VOA标准英语2010年-Young Artist Does Her Part to Help Gul

A brown pelican¹ is mired² in heavy oil on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast, 03 Jun 2010

She was so distressed³ when she saw images of oil soaked birds in the Gulf⁴ of Mexico that 11-year-old Olivia Bouler wanted to do something.  Olivia - who says conservationist John James Audubon is her hero - took her drawing talent and her passion for birds and tried to help.  The young artist has raised thousands of dollars so far to help care for birds hurt by the BP oil spill.

 Olivia Bouler was moved to tears when she saw oil-soaked birds struggling in the surf along the Gulf of Mexico.  Olivia calls herself a bird-lover who hopes to one day become an ornithologist⁵.  So she decided⁶ to write to the Audubon Society - which specializes in bird conservation - to see if she could do something.

The Audubon Society
Olivia Bouler, 11, writes a letter to the Audubon Society to see if she could do something for the birds hurt by the BP oil spill

The Islip, New York resident closed her letter "11 years and willing to help" and included one of her drawings - of a cardinal⁷.  Olivia said she had "some artistic⁸ talent" and would give one of her drawings or paintings to anyone who donated to oil spill relief efforts.

Her mom Nadine is an English teacher who has shown her own art in galleries. Olivia's father James grew up in Orange Beach, Alabama, and still has family along the Gulf coast. Nadine Bouler says Olivia came up with the idea to give her drawings in exchange for donations one night at the kitchen table.  But the family never imagined the project would get worldwide attention.

"We knew how upset she was about the situation and we were really glad to see her have an outlet⁹ to handle her feelings," she said. "We never anticipated that it would take off the way it has. But we are certainly supportive of what she wants to do."

Most of Olivia's drawing experience comes from doodling on tests and taking one art class.  She uses the National Audubon Society Field Guide or the Cornell University Lab Ornithology¹⁰ Handbook of Bird Biology to guide her drawings.

Olivia said that John James Audubon, the 19th century French-American ornithologist who painted and described the birds of North America in his book Birds of America was her inspiration.

"Yes I love him, he is my hero," she said. "I do not have a favorite bird. If I had to say one that I really, really liked, though I would have to say the American Kestrel and the Blue Jay."

AOL contacted the Boulers after the initiative's Facebook page "Save the Gulf: Olivia's Bird Illustrations" caught the attention of media outlets¹¹.  The Internet Company also donated $25,000 to the Audubon Society to help in Olivia's quest and features her on its artists profile page.

 

The Audubon Society
Olivia Bouler's drawing of a brown pelican

One of Olivia's drawings features the brown Pelican, many of which have been hurt or killed after oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill fouled¹² their nesting areas.  Delta¹³ Willis is from the Audubon Society and she says the organization's founder¹⁴ himself would cheer Olivia's efforts.

"I think he would be as charmed as we are because she's not only talented but she's incredibly informed," said Willis. "She talks about the aerodynamics of the brown pelican. And we're just enchanted¹⁵ by her. And I think that John James [Audubon] would be too."

To date, Olivia's quest has raised more than $120,000. The young artist says she hopes people will join her in helping¹⁶ the Gulf region's birds.

"I hope that they look at my pictures and feel the beauty of birds that shines through them," she said. "And I hope that they will see that birds are important and we need to preserve them."

Nadine Bouler says Oliva committed to 500 original drawings and is still working to complete that total.  With the worldwide attention Olivia's work has drawn¹⁷, the Boulers and AOL have put together a print edition of her work. 

The Internet provider is also helping distribute Olivia's prints to the first 10,000 people who donate to Gulf relief efforts and request one of her drawings.  Donations will help support volunteers, staff and stock rehabilitation¹⁸ centers and find transportation for rescued birds.

 

1 pelican   

n.鹈鹕，伽蓝鸟

参考例句：

• The pelican has a very useful beak.鹈鹕有一张非常有用的嘴。
• This pelican is expected to fully recover.这只鹈鹕不久就能痊愈。

2 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 ornithologist   

n.鸟类学家

参考例句：

• That area is an ornithologist's paradise.那个地区是鸟类学家的天堂。
• Now I know how an ornithologist feels.现在我知道做为一个鸟类学家的感受了。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

8 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

9 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

10 ornithology   

n.鸟类学

参考例句：

• He found his vocation in ornithology.他发现自己适于专攻鸟类学。
• His main interests are botany and ornithology.他主要对植物学和鸟类学感兴趣。

11 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 fouled   

v.使污秽( foul的过去式和过去分词 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏

参考例句：

• Blue suit and reddish-brown socks!He had fouled up again. 蓝衣服和红褐色短袜！他又搞错了。
• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories. 整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。

13 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

14 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

15 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

16 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

17 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。

18 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。