VOA慢速英语2013 选美比赛引发的争议

 

AS IT IS 2013-09-22 Beauty Pageants² Attract Ugly Comments 选美比赛引发的争议

Hi there, and welcome back to As It Is. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Today we are talking about beauty pageants.

Beauty pageants are contests in which women and girls compete for prizes. The participants, also called contestants³, usually show their clothes, talents and personalities⁴. The contestants are judged for their beauty, to be sure. But in modern pageants, they are also judged for their character.

This month, people around the world have been talking critically about beauty pageants.

In the United States, some people have made racist⁵ comments about the new Miss America. Nina Davuluri is the first Indian American to win the contest.

In France, a new bill proposes that girls under the age of 16 not be allowed to participate in beauty pageants.

But first, we go to Indonesia, where the Miss World pageant¹ is being held this month. Indonesia has the world’s largest population of Muslims. Some conservative Muslims have protested the pageant. They say the pageant is just an excuse to show women’s bodies.

The Miss World organizers have answered the charges by changing one of the events. Contestants at the Miss World pageant are not wearing two-piece swim suits, or bikinis, this year. And much of the contest is taking place on the island of Bali, where most people are Hindu.

But some Muslim groups are still protesting the pageant — in a creative way. They are holding a pageant of their own in Jakarta. 

Mario Ritter tells us about Miss Muslimah 2013.

Twenty Muslim women from six countries competed in the Miss Muslimah pageant this year. All wore hijabs — dresses and scarves that covered their bodies from head to foot. Instead of dancing or singing, the contestants recited Koranic verses for the judges. And they spoke⁶ about their beliefs about Islam in the modern world.

Last Wednesday, Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola won the Miss Muslimah pageant. She is 21 years old and from Nigeria. Ms. Ajibola won about  $2,000 in prize money and a trip to Mecca and India, where she will help educate children.

The Miss Muslimah pageant promotes a more modest idea of beauty, says Eka Shanti. She founded Miss Muslimah three years ago. Ms. Shanti was an Indonesian television news reporter. But she lost her job because she wanted to wear her headscarf on television.

Ms. Shanti says Miss Muslimah is a peaceful protest against the Western-style Miss World contest.

Andreas Harsono is from the Indonesian branch of Human Rights Watch. He says Miss Muslimah and Miss World are not so different from each other. They are both, he says, beauty contests.

“They are talking about the beauties of women, albeit⁷ that this one is branded with Islam, you know, wearing the hijab, etcetera. That it is OK. Meanwhile, if the same argument is being used against them, you know exposing sexualism, of course this Islamic contest can also be branded as an un-Islamic.”

Most people in Indonesia practice a moderate form of Islam. But Mr. Harsono says laws in Indonesia are increasingly requiring women to wear the hijab.

I’m Mario Ritter.

In the United States, the winner of the Miss America pageant was crowned last week. Nina Davuluri is the first Indian American winner. Ms. Davuluri was born in New York. Her parents are from India.

She is 24 years old and graduated from the University of Michigan with many academic awards.

She says she will use the $50,000 in prize money to help pay for medical school. Ms. Davuluri would like to become a cardiologist—a heart doctor.

Ms. Davuluri says she always thought of herself as “first and foremost American.” But after she won the pageant, some people wrote on social media sites that she was part of the terrorist group al-Qaida or un-American.

The comments started a debate about racism⁸ and nationalism. At the University of Michigan, one teacher said many people made positive comments. Professor Aswin Punathambeker’s family is also from India. He said many people pointed⁹ out that South Asians have a long history in the United States, and that America is a diverse country with many cultures.

An evening talk show in India also discussed the Miss America pageant. Commenters on NDTV’s  website noted¹⁰ that some Americans had expressed opinions about Ms. Davuluri that were racist, sexist and incorrect. But the website said that a large population of Americans also believes Ms. Davuluri represents everything that is good and diverse about the United States.

On the NDTV talk show, one person asked viewers what they would do if an “all-American” looking woman were in an Indian beauty pageant.

“Would you crown her Miss India? I’m not sure.”

The conversation continues on the Internet and on talk shows. Everyone seems to agree that what people consider beautiful often depends on where they live. But as the world becomes smaller, ideas about beauty are changing.

And, in France, the Senate has voted to ban beauty pageants for children under 16.

French lawmakers say they are trying to prevent girls from being sexualized too early. A new bill proposes that anyone who enters a child in a beauty pageant could be sentenced to two years in prison and 30,000 euros in fines.

The bill now goes to the lower house of parliament for another vote.

Beauty pageants for girls are popular mostly in rural areas in France. The children often wear make-up and formal dresses.

Critics say the pageants, advertising¹¹ and even stores that sell sexy clothes for young girls teach children too early that they are sexual beings.

Some pageant organizers say they try not to make the contests too grown-up. For instance, they ban make-up, swimming suits and high heels.

The Socialist¹² government’s equal rights minister says his party may push for a compromise measure on pageants when the bill goes to the lower house.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

1 pageant   

n.壮观的游行；露天历史剧

参考例句：

• Our pageant represented scenes from history.我们的露天历史剧上演一幕幕的历史事件。
• The inauguration ceremony of the new President was a splendid pageant.新主席的就职典礼的开始是极其壮观的。

2 pageants   

n.盛装的游行( pageant的名词复数 )；穿古代服装的游行；再现历史场景的娱乐活动；盛会

参考例句：

• It is young people who favor holding Beauty pageants. 赞成举办选美的是年轻人。 来自互联网
• Others say that there's a fine line between the pageants and sexual exploitation. 其他人说，选美和性剥削之间只有非常细微的界线。 来自互联网

3 contestants   

n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

5 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

8 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

12 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。