VOA慢速英语2012--AMERICAN MOSAIC - Hollywood Tells Aung San Suu Kyi's Story in the film, 'The Lady'

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Hollywood Tells Aung San Suu Kyi's Story in the film, 'The Lady'

 

JUNE SIMMS: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

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I’m June Simms. This week on our program, we hear new music from Bonnie Raitt...

And we answer a letter from a Chinese man who dreams of being a car designer…

But, first, we take a look at a new movie about Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

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“The Lady”

JUNE SIMMS: French director Luc Besson is famous for his often-violent action films like “La Femme Nikita” and “Taken.” But this week he released a film about a woman of peace. “The Lady” tells the story of Burmese democracy activist² Aung San Suu Kyi. Christopher Cruise has more on the movie and its star Michelle Yeoh.

CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Aung San Suu Kyi left her family in England in nineteen eighty-eight for what she thought would be a short visit to help her sick mother in Burma.

(SOUND: “The Lady”)

AUNG SAN SUU KYI (Michelle Yeoh): “It will be hard for me to get to a phone, so don’t worry if it’s a while before you hear from me.”

But she stayed years.

Aung San Suu Kyi, also known as Daw Suu, followed in the political footsteps of her parents. Her father was a national hero in Burma. He led the campaign for independence from Britain in nineteen forty-seven. He was killed by political opponents soon after independence. Her mother was Burma’s Ambassador to India and Nepal when Daw Suu was a teenager.

Daw Suu became the leader of the democracy movement in Burma soon after she returned to her home country.

(SOUND: “The Lady”)

AUNG SAN SUU KYI: “It may be a little late to be saying this, but you realize I’ve never actually spoken in public before.”

MICHAEL (David Thewlis): “Well there’s no time like the present.”

That is David Thewlis playing Daw Suu’s supportive husband Michael Aris, a South Asia culture expert.

Malaysian actor Michelle Yeoh plays Aung San Suu Kyi. She learned to speak Burmese for the part. She says the language was especially important to re-create the first speech Aung San Suu Kyi gave to the Burmese people.

MICHELLE YEOH: “The first speech that she makes is in Burmese to her people to convince them, and to let them understand, that even though she did marry a foreigner even though she lived outside of Burma for so long, she was her father’s daughter. She can not turn away from what’s happening to her country. And all this is documented in Burmese. So we can’t take liberties and try and do it in English. It just wouldn’t be right.”

(SOUND: “The Lady” in Burmese)

Director Luc Besson found Burmese people to be in the movie’s background scenes. Michelle Yeoh says one of these actors was in a crowd scene for the speech. She says he cried through the entire speech.

MICHELLE YEOH: “We found out that he was there. He said ‘at that time in ‘88, I was in the audience looking up at Daw Suu, hearing her say the speech. Today I am standing³ behind her listening to her say the speech again.’”

Michelle Yeoh says Luc Besson found many background players who had lived through the events being represented.

MICHELLE YEOH: “He actually went to the Burmese refugee camps up in northern Thailand, and he cast about two hundred of them. All of them were not actors, but they were very natural, of course, I mean they were Burmese. So, the way they moved when they were with me helped me tremendously.”

Burmese officials would not permit “The Lady” to be filmed in Burma. It was shot in Thailand instead.

(SOUND: “The Lady”)

BURMESE OFFICIAL: “Madame, your restricted residence is at an end. You are now free to come and go as you please.”

Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest in twenty-ten. The movie is being released as the democracy leader is elected to parliament in a reforming Burma.

Car Designer Dreams

JUNE SIMMS: A young man in China has written to our relationship blog for advice about his career. The twenty-six year old studied automobile⁴ engineering and completed his university education last year. But, he has discovered his professional dream is to be a car designer. Right now he is working as an engineer at a carmaker, Ford⁵. He wants to know how to make a career change.

We found someone who might be able to help. Anthony Prozzi is a senior designer at Ford in Michigan. He has been with the company for twelve years. But, he started his career in clothing design. Before he left to study car design, he worked for the menswear department of Donna Karan in New York.

Mr. Prozzi knows about change. His first college experience took him to New York University.

ANTHONY PROZZI: “I excelled in math and science. I attended New York University with the intention of becoming a doctor.”

