VOA慢速英语2015 《时代》评出2014年世界百名最具影响力人物名单

AS IT IS 2015-04-28 TIME Lists World’s 100 Most Influential¹ People 《时代》评出2014年世界百名最具影响力人物名单

TIME Magazine has released a list of 100 individuals it says are the “most influential” people in the world. These men and women come from many countries. They are government leaders, activists³, artists and celebrities⁴.

The list includes U.S. President Barack Obama, Cuban leader Raúl Castro and Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Nancy Gibbs is the managing editor of TIME magazine. She says she want people to understand that just because people have power does not mean they have influence.

“Power's reach is limited to those you can control. Influence’s reach is boundless⁵ when any great idea, any cause, or cure or creation can be shared instantly and globally from the palm of your hand."

Nigerian activist² Obiageli Ezekwesili is on the list. She leads the “Bring Back Our Girls” movement. She believes being on the list will help in finding the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped last year by the militant⁶ group Boko Haram.

“It certainly helps to keep the world constantly reminded that the girls are not yet back. A year ago, nearly everyone around the world knew that 219 young women had been abducted⁸ by savages¹⁰. Suddenly, the whole world sort of moved on to other matters. With this attention on their matter, the whole world can galvanize itself again toward their rescue.”

TIME magazine put Abubakar Shekau on its list of “most influential” people. He is the leader of Boko Haram, which recently said it is allied¹¹ with the Islamic State group.

Others on the list are fighting for social justice. They include those who fight for transgender equality -- protecting individuals who believe that their sex at birth is in conflict with their true gender¹². The list also includes those who work to empower females and defend poor people.

Bryan Stevenson created the Equal Justice Initiative. He fights racial discrimination and speaks up in support of prisoners in the United States. He says famous people have a responsibility to talk about important issues.

“There’s no question that the history of this country has been shaped by artists and entertainers and celebrities who took a stand on important social justice issues, and I think this generation needs to do the same.”

Words in This Story

celebrity¹³ – n. a person who is famous

boundless – adj. not limited in any way; having no boundaries

palm – n. the inside part of the hand between the wrist and the fingers

remind – v. to make (someone) think about something again; to cause (someone) to remember something

abduct⁷ – v. to take (someone) away from a place by force

savage⁹ – n. a person who is very violent or cruel

matters – n. the situation or subject that is being discussed or dealt with

galvanize – v. to cause (a force that is capable of causing change) to become active

take a stand – idiom to take a position in opposition to someone or something; to oppose or resist someone or something

1 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

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 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

5 boundless   

adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的

参考例句：

• The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
• His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。

6 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 abduct   

vt.诱拐，拐带，绑架

参考例句：

• The police caught the man who tried to abduct the boy for ransom.警察抓住了那个企图拐走这男孩以便勒索赎金的家伙。
• The news that we see those use network abduct children sometimes filled with apprehension.我们有时看到那些利用网络诱拐儿童的新闻都心惊肉跳。

8 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

9 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

10 savages   

未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There're some savages living in the forest. 森林里居住着一些野人。
• That's an island inhabited by savages. 那是一个野蛮人居住的岛屿。

11 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

12 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

13 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。