VOA慢速英语2009年-AMERICAN MOSAIC - Under the Sea With Spong

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week on our program, we dive into the popularity of SpongeBob SquarePants.

We also answer a question about soul singer Wilson Pickett.

And here in Washington, we visit the city's oldest public market, which has been rebuilt after a fire.

(MUSIC)

SpongeBob Turns 10

HOST:

Ten years ago, the bright yellow, imaginary sea creature named SpongeBob SquarePants appeared on television for the first time. SpongeBob won the hearts of children all over America during the first year of the cartoon series on the Nicklelodeon cable television network. Today, the happy-go-lucky sponge has fans in almost every country on the planet. Steve Ember tells about this popular show.

STEVE EMBER:

The creator of "SpongeBob SquarePants," Stephen Hillenburg, says he did not expect the series to last longer than one season, much less ten years.

Hillenburg began his career as an ocean scientist. He began to draw a cartoon about sea creatures as a way to teach students about underwater life. Later, he studied animation² drawing at California Institute of the Arts.
　
SpongeBob with Mr. Krabs

Hillenburg took the cartoon idea to officials at the Nickelodeon film and television company. The first show in the "SpongeBob SquarePants" series was broadcast in nineteen ninety-nine.

There is little science left in Stephen Hillenburg's cartoon. SpongeBob lives in a pineapple in the town of Bikini Bottom. His best friend Patrick is a loyal but stupid starfish. Another friend is a squirrel from Texas named Sandy Cheeks. She lives in a glass house, complete with a tree for climbing and growing nuts. When Sandy leaves her house, she wears an astronaut's suit so she can breathe underwater. Bikini Bottom is a crazy, magical world.

Stephen Hillenburg thinks SpongeBob's personality is what made the show so popular. The sponge is honest, child-like, sweet and funny. His love for his work is one of the show's great humor devices.

SpongeBob is a cook at a fast food restaurant. He feels it is an honor to cook Krabby Patties, the restaurant's famous sandwiches.

On one episode, SpongeBob finds one patty so appealing, he will not let anyone eat it.

SPONGEBOB: "In all my years of fry cookery, I have never seen such a lovely group of patties. Especially…you. Such perfection! From your little lettuce³ hair, to your rosy⁴ ketchup⁵ cheeks, right down to your mustard smile!"

He names it Patty and treats it like a girlfriend. He takes Patty everywhere until the sandwich starts to smell and his friends protest.

SpongeBob's employer, Mister Krabs, is a crab⁶ who cannot part with money. The evil Plankton⁷ is Mister Krabs' tiny one-eyed enemy. He owns a competing restaurant and is forever plotting to steal the Krabby Patty secret recipe.

These unusual sea creatures have helped make "SpongeBob SquarePants" the highest rated show on Nickelodeon. It is broadcast in one hundred seventy countries in twenty-five languages. SpongeBob products have earned about eight billion dollars.

The show has some famous viewers, like musician David Bowie and basketball star LeBron James. But "SpongeBob SquarePants" also has a famous and powerful fan. President Obama says he watches the show with his girls, Malia and Sasha.

(MUSIC)

Eastern Market

HOST:

Eastern Market in Washington, D.C., is the oldest continually operated fresh food public market in the nation's capital. Its long history almost came to an end two years ago when a major fire burned its South Hall building. Shirley Griffith reports on the newly rebuilt market.

(SOUND)

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:
　
Eastern Market

Eastern Market was a beautiful, modern building when it was completed in eighteen seventy-three. It had a high, sharply angled ceiling and many windows lining⁸ the walls of its one long, narrow room. These features permitted as much air flow and natural light as possible.

The building was called South Hall. Meat, fish, baked goods and fresh flowers were sold inside. Farmers sold fruits and vegetables outside under a permanent roof. The public market quickly became popular and welcomed shoppers for more than one hundred thirty years. Then on April thirtieth, two thousand seven, a huge fire of unknown cause almost completely destroyed South Hall. Many sellers and buyers wondered if this would end the historic market.

Thomas Calomiris owns Thomas Calomiris and Sons in South Hall. The Greek food business has been in his family for more than sixty years. He remembers getting news of the fire.