But he says fashion always interested him. His mother was employed in the garment industry and he would watch her at work.

ANTHONY PROZZI: “I was just fascinated by the craft. Even as a kid I would make clothes for my GI Joe.”

To help support himself during college, Anthony Prozzi started working in the fashion design industry. He fell in love with that world and left NYU. After some time, he decided⁶ he needed a formal design education. He attended classes at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. While there he met Carl Olsen, a Pratt graduate, who was now the chair of transportation design at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan.

ANTHONY PROZZI: “He looked at my work and he’s like, ‘what are you doing here. You should doing cars and transportation.”

So Mr. Prozzi moved to Detroit and started studying at the Center for Creative Studies. The day he graduated he was offered a job in car design. He accepted and a few years later went to Ford Motor Company.

Mr. Prozzi says the young man in China should follow his heart.

ANTHONY PROZZI: “My advice to him is to take that leap of faith and find a great school. Send them your portfolio⁷. Because the advisers⁸ there will guide him and be able to really nourish the talent that his has within. Because he has an engineering background that gives him an edge, because he’ll understand how things come together.”

Mr. Prozzi says he was very excited about being back in school, and exchanging ideas with people who shared his interests. And he loves car design, like our writer.

ANTHONY PROZZI: “He sort of said this in his letter, that, when he sketches⁹, it’s very liberating¹⁰. And the whole process of designing and creating, there’s a freedom involved in that. You really almost lose yourself in the process.”

We hope that helps our writer from China chases his car design career. And we hope you all keep writing to our relationship blog at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also send us an email to [email protected]. Put relationship in the subject line and tells us you age, sex and country.

(MUSIC)

Bonnie Raitt “Slipstream”

JUNE SIMMS: Musician Bonnie Raitt is back after a long break from recording¹¹. Her new album, “Slipstream” comes seven years after her last release. But, her voice and guitar sound as sure as ever.

Shirley Griffith plays some of the new music and brings us up to date about the performer.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Bonnie Raitt’s recording career began in nineteen seventy-one with her album, “Bonnie Raitt.” She was just twenty-two years old. Critics immediately recognized her great singing skills and guitar work. She was good at blues¹², rock, and country.

Forty years later, Bonnie Raitt still sounds pure and fresh. And she can give old songs new life like no one else. “Slipstream” includes a version of a song by Gerry Rafferty from nineteen seventy-eight. Raitt adds a reggae beat to “Right Down the Line,” for a thoroughly¹³ modern sound.

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Two Bob Dylan songs can also be found on “Slipstream.” One is the bluesy¹⁴ “Million Miles.” The other is this heartbreaking love song, “Standing in the Doorway¹⁵.”

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“Slipstream” is the first release on Bonnie Raitt’s own label, Redwing Records. She told the New York Times that it was best to record on her own terms. “I like to have my freedom,” she said. She shares production credit with her friend, producer and songwriter, Joe Henry. (MUSIC: “You Can’t Fail Me Now”)

Bonnie Raitt is well known for her slide guitar work. We leave you with an excellent example, “Ain't Gonna Let You Go,” from “Slipstream.”

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JUNE SIMMS: I’m June Simms. Our program was written and produced by Caty Weaver¹⁶. Join us again next week for music and more on AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

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Contributing: Alan Silverman

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 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。

3 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。

4 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

5 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

6 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。

7 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

8 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

9 sketches   

n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概

参考例句：

• The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
• You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 liberating   

解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Revolution means liberating the productive forces. 革命就是为了解放生产力。
• They had already taken on their shoulders the burden of reforming society and liberating mankind. 甚至在这些集会聚谈中，他们就已经夸大地把改革社会、解放人群的责任放在自己的肩头了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

11 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。

12 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。

13 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

14 bluesy   

adj.布鲁斯乐的（一种摇摆乐）

参考例句：

• As a teenager I was obsessed ragtime, and bluesy guitar guys like Johnny Winter. 当我十几岁的时候我迷上了雷鬼，和JohnnyWinter那样的布鲁斯吉他手。 来自互联网
• Lips Accentuate your new bluesy beat in simply sensational LipSlicks Hint of Mauve. 为了强调新布鲁斯乐的节奏，涂上紫红色的唇彩是最自然的。 来自互联网

15 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

16 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。