美国国家公共电台 NPR--'The Rabbit Hutch,' a novel by Tess Gunty, wins National Book Award for fiction

'The Rabbit Hutch,' a novel by Tess Gunty, wins National Book Award for fiction

Transcript¹

The literary world gathered in New York City Wednesday night for the National Book Awards. The recent rise in book bannings across the country hung over the celebration.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The big names in the literary world gathered in New York City last night for the National Book Awards. How did they not invite me? Anyway, it was a big night celebrating the best American books and authors from the past year. But a recent rise in book bannings hung over the night. NPR's Andrew Limbong reports.

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PADMA LAKSHMI: Hi, everybody.

ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE²: The issue of parents and politicians restricting books in schools and libraries, particularly books that include LGBTQ characters or that tackle themes of racism³, was something many of the speakers last night addressed directly. Television host and author Padma Lakshmi hosted the ceremony and brought it up in her opening remarks.

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LAKSHMI: Deciding what books are in school libraries is the job of librarians, not politicians. Where are my librarians at?

LIMBONG: And so did the two recipients⁴ of the lifetime achievement awards - Tracie D. Hall from the American Library Association, who was given the Literarian Award...

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TRACIE D HALL: It is a universal truth that one of the real tests of liberty is the right to read.

LIMBONG: ...And Art Spiegelman, whose graphic⁵ novel, "Maus," became the center of a book banning culture war at a Tennessee school district earlier this year. The book depicts⁶ his father's journey through Auschwitz. After being awarded for his distinguished⁷ contribution to American letters, he said he didn't think the incident was driven wholly by antisemitism.

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ART SPIEGELMAN: Everyone just wanted a kinder, gentler Holocaust⁸ to teach, as well as wanting to control thought and maybe eviscerate⁹ trust in public education so that tax money can be diverted toward private and religious schools.

LIMBONG: But then there was the business to get on to - awarding the best books of the year. In fiction, the award went to Tess Gunty, whose debut¹⁰ novel, "The Rabbit Hutch," is about four teenagers, too old for the state's foster care system, living together in a subsidized apartment building in a fictional¹¹ town in the post-industrial Midwest. Here she is at an event the previous night, reading the opening.

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TESS GUNTY: (Reading) On a hot night in apartment C4, Blandine Watkins exits her body. She's only 18 years old, but she has spent most of her life wishing for this to happen.

LIMBONG: The translated literature award went to Samanta Schweblin from Argentina and translator Megan McDowell for the short story collection "Seven Empty Houses." The award for young people's literature went to Sabaa Tahir, whose YA novel "All My Rage" jumps between Lahore, Pakistan, and Juniper, Calif. And the poetry award went to John Keene, whose acceptance speech hit on the big topic of the night.

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JOHN KEENE: Lastly, I urge you to support libraries and librarians.

LIMBONG: But also the other thing hanging over the night's proceedings¹² - the nearly 250 workers for publisher HarperCollins who are currently on strike demanding better wages.

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KEENE: Support workers in the publishing industry and every industry.

LIMBONG: And the nonfiction award went to professor Imani Perry, whose book "South To America" is a rigorous examination of the American South. But as you can tell from her acceptance speech, her writing doesn't come from a place of rote¹³ history.

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IMANI PERRY: I write for my people. I write because we children of the lash-scarred, rope-choked, bullet-ridden desecrated¹⁴ are still here, standing¹⁵.

LIMBONG: But instead, like the rest of the writers, it comes from somewhere deeper.

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PERRY: I write for you. I write because I love sentences, and I love freedom more.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

4 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

6 depicts   

描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述

参考例句：

• The book vividly depicts French society of the 1930s. 这本书生动地描绘了20 世纪30 年代的法国社会。
• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively. 他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。

7 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

8 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

9 eviscerate   

vt.取出…的内脏；抽出…的精华

参考例句：

• We agreed to eviscerate the proposed bill.我们同意去除所提议案的本质部分。
• Eviscerate demolition meat,cut into the meat section.拆肉剔骨，将肉切成条。

10 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

11 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

12 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

13 rote   

n.死记硬背，生搬硬套

参考例句：

• Learning by rote is discouraged in this school.这所学校不鼓励死记硬背的学习方式。
• He recited the poem by rote.他强记背诵了这首诗。

14 desecrated   

毁坏或亵渎( desecrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The invading army desecrated this holy place when they camped here. 侵略军在这块圣地上扎营就是对这块圣地的亵渎。
• She shouldn't have desecrated the picture of a religious leader. 她不该亵渎宗教领袖的画像。

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。