VOA标准英语2010年-On His Birthday, Martin Luther King, J

Not just thousands of people on the Washington Mall but also millions of viewers on televisions watched King deliver his powerful Dream speech

 
Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty¹, we are free at last. These words, in ringing oratory³, are perhaps the most enduring image we have of Martin Luther King, Jr. His finale to a massive civil-rights march on Washington, D.C., in 1963, was delivered before a quarter of a million people in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln's statue on the National Mall.  Forty-seven years later, as next Monday's American holiday that honors his birth approaches, the enduring power of what's remembered as the "I Have a Dream" speech still moves those who hear it.

The speech is ranked by many historians among the greatest orations⁴, and most profound literature, in American history, alongside President Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" during the American Civil War, Franklin Roosevelt's "Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself" speech during the Great Depression, and John F. Kennedy's "Ask What You Can Do for Your Country" inaugural⁵ address. Teachers and students everywhere dissect⁶ its language, cadence⁷, and rhetorical techniques.

Speaking from his heart

 
Library of Congress
Martin Luther King Jr. perfected his compelling oratory at the pulpit of the large Atlanta church of which he was pastor⁹

Communications professor Margaret Zulick at Wake Forest University says that what makes this remarkable¹⁰ is that, halfway¹¹ through, Mr. King completely abandoned his prepared text and never referred to it again.  "There's a spot where there's actually an incomplete sentence, which is very rare for King," she notes.  "And he misses a beat:  'I say to you today, my friends – so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow . . . '"

Professor Zulick says the "I have a dream" part of King's speech, follows immediately after.  "That was extemporaneous¹²: 'I still have a dream,' to which the audience replies, enthusiastically, 'Yes!!!'"

King follows with more unscripted, dramatic repetitions of the now-legendary I have a dream phrase:  "I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice¹³, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis¹⁴ of freedom and justice."

"I have a dream," to which the audience reacts with more Yes's and applause.

Margaret Zulick at Wake Forest calls these repetitions riffs. Jazz musicians actually practice riffs, little improvisational¹⁶ sections, she says.  "Then when they perform, part of the improvisation¹⁵ is kind of mixing and matching these bits and pieces that are in their repertoire¹⁷.  And that's exactly what he does."

Inspiring imagery

 
Carol M. Highsmith
King's words from the "I Have a Dream" speech appear on a wall of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, which is dedicated¹⁸ to those who died in the struggle for equal rights

In the First Century A.D., the Roman orator² Longinus described what he called sublime¹⁹ speechmaking. It not only perfectly²⁰ fits the occasion but also lifts the audience beyond the excitement of the moment and inspires lasting²¹ change.  Today many scholars lift high the "I Have a Dream" speech as the classic example of sublime oratory.

John Adams, a visiting professor of rhetoric⁸ at Hamilton College in New York state, says he's struck by King's lavish²² use of metaphors²⁴ – unexpected words and ideas that create vivid images. 

"It perfectly and poetically²⁵ spoke²⁶ to the urgency of the moment, this transcendent hope for justice and freedom," he says.  "Take just the second paragraph, where he claims that the Emancipation²⁷ Proclamation [declaring slaves free during the U.S. Civil War] came as a 'great beacon²⁸ light of hope' to millions of people who had been 'seared in the flames of withering²⁹ injustice.'"

 
Carol M. Highsmith
An assassin's bullet felled Martin Luther King Jr., on this balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968

John Adams says Martin Luther King Jr. used many light-and-dark, night-and-day analogies in the speech, such as, "It came as a joyous³⁰ daybreak to end the long night of their captivity³¹."

By setting out those contrasts, Professor Adams observes, you set an appetite for their resolution - the resolution of those tensions.

He cites other examples: "Manacles of segregation³²," "chains of discrimination,"  "people living on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity."

Other geographical³³ allusions³⁴, about waters and mountains and valleys, abound³⁵ as well: "Let us not wallow in the valley of despair."

John Adams says the entire speech, with its dream theme, is a metaphor²³.  He says much of its power flowed from its delivery.  Others may perform the speech, but none can match King's looks and gestures, rhythm and heartfelt sincerity³⁶.  

