2006年VOA标准英语-Rapper Promotes HIV/AIDS Awareness

By George Dwyer
Washington, DC
05 December 2006
 
watch HIV AIDS Awareness¹ report

Friday December 1st was World AIDS Day -- a day set aside to publicize the challenges presented by that deadly disease. In the U.S., the rap artist Chris Bridges - better known as Ludacris  - is making his own contribution to that effort, launching an AIDS awareness campaign called "Kick Me."  During a visit to VOA he talked about his efforts. For producer George Dwyer, VOA's Jim Bertel has more.

Ludacris is contributing to the YouthAIDS Campaign

The lyrics² to many Ludacris songs have drawn³ criticism in the past for their explicit⁴ references to sex and violence. But the 29-year-old rapper's audience of young people around the world will benefit from the AIDS awareness messages he is broadcasting today, as will the singer himself, says VOA Music Mix host Ray McDonald. "I think Ludacris is consciously tailoring his message for a wider audience, adopting this tone of social responsibility. It both helps his listeners and it helps him because as he get older he is maturing and he is growing his image. I think it is very wise."

Ludacris is not shy about admitting the role sex plays in his music. But now -- for the first time -- he is saying publicly how important he thinks it is for young people understand how to practice safe sex. So he has joined with the group YouthAIDS to help promote its "Kick Me" campaign to raise HIV/AIDS awareness.

"The 'Kick Me' campaign is kind of like, back in the day, you are like a walking billboard⁵. Somebody puts the 'Kick Me' sign on your back, but now we're putting the awareness signs of HIV on people's backs so they are like a walking billboard. And it just encourages people to get tested and know their status and to have safe sex."

The singer (rapper) says a trip to Africa inspired his work on the campaign. "It was there that I met a lot of people who were infected with the virus, especially young kids. So that is what really made me come back here and get involved. So it definitely had a powerful impact."

The Grammy Award-winning artist says he believes youth empowerment and health awareness are essential tasks globally. And, he says, he will continue to use his fame to send that message around the world.

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

5 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。