VOA慢速英语 2007 0105b

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

This is Doug Johnson. On our show today, we tell about some of the best books, movies and songs of the past year.

Notable² Books of 2006

Literary³ critics list the best books at the end of every year. Steve Ember tells us about three critically praised books published in two thousand six.

STEVE EMBER:


"The Emperor's Children"

The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud is about three thirty-year-old people who live in New York City. They have been friends since college. They are well educated and intelligent but are not successful.

Julian Clarke and Danielle Minkoff have jobs that are not satisfying. Marina Thwaite has been writing a book she cannot seem to finish.

The young people respect Marina's father who is a famous intellectual, journalist and social activist⁴. He gives advice about life and work but privately⁵ violates⁶ these ideas. At the end of the book, all of the characters are affected⁷ by the terrorist⁸ attack on New York City on September eleventh, two thousand one.

Another widely praised book from last year is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It describes the end of the world as we know it. A father and his young son try to survive in a land destroyed by a nuclear disaster. They are two of the last survivors⁹ on Earth. They must continue walking along the road so they do not become victims of attacks by other survivors. They must also search for food and safe places to rest.

One critic said this frightening book takes readers to places they do not want to go. It forces them to ask questions they do not want to ask. Others praise the descriptions of the relationship between the boy and the father, and the sights and sounds of their horrible world.

A third best book from two thousand six is What Is The What by Dave Eggers. It is a fictional¹⁰ story about a real person, Valentino Achak Deng. He was a refugee¹¹ from the Sudanese civil war. The book tells his story from the age of seven when soldiers destroy his village and he is separated from his family. He joins the other Lost Boys who walk through refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya on their way to what they hope will be new lives. Valentino finally reaches the United States as a young man. But he finds life there in some ways more difficult than it was in Africa.

Best Movies of 2006

HOST:

At the end of each year, critics list what they consider to be the best movies released that year.

Many critics praised two historical films directed by Clint Eastwood. Both were released near the end of the year. They tell about the World War Two battle between American and Japanese forces for the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. The movies describe both sides of the battle that killed almost seven thousand American troops and more than twenty thousand Japanese.

Critics especially praised the movie that tells the Japanese story. It is called Letters From Iwo Jima. The Japanese soldiers sent to Iwo Jima to defend the island against the American attack did not expect to survive. The movie tells about those who took part in the battle and their commander. Critics say the movie paints a detailed¹² picture of the island, the lives of the Japanese defending it and the horrors of war.


Image from Flags of Our Fathers

The other movie is Flags of Our Fathers. It is about three American servicemen who helped raise the American flag on Iwo Jima. They were sent back to the United States to help the government gain money for the war effort. The movie explores the American public's reaction to them and their own feelings about leaving others to fight the war.

MOVIE SOUND:

As far as being the heroes of Iwo Jima, that's just not the case. We really didn't do much at all. We put up the flag. The pole we attached it to was heavy so it took a number of us. We had our picture taken doing it. The real heroes are dead on that island and we appreciate it if you bought bonds in honor of them. Thank you.

Another critically praised movie last year told the story of an important event in recent American history. United 93 is about the terrorist attacks on September eleventh, two thousand one. It shows the events that might have happened on the hijacked¹³ airplane that crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. The passengers tried to gain control of the plane from the terrorists¹⁴.

MOVIE SOUND:

We have to do something.

They're not gonna land this plane. They are not gonna take us back to the airport.

Is there any other option we have?

If we're gonna die, we're gonna die.

Critics called the movie a real memorial to the forty passengers and crew-members who refused to let terrorists reach their intended target in Washington, D.C.

Many critics also praised a movie called Little Miss Sunshine. It is about what Americans call a dysfunctional family. That is, a family with problems. The movie follows six members of the Hoover family on a road trip together from New Mexico to California. They make the trip so that the daughter, seven-year-old Olive¹⁵, can compete in a beauty contest. The movie is very funny, sad and truthful¹⁶ at the same time.

MOVIE SOUND:


'Little Miss Sunshine': Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Abigail Breslin and Toni Collette

I don't want to be a loser.

You're not a loser. Where'd you get the idea you're a loser?

Cuz. Daddy hates losers.

Whoa, whoa whoa. Back up a minute. You know what a loser is? A real loser is somebody that's so afraid of not winning they don't even try. Now, you're tryin', right?

Yeah.

So, you're not a loser.

During their trip, the Hoover family learns to trust and support each other.

Best Music of 2006

HOST:

Music critics also make lists of what they consider the best recordings¹⁷ of the year. Katherine Cole plays some of the best songs of two thousand six.

KATHERINE COLE:


'Taking

Many critics agreed that one of the best albums of last year was by the Dixie Chicks. Taking the Long Way is the group's answer to those who criticized them after lead singer Natalie Maines made a negative public statement about President Bush. She did so in two thousand three, right before the invasion of Iraq.

The group said the comment and the reaction to it changed their lives and their music. One of the songs on their album expresses the importance of standing¹⁸ up for what you believe. It is Not Ready To Make Nice.

(MUSIC)

Another critics' choice for best album of two thousand six was Stadium Arcadium by the Red Hot Chili¹⁹ Peppers. In fact, Billboard²⁰ Magazine reports that one of the songs on the album was the number one modern rock song of the year. Here it is -- Dani California.

(MUSIC)

Modern Times by Bob Dylan was also chosen as one of the best albums of two thousand six. Critics at Billboard Magazine voted this album the best of the year. We leave you now with Bob Dylan singing Thunder on the Mountain.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver²¹ was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, www.unsv.com.

Send your questions about American life to [email protected]. Please include your full name and mailing address. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 notable   

adj.值得注意的，著名的；n.名人，要人

参考例句：

• His achievement is very notable.他的成就是非常显著的。
• He wrote and published the essay under notable's name.他假托名人写文章发表。

3 literary   

adj.文学（上）的

参考例句：

• Literary works of this kind are well received by the masses.这样的文学作品很受群众欢迎。
• The book was favourably noticed in literary magazines.这本书在文学杂志上得到好评。

4 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。

5 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

6 violates   

亵渎( violate的第三人称单数 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Anyone who violates law and discipline must firmly be slapped down. 对于任何违法乱纪的人都必须坚决予以打击。
• The country violates the international agreements. 那个国家违背了国际协议。

7 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。

8 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

9 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

10 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

11 refugee   

n.难民，流亡者

参考例句：

• The refugee was condemned to a life of wandering.这个难民注定要过流浪的生活。
• The refugee is suffering for want of food and medical supplies.难民苦于缺少食物和医药用品。

12 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

13 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

14 terrorists   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子( terrorist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The terrorists have halted their bloody campaign of violence. 恐怖分子已经停止了他们凶残的暴力活动。
• They were finally forced to capitulate to the terrorists' demands. 他们最后被迫屈从恐怖分子的要求。

15 olive   

n.橄榄，橄榄树，橄榄色；adj.黄绿色的，黄褐色的，橄榄色的

参考例句：

• Have you eaten a kind of fruit called olive?你吃过橄榄这种水果吗？
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace.她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。

16 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

17 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

18 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。

19 chili   

n.辣椒

参考例句：

• He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
• It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

20 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

21 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。