2007年VOA标准英语-Ivorian Band Performs in Both Sides of Divided

By Phillip Wellman
Dakar
16 September 2007

Efforts to reunite war-divided Ivory Coast have been fraught¹ with difficulty, but some say the Ivorian band Magic System has been able to bring people together in a way politicians have not.  The band is marking 10 years of music making by holding two concerts in the country. Last Sunday, the group played in the rebel stronghold city of Bouake in the north.  Saturday they are playing in Abidjan in the government-controlled south.  Phillip Wellman reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

The band, from a poor suburb of Abidjan, began its career singing at baptisms and funerals. Today it has a platinum² album, 11 gold albums and fans throughout the Francophone world.

The four-man ensemble³ performs Ivorian dance music known as Zouglou, which uses humor to illustrate⁴ society's problems. 

A spokeswoman for the band's publisher, Paris-based EMI, Jade⁵ McLaughlin, says that the juxtaposition⁶ of humor and serious topics has been effective in bringing Ivorians together and providing a platform to discuss issues.

"Magic System is a band about movement, about partying, going out and enjoying life," she said.  "They are a band that is very close to the people. They are very simple and appreciated by everyone and obviously over there [in Ivory Coast] people do follow all the problems they talk about in their songs."

Appolos Godai of Market for African Performing Arts in Abidjan, a program that supports African artists, says Magic System reminds people on both sides that they have things in common.

"Today, Magic System is one of the biggest groups in music in Abidjan, but not only in Abidjan, in Africa and perhaps in the world," he said.  "Today Magic System is a star group.  You know that Magic System can bring people together."

The band sings about ethnic⁷ divisions, as well as juvenile⁸ delinquency and the importance of traditional values. The single "Premier⁹ Gaou," which the band describes as its first big hit, tells the story of a woman who is only interested in men who have money.

Magic System began drawing international attention at a time when many northerners were complaining that they were being treated as second-class citizens and denied basic rights.  In 2002, rebels seized the northern part of the country, splitting it in half.  

In March, President Laurent Gbagbo and rebel leader Guillaume Soro signed a peace agreement, creating a power-sharing government in which Mr. Soro was named prime minister.  But efforts to implement¹⁰ the agreement by issuing identity papers to northerners and integrating rebel forces into a unified¹¹ army have stalled. 

Appolos Godai says Magic System's decision to perform in both sides of the country can help advance peace. 

"Music can be a real factor of unification in a country, which is divided by war," he added.

Magic System's concert on Saturday comes days after Ivory Coast's electoral commission said long-delayed elections may be pushed back to October 2008.  The March peace plan called for presidential and parliamentary elections to take place within 10 months, by January next year. 

Elections were originally scheduled for 2005, but were postponed¹² twice because supporters of President Gbagbo and rebels who control the north could not agree on how to implement a series of peace deals.

1 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

2 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

3 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

4 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

5 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

6 juxtaposition   

n.毗邻，并置，并列

参考例句：

• The juxtaposition of these two remarks was startling.这两句话连在一起使人听了震惊。
• It is the result of the juxtaposition of contrasting colors.这是并列对比色的结果。

7 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

8 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

9 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

10 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

11 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

12 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。