THOMAS CALOMIRIS: "Well, our first thought was where we're gonna' work. How we're gonna' get a job. So either, we would have to move, open somewhere else. That's what we were thinking. We thought that that would be it."
　
Thomas Calomiris' goods

But the day after the fire, the mayor of the District of Columbia, Adrian Fenty, took action. He promised to restore South Hall to "its architectural and historical splendor⁹."

The fourteen South Hall business owners moved to a temporary shelter across the street. The farmers market also continued operations.

Two years later, on June twenty-sixth, the new Eastern Market re-opened. Natural light floods in from above where skylights were added along the roofline. An air conditioning system now keeps the Hall cool. And in the winter a heating system will make it warm. There is also a new moveable stage and theater lighting¹⁰ for performances.

The Eastern Market project cost about twenty-two million dollars. Tom Calomiris thinks it was worth it. Business is good he says.

THOMAS CALOMIRIS: "Hey, it's been very good. We're very pleased. So, you know, we're very happy with the work they did. You know, it's a lot nicer and cleaner."

(MUSIC)

Wilson Pickett

HOST:

That was "Land of 1000 Dances," one of many successful songs from soul singer Wilson Pickett. Our listener Johnson Okwu Kamalu of Nigeria wants to know more about one of his favorite artists.

Wilson Pickett recorded more than fifty hit songs during his career. His heartfelt, powerful, soulful singing helped establish him as one of the greatest rhythm and blues¹¹ performers of all time.

Wilson Pickett was born in nineteen forty-one in Prattville, Alabama. Like many rhythm and blues artists of the day, he began his musical career singing in church choirs¹². Later he sang in musical groups before launching his solo career.

By nineteen sixty-five Wilson Pickett had joined forces with music producer Jerry Wexler. "In the Midnight Hour" became his first number one song. It remains¹³ one of his most popular songs.

(MUSIC)

Wilson Pickett joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in nineteen ninety-one. He received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in nineteen ninety-three. And in nineteen ninety-nine he was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

But the successful singer's personal life was as dark as his professional career was bright. He had a painful childhood at the hands of his mother. As an adult he was arrested for several crimes, including carrying a loaded gun and several drug charges. In nineteen ninety-three, he spent one year in jail on a drunk driving charge.

Wilson Pickett stopped performing in two thousand four because of health problems. He died at the age of sixty-four in two thousand six. We leave you with his final number one song. From nineteen seventy one, here is "Don't Knock My Love."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program.

It was written by June Simms and Caty Weaver¹⁴, who was also our producer.

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 animation   

n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作

参考例句：

• They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。
• The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

3 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

4 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

5 ketchup   

n.蕃茄酱，蕃茄沙司

参考例句：

• There's a spot of ketchup on the tablecloth.桌布上有一点番茄酱的渍斑。
• Could I have some ketchup and napkins,please?请给我一些番茄酱和纸手巾？

6 crab   

n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气

参考例句：

• I can't remember when I last had crab.我不记得上次吃蟹是什么时候了。
• The skin on my face felt as hard as a crab's back.我脸上的皮仿佛僵硬了，就象螃蟹的壳似的。

7 plankton   

n.浮游生物

参考例句：

• Plankton is at the bottom of the marine food chain.浮游生物处于海洋食物链的最底层。
• The plankton in the sea feeds many kinds of animals. 海的浮游生物成为很多种动物的食物。

8 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

9 splendor   

n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌

参考例句：

• Never in his life had he gazed on such splendor.他生平从没有见过如此辉煌壮丽的场面。
• All the splendor in the world is not worth a good friend.人世间所有的荣华富贵不如一个好朋友。

10 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

11 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

12 choirs   

n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 )；唱诗队；公开表演的合唱团；（教堂）唱经楼

参考例句：

• They ran the three churches to which they belonged, the clergy, the choirs and the parishioners. 她们管理着自己所属的那三家教堂、牧师、唱诗班和教区居民。 来自飘（部分）
• Since 1935, several village choirs skilled in this music have been created. 1935以来，数支熟练掌握这种音乐的乡村唱诗班相继建立起来。 来自互联网

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 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。