Douglas DuBrin teaches English and history at the French International School outside Washington, D.C..  He uses the "I Have a Dream" speech in his classes and has prepared Internet lesson plans on it for other teachers.  DuBrin says the speech has musical qualities, including these rousing refrains:

    "Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania."

    "Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado." 

And later . . .

    "Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.  From every mountainside."

Masterful metaphors

 
The Gifted Photographer, Flickr Creative Commons
This is a model of a statue by Chinese sculptor³⁷ Lei Yixin, which will be the centerpiece of a new memorial to King on grounds of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Douglas DuBrin says King captured all four elements of a great speech, including eloquence³⁸.  "King had a masterful way of choosing references that would inspire the audience: the prolonged metaphors, the moments that are extended, even the pauses that he uses while the people are cheering, his ability to sort of take the moment and go beyond it."

The next essential element: passion. Every bit of the speech seems to be from his fiber³⁹, from his heart:

"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred⁴⁰." 

"King was a learned man, and his intellect was evident," Douglas DuBrin points out. "His references are ample to history, to the plight⁴¹ of various peoples."

Douglas DuBrin says the fourth ingredient of great speechmaking, persuasiveness⁴², must be evaluated after the fact.  He says the speech helped change the nation's racial landscape for the better.

Bridging the racial divide

mechanikat, Flickr Creative Commons
Thousands of cities across America renamed whole or portions of important streets in King's honor after his assassination⁴³ in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968

While Martin Luther King made ample use of his skills as a hypnotic Baptist preacher, with calls to the audience and their response, dramatic pauses, and lyrical references to biblical passages, Margaret Zulick at Wake Forest University says the "I Have a Dream" speech endures because it bridged the racial divide.  "He's trying to hold his own movement together, and then he's also trying to bring the movement into the mainstream⁴⁴ and convince white Americans that 'all we're asking for is our own share of the American dream.'  The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were promissory notes for freedom and equality, 'and now we're cashing it in.'"
       
Very simply put, it's the idea that black Americans are Americans, and that America is not going to be America until white Americans understand that the black American tradition is their tradition.
   
In King's words: "We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.  We refuse to believe that there are insufficient⁴⁵ funds in the great vaults⁴⁶ of opportunity of this nation."

As Martin Luther King Junior delivered his soaring "I Have a Dream" speech, Washington was half-deserted. hunkered down and anxious about what the tens of thousands of freedom marchers might do.  King's forceful, yet reasoned, speech, which be began to write just four days before it was delivered, softened⁴⁷ the nation's fear and anger and helped convince President Kennedy to begin the push for a landmark⁴⁸ civil-rights act that would end government-sponsored racial segregation in much of the land. 

President Kennedy would be assassinated⁴⁹ less than three months later.  And five years later, after delivering one of his last public utterances⁵⁰ about having been to the mountaintop, King, too, would be felled by an assassin's bullet.
 

1 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

2 orator   

n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家

参考例句：

• He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。
• The orator gestured vigorously while speaking.这位演讲者讲话时用力地做手势。

3 oratory   

n.演讲术；词藻华丽的言辞

参考例句：

• I admire the oratory of some politicians.我佩服某些政治家的辩才。
• He dazzled the crowd with his oratory.他的雄辩口才使听众赞叹不已。

4 orations   

n.（正式仪式中的）演说，演讲( oration的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The young official added a genuine note of emotion amid the pompous funeral orations. 这位年轻的高级官员，在冗长的葬礼演讲中加了一段充满感情的话。 来自辞典例句
• It has to go down as one of the great orations of all times. 它去作为一个伟大的演讲所有次。 来自互联网

5 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

6 dissect   

v.分割；解剖

参考例句：

• In biology class we had to dissect a frog.上生物课时我们得解剖青蛙。
• Not everyone can dissect and digest the public information they receive.不是每个人都可以解析和消化他们得到的公共信息的。

7 cadence   

n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫

参考例句：

• He delivered his words in slow,measured cadences.他讲话缓慢而抑扬顿挫、把握有度。
• He liked the relaxed cadence of his retired life.他喜欢退休生活的悠闲的节奏。

