VOA标准英语2010年-'For Love of Liberty' Recalls Black He

A film called For Love of Liberty tells a little-known story of African Americans in the wartime military. The documentary aired this year on the US Public Broadcasting System, and a newly released CD features music from the film.

Director Frank Martin says most Americans know something about black units like the Tuskegee Airmen, African-American aviators¹ noted² for their heroics in World War II. He adds that most people are familiar with the 19th century black cavalry³ units known as Buffalo⁴ Soldiers.? Both have been the subject of Hollywood movies.

But the filmmaker says African Americans played a prominent role as soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines throughout the nation's history, and much of that story had not been told.

 

"For Love of Liberty" director Frank Martin
"Most folks have not a clue that there were 200,000 black men who fought in the Civil War, or had it not been for Louisiana's Free Men of Color, the British might well have won in the Battle of New Orleans. They have never heard of the First Rhode Island regiment⁵ who fought in the revolution," Martin said.

In fact, one of the first to die in the cause that became the American Revolution was an escaped black slave named Crispus Attucks, one of five American protesters shot by British soldiers in the Colonial Era Boston Massacre⁶.

Martin has made films that explored various topics in the entertainment business. He has looked at the history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, for example, the life of director John Huston, and the history of sex and censorship in the movies.

He says he was attracted to the project about African Americans in the military because it posed a question.

 

A scene from "For Love of Liberty"
"And the question is, why would someone shed their blood in defense⁷ of a nation that treated them worse than second-class citizens? Because the film is full of stories of, you know, black Marines during the Second World War in Louisiana who, the restaurants wouldn't serve them," explained Martin. "These guys were in uniform on their way to the Pacific. So it is an important question and it is a question that is relevant to all Americans, no matter what color you are."

The film tells the story through first-person accounts in letters and diaries, such as this vivid observation by Revolutionary War veteran James Roberts, read by actor Morgan Freeman.

"Human blood ran down in torrents⁸, till the waters of the river were as red as crimson⁹."

 

Halle Berry in a scene from "For Love of Liberty"
The film also tells its story through music, much of it composed especially for the project, and some dating to earlier eras, including the song Was My Brother in the Battle?

"This was written by Stephen Foster in the 1860s and it is a song about the Civil War," explained Martin. "Well, that song has never been sung by a black person. So when you hear that song, it instantly conjures¹⁰ up the Civil War. But when you apply a black voice to it, it takes on a whole different meaning."

Billie Holiday's somber¹¹ ballad¹² Strange Fruit recalls the summer of 1919, after the demobilization of the troops at the end of World War I and a shortage of jobs led to racial clashes. Scores of African Americans were lynched, especially in the South.

 

Colin Powell in a scene from "For Love of Liberty"
The documentary features notable African Americans, including Halle Berry and retired¹³ U.S. general Colin Powell.

"I was an American soldier for 35 years. I was a black American soldier," Powell said in the film. "And I followed in a long tradition of black men and women who have served this nation since long before our Revolutionary War."

Martin says the film answers the question that it poses at the beginning: why did these soldiers fight for a country that oppressed them?

"They fought for the love of liberty. They fought for freedom," he said. "They fought in the belief that if they fought harder, proved themselves braver, then they too would be worthy¹⁴ of the benefits that are prescribed in the Constitution, but that they did not enjoy."

Frank Martin says the film For Love of Liberty was 10 years in the making, but he says that was fortunate because it allowed the story to come full circle. By the time the film aired this year on the PBS network, the US military had its first African American commander-in-chief, President Barack Obama, something not imagined by earlier generations of black soldiers.
 

1 aviators   

飞机驾驶员，飞行员( aviator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Analysis on Sickness Status of 1149 Aviators during Recuperation. 飞行员1149例疗养期间患病情况分析。
• In America the whole scale is too big, except for aviators. 在美国整个景象的比例都太大了，不过对飞行员来说是个例外。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 cavalry   

n.骑兵；轻装甲部队

参考例句：

• We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
• The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。

4 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

5 regiment   

n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制

参考例句：

• As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
• They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

6 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 torrents   

n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断

参考例句：

• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Sudden rainstorms would bring the mountain torrents rushing down. 突然的暴雨会使山洪暴发。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

10 conjures   

用魔术变出( conjure的第三人称单数 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现

参考例句：

• The word 'birthday' conjures up images of presents and parties. “生日”这个词使人想起礼物和聚会的情景。
• The name Sahara conjures up images of a desert of aridity. "撒哈拉"这个名字使人想起干旱的沙漠情景。

11 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

12 ballad   

n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲

参考例句：

• This poem has the distinctive flavour of a ballad.这首诗有民歌风味。
• This is a romantic ballad that is pure corn.这是一首极为伤感的浪漫小曲。

13 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

14 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。