VOA常速英语2008年-New York Philharmonic Orchestra Performs in Nor

26 February 2008

Members of the New York Philharmonic are in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, for the first performance by a U.S. symphony orchestra in the communist state.  The event has been a magnet for global media attention, and many people see it as a small opening into an isolated¹, impoverished² nation. VOA's Kurt Achin in Seoul reports.

New York Philharmonic's performance in Pyongyang includes the "Star-Spangled Banner", the U.S. national anthem³.  That is a first in North Korea, where government propaganda has always portrayed⁴ the United States as a hostile aggressor.

Kwon Soo-hyun, one of the Philharmonic's violinists, is originally from Seoul.  In comments broadcast on the orchestra's website, she says she feels both excitement and a little trepidation⁵ about the performance.

"It is an exciting opportunity to see a place where very few people have gone, I think.  It is very important for us to be a cultural ambassadors, because that is what we do - regardless of where we go," she said.

The Philharmonic's visit to Pyongyang has drawn⁶ huge media interest.  It is the largest cultural program from the United States to North Korea, one of the world's most isolated states.  More than 100 performers and several journalists made the trip to Pyongyang for the concert.

The Philharmonic's offerings, featuring Western classics such as George Gershwin's "An American in Paris," are a stark⁷ departure from Pyongyang's usual musical fare.

The North Korean military anthem - typical of the music broadcast on the North's official media - includes the lyrics⁸, "raise the red flag before the warrior's corpse⁹ cools and his blood dries."

North Korea's authoritarian¹⁰ government usually forbids music not approved by officials.  As a result, jazz, rock, and most Western classical music is forbidden.  Human rights activists¹¹ say entire families have been sent to prison camps after one member commits a simple offense¹² like humming a South Korean pop song.

Kim Cheol Woong is a North Korean pianist who defected to South Korea in 1999 to play music without restrictions¹³.  He thinks the Philharmonic's performance could help his homeland.

He says when he was young, North Korean students were drilled in anti-American slogans.  He adds this performance is likely to give them reason to see the U.S. from a new perspective.

South Korean experts widely agree that despite the North's human rights abuses, much has begun to change there since the two Koreas held their first summit in 2000.  They say expanded contacts have increased the flow of information about the outside world into the North.  Many experts see events like the Philharmonic performance as making inroads into the isolated North.

However, critics say Pyongyang will use the concert for propaganda purposes, to help legitimize North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's defiance¹⁴ of the international community.  The performance is also controversial because of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.

Pyongyang is two months overdue¹⁵ on declaring all its nuclear facilities, as promised to the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia.  Those countries have pledged aid and improved diplomatic relations if North Korea abandons all its nuclear programs. 

1 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

2 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

4 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 trepidation   

n.惊恐，惶恐

参考例句：

• The men set off in fear and trepidation.这群人惊慌失措地出发了。
• The threat of an epidemic caused great alarm and trepidation.流行病猖獗因而人心惶惶。

6 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。

7 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

8 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。

9 corpse   

n.尸体，死尸

参考例句：

• What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
• The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。

10 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

11 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》

12 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

13 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

14 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

15 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。