VOA标准英语2008年-Performers with Disabilities Highlight Olympic

The Olympic Games were created to bring together the best sporting talent from around the world. In recent years the scope has broadened and the games also showcase disabled athletes at the Para-Olympics and the arts at Beijing's Olympic Cultural Festival. VOA's Scott Bobb has this report on a group that embodies¹ both of these more recent traditions.
　
Hang Yangguang, center, on stage during dance performance in Beijing

Huang Yangguang never imagined he would be a professional dancer. Born to a farming family in southern China's Guangxi-Zhuang region, he lost both arms in an accident when he was five years old.

Yet, he is starring in a stylized depiction² of farm life. Using only his feet, he twirls an oversize hat and ladles water into gourds³ hanging from his shoulders.

At the same time a chorus line of dancers, all of them hearing-impaired⁴, perform synchronized⁶ steps around him dressed as green vegetable sprouts⁷.

Huang says that being able to support himself through his dancing has raised his self-esteem.

"I have no arms, but I am really confident that I can do everything myself and solve all my problems," he said.

Backstage aides help performers stay on target

Presenting shows like this require special measures. Colleagues off-stage wave their arms in time to the music and give hand signals to synchronize⁵ the dancers to music they cannot hear.

And devices such as a string help guide performers who cannot see the stage.

A Chinese government survey says 83 million people in China, more than six percent of the population, live with some form of disability. And of the nearly eight million living in urban areas, about two-thirds are unemployed⁸.

Most performers are teenagers
　
Yang brothers sing during cultural performance

Yang Haitao and Yang Haijun, two stocky brothers from northwestern Ningxia region China, were born without eyesight. Their rich voices and ability to sing in nearly a dozen languages have taken them all over the world.

Other singers, like Zumulaiti from western China's Xingjiang region, are wheelchair-bound.

The average age of the performers is 18 years. Singer Yang Haijun says they live and study together and help each other, like a large family.

Despite disabilities, performers live normal life

He says the amazing thing is that despite all these people with various impairments they talk, they laugh and live a really happy life.

These special artists are part of China's Disabled Persons Performing Troupe⁹, 88 performers with hearing, visual or physical impairments.

Together they present a dazzling and sometimes moving spectacle of song, dance, drama and poetry delivered in sign language. They have performed in about 60 nations and are to highlight next month's Para-Olympic Games in Beijing.

How the group got started
　
Tai Lihua is hearing impaired

The troupe's art director is 28-year-old Tai Lihua, from northern Hubei province China. She lost her hearing when she was two-years old (because of a medicine reaction) and joined the group when she was 15.

Using sign language translated by a colleague, she says the troupe was formed 21 years ago to raise awareness¹⁰ about the abilities and the plight¹¹ of disabled people.

She says she recruits performers from a national special arts performance every four years, from referrals from organizations for the disabled and through the Troupe's own training program for young talent.

Disabled people in China now have more support

Tai says support for disable people in China has greatly improved in recent years.

She says in the major cities now there are guide dogs and special ramps¹² at corners for blind people. There is text on television for the hearing impaired. And she says disabled people are now allowed to drive in China.
　
Zimulaiti sings during performance

Disabled people are also gaining access to education, and as a result their rate of illiteracy¹³ has fallen from 59 percent in 1987 to 43 percent today.

2008 Para-Olympics will be larger than previous games

Next month's Para-Olympics in Beijing are to be the largest ever, drawing 4,000 disabled athletes from 150 countries to compete in 20 sports.

Challenges remain, especially that of countering stigma¹⁴ in this highly traditional society.

And that is a major message from these young people who receive standing¹⁵ ovations¹⁶ everywhere they perform.

 

1 embodies   

v.表现( embody的第三人称单数 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This document embodies the concern of the government for the deformity. 这个文件体现了政府对残疾人的关怀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 depiction   

n.描述

参考例句：

• Double rhythms, resounding through the lyric depiction and connecting with each other, indicate the thespian place of mankind and the cognition of the writer to this thespian place. 这双重旋律互为表里，表明了人类的某种悲剧性处境以及作家对这种悲剧性处境的感受和认识。
• A realistic depiction of scenes from everyday domestic life. 日常家居生活的写实画。

3 gourds   

n.葫芦( gourd的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Dried gourds are sometimes used as ornaments. 干葫芦有时用作饰品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The villagers use gourds for holding water. 村民们用葫芦盛水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 synchronize   

v.使同步 [=synchronise]

参考例句：

• The sound on a film must synchronize with the action. 影片中的声音必须与动作配合一致。
• You must synchronize your Inbox before selecting additional folders. 在选择其他文件夹前，您必须同步您的收件箱。

6 synchronized   

同步的

参考例句：

• Do not use the synchronized keyword in Managed Objects. 不要在管理对象上使用synchronized关键字。 来自互联网
• The timing of the gun was precisely synchronized with the turning of the plane's propeller. 风门的调速与飞机螺旋桨的转动精确同步。 来自辞典例句

7 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

9 troupe   

n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团

参考例句：

• The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。
• The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

10 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。

11 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

12 ramps   

resources allocation and multiproject scheduling 资源分配和多项目的行程安排

参考例句：

• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。
• He has the upper floor and ramps are fitted everywhere for his convenience. 他住在上面一层，为了他的方便着想，到处设有坡道。

13 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

14 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

15 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

16 ovations   

n.热烈欢迎( ovation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Everywhere they appeared there were ovations. 他们出现在哪儿，哪儿就是一片欢呼声。 来自辞典例句
• There were notable standing ovations for the Iraqi and the Palestinian teams. 而且引人注目的是，伊拉克和巴勒斯坦代表团还受到了持久的掌声欢迎。 来自互联网