VOA慢速英语--纽约博物馆展出大屠杀受害者的艺术作品

Michael Morris is a curator with New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage. He was trying to fulfill¹ a common request when he uncovered a number of artworks. They were images of the Holocaust², by people who were there.

Using those works, Morris put together a show of art. Many are by some of the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis⁴ in the 1930s and 40s.

The show is "against and educates about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism⁵, bigotry⁶ of any kind," said Morris.

He added, "We see hundreds of thousands of people in concentration camps. These are actual people who had multi-faceted lives."

Among them was 12-year-old Helga Weissova. She brought art supplies with her when she was sent to Terezin concentration camp, north of Prague, in October 1944. Before she was forced to go to Auschwitz, another prisoner gave the drawings to her uncle. He hid them behind a wall.

Auschwitz was the infamous⁷ Nazi³ concentration camp in southern Poland.

Her 1943 work in colored pencil on paper is called "Transport Leaving Terezin." It shows guards with guns watching a group of prisoners carrying their few belongings⁸.

Weissova is now in her 90s and living in Prague. But many of the artists never made it out of the deadly camps.

Peter Loewenstein of Czechoslovakia was sent in 1941 to Terezin. He gave 70 drawings to his mother before he was forced to go in 1944 to Auschwitz.

His mother and sister would soon be sent to Auschwitz as well. Before they left, they gave the art to a family friend.

His sister was the only family member who survived the camp. She recovered the works after the war, including "Eight Men in Coats with Stars." It is a 1944 ink on paper picture of Jews forced to wear a Star of David on their clothing for identification.

There is also a powerful watercolor by Marvin Halye, a member of the 104th Infantry⁹ Division of the U.S. Army. His division liberated¹⁰ – or, freed – Nordhausen concentration camp in Germany in 1945.

After seeing the few surviving prisoners covering thousands of bodies, he rushed to paint "Civilians¹¹ Covering Corpses¹²."

Anti-Jewish hate crimes

The show opens as anti-Semitic hate crimes increase across the United States. Many have happened in New York City, home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York in 2019 were at a 28-year high, said professor Brian Levin. He is director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino.

In the most recent attack, a man with a machete wounded five people. They were gathered last month for a Hanukkah celebration at the home of a rabbi, just outside the city.

A few weeks earlier, a shooting at a Jewish market in nearby Jersey¹³ City, New Jersey, killed two men.

Hate crimes are increasing at a time when many Americans lack general knowledge of the Holocaust.

The largest lack of understanding is people in their 20s and 30s. More than 60 percent of them do not know what Auschwitz is, said a recent study by a Jewish organization.

Words in This Story

curator– n. one who organizes artwork for a show

heritage– n. the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation

multi-faceted–adj. having many sides

corpse– n.a dead body

anti-Semitic– adj. acts or words of hatred¹⁴ against Jewish people

machete– n.a long, sharp knife used for cutting thick plants

rabbi– n. a Jewish religious leader

1 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

2 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

3 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

4 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 bigotry   

n.偏见，偏执，持偏见的行为[态度]等

参考例句：

• She tried to dissociate herself from the bigotry in her past.她力图使自己摆脱她以前的偏见。
• At least we can proceed in this matter without bigotry.目前这件事咱们至少可以毫无偏见地进行下去。

7 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

8 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

9 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

10 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

11 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

12 corpses   

n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The living soldiers put corpses together and burned them. 活着的战士把尸体放在一起烧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云，同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

13 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

14 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。