encouraged people to use language to fight. The play was very popular, but some government officials did not like what it said. The government forced the play to close. Ngugi was arrested and put in prison.

　　Voice 1

　　Prison was a difficult time for Ngugi. During that time, he decided¹² that it was important for him to speak and write in his own language - his native language, Gikuyu. He believed that people should read books that are about their own cultures. So while in prison, he started writing in Gikuyu. He wrote the first Gikuyu-language book. He also changed his name back to Ngugi wa Thiogn’o. He was no longer James Ngugi.

　　Voice 2

　　Ngugi left prison after one year. But Ngugi and his family could not stay in Kenya. It was no longer safe. So they moved to the United¹³ States. It was twenty years before they could return to Kenya. Ngugi became a university teacher. He continues to write books in both Gikuyu and English. He has been considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature. And he has continued to write about the importance of native languages in art and culture. Ngugi believes that language, art, and freedom are closely¹⁴ connected. He talked with the magazine Left Curve¹⁵ about this idea. He said,

　　Voice 3

　　“The second you open a democratic¹⁶ or free space, it is important for art. You also open the space for creativity¹⁷. In history, there have been times of great change. In these times, you can see art and the government looking forward to and almost working together on a new world. Art looks forward to a new world. Revolutionary forces in society are always looking forward to a new world.”

　　Voice 1

　　For Ngugi, speaking native languages is important for saving¹⁸ traditions and culture. And traditional cultures must exist to create good art. Ngugi believes that writing in his native language respects his home. His life taught him that art can be used to create social change, and to change governments. He wants to remember the time of war in Kenya. He does this by creating art in his first language.

　　Voice 2

　　Ngugi also believes that learning from the past can lead to a better future. He thinks language and art will help create a better future by teaching¹⁹ about the past. In 2012, he gave a speech about the importance of art and culture. In it, he said:

　　Voice 3

　　“Art and the freedom to express it are important to culture. Culture is not the same thing as one tradition. Culture is a community in motion²⁰. Culture is to a community what a flower is to a plant. A flower is very beautiful to see. But it is the result of the roots, the stem²¹, the branches and the leaves. But the flower is special because it contains the seeds. These seeds are the future. It is the product of the past, and is ready for tomorrow.”

　　Voice 1

　　The writer and producer of this program was Dianna Anderson. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes²² were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again and read it, on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called “Ngugi wa Thiong’o: Writing in His Own Language.”

　　Voice 2

　　We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!

　　- See more at: http://spotlightenglish.com/listen/ngugi-wa-thiongo-writing-in-his-own-language#sthash.tiOQaf9p.dpuf

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 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

4 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。

5 perspective   

n.视角，观点，想法

参考例句：

• You can get a perspective of the whole city from here.从这里你可以看到城市的全景。
• We may get a clear perspective of the people's happy lives.我们知道人民对幸福生活的展望。

6 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

7 Shakespeare   

n.莎士比亚(16世纪英国剧作家、诗人)

参考例句：

• Shakespeare is a giant among writers.莎士比亚是作家中的巨擘.
• He read Shakespeare to help his English.他阅读莎士比亚的作品以提高自己的英语水平。

8 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 completely   

adv.完全地，十分地，全然

参考例句：

• She never completely gave up hope.她从不完全放弃希望。
• I feel completely in the dark on this question.这件事使我感到茫然。

11 glory   

n.光荣，荣誉；壮丽，辉煌；v.自豪，得意，狂喜

参考例句：

• I was fascinated by the glory of the sunset.落日的壮观把我吸引住了。
• Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.智者不可夸耀自己智慧。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

14 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

15 curve   

n.曲线，弯曲，曲球；v.弯，使...弯曲

参考例句：

• The train slowed its speed as it went around the curve.火车在弯道行驶时放慢了速度。
• The path of an arrow is a curve.箭的轨迹是一条曲线。

16 democratic   

adj.民主的；民主主义的，有民主精神的

参考例句：

• Their country has democratic government.他们国家实行民主政体。
• He has a democratic work-style.他作风民主。

17 creativity   

n.创造力，创造

参考例句：

• There is limited scope for creativity in my job.我的工作中发挥创造力的空间有限。
• She got an unusually low score for creativity.在创造力方面，她得了异乎寻常的低分。

18 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。

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 motion   

n.打手势，示意，移动，动作，提议，大便；v.运动，向...打手势，示意

参考例句：

• She could feel the rolling motion of the ship under her feet.她能感觉到脚下船在晃动。
• Don't open the door while the train is in motion.列车运行时，请勿打开车门。

21 stem   

n.茎，干，船首，词干，血统；vt.堵住，阻止，抽去梗；vi.起源于，发生

参考例句：

• Cut the stem cleanly,just beneath a leaf joint.把茎切整齐点，正好切在叶根下。
• The ship was in a blaze from stem to stern.整艘船从头到尾都着火了。

22 quotes   

v.引用，援引( quote的第三人称单数 )；报价；引述；为（股票、黄金或外汇）报价

参考例句：

• He quotes a few verses from Tennyson in his paper. 他在论文中引用了英国诗人丁尼生的几行诗句。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He quotes (from) the Bible to support his beliefs. 他引用圣经来支持自己的信念。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》