8 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

9 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

10 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

11 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

12 extemporaneous   

adj.即席的，一时的

参考例句：

• She made an extemporaneous speech on the ceremony.她在典礼上做了一次即兴演讲。
• Nixon carried away with it all,delivered his extemporaneous toast.尼克松对一切都很满意，颇有些情不自禁地发表了他的即席祝酒词。

13 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

14 oasis   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方

参考例句：

• They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。
• The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

15 improvisation   

n.即席演奏(或演唱)；即兴创作

参考例句：

• a free-form jazz improvisation 自由创作的爵士乐即兴演出
• Most of their music was spontaneous improvisation. 他们的大部分音乐作品都是即兴创作的。

16 improvisational   

adj. 即兴的

参考例句：

• I have never been at games like charades or improvisational acting. 您从来都唔擅长玩“有口难言”或者“即席表演”之类既游戏。
• I'm practicing self-control, those random and improvisational acts aren't allowed. 我在练习控制自己，那些随意的、即兴的举动是不允许的。

17 repertoire   

n.(准备好演出的)节目，保留剧目；(计算机的)指令表，指令系统， <美>(某个人的)全部技能；清单，指令表

参考例句：

• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。
• He has added considerably to his piano repertoire.他的钢琴演奏曲目大大增加了。

18 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

19 sublime   

adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的

参考例句：

• We should take some time to enjoy the sublime beauty of nature.我们应该花些时间去欣赏大自然的壮丽景象。
• Olympic games play as an important arena to exhibit the sublime idea.奥运会，就是展示此崇高理念的重要舞台。

20 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

21 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

22 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

23 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

24 metaphors   

隐喻( metaphor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I can only represent it to you by metaphors. 我只能用隐喻来向你描述它。
• Thus, She's an angel and He's a lion in battle are metaphors. 因此她是天使，他是雄狮都是比喻说法。

25 poetically   

adv.有诗意地，用韵文

参考例句：

• Life is poetically compared to the morning dew. 在诗歌中，人生被比喻为朝露。 来自辞典例句
• Poetically, Midsummer's Eve begins in flowers and ends in fire. 仲夏节是富有诗意的节日，它以鲜花领航，在篝火旁完美落幕。 来自互联网

26 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

27 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

29 withering   

使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的

参考例句：

• She gave him a withering look. 她极其蔑视地看了他一眼。
• The grass is gradually dried-up and withering and pallen leaves. 草渐渐干枯、枯萎并落叶。

30 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

31 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

32 segregation   

n.隔离，种族隔离

参考例句：

• Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
• They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。

33 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

34 allusions   

暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We should not use proverbs and allusions indiscriminately. 不要滥用成语典故。
• The background lent itself to allusions to European scenes. 眼前的情景容易使人联想到欧洲风光。

35 abound   

vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于

参考例句：

• Oranges abound here all the year round.这里一年到头都有很多橙子。
• But problems abound in the management of State-owned companies.但是在国有企业的管理中仍然存在不少问题。

36 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

37 sculptor   

n.雕刻家，雕刻家

参考例句：

• A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
• The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。

38 eloquence   

n.雄辩；口才，修辞

参考例句：

• I am afraid my eloquence did not avail against the facts.恐怕我的雄辩也无补于事实了。
• The people were charmed by his eloquence.人们被他的口才迷住了。

39 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

40 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。

41 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。

42 persuasiveness   

说服力

参考例句：

• His speech failed in persuasiveness and proof. 他的讲演缺乏说服力和论据。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There is inherent persuasiveness in some voices. 有些人的声音天生具有一种说服力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

43 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

44 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

45 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

46 vaults   

n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴

参考例句：

• It was deposited in the vaults of a bank. 它存在一家银行的保险库里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

47 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

48 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

49 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

50 utterances   

n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论

参考例句：

• John Maynard Keynes used somewhat gnomic utterances in his General Theory. 约翰·梅纳德·凯恩斯在其《通论》中用了许多精辟言辞。 来自辞典例句
• Elsewhere, particularly in his more public utterances, Hawthorne speaks very differently. 在别的地方，特别是在比较公开的谈话里，霍桑讲的话则完全不同。 来自辞典例句