美国故事 SENEWS-2007-1124-FEATURE

Now the VOA Special English program American Stories.

Our story is called "The Animals Give Themselves" from the book Cloud Walker by Joe Montour published by Forum¹ Publishing. Mr. Montour is a native American from the Mohar nation. He has written stories about young native Americans who grow up in American cities and do not always know a lot about their Indian traditions. Here is Faith Lapidus with the story.

"Elizabeth." Betty Talen turned to her best friend Debby, "I hate it when my mother calls me Elizabeth, it always means² I have to do some work." Betty made her music louder and the two girls laughed.

Betty and Debby are 12 years old and live in Fairbanks, Alaska. Together, they share schoolwork and movies and talk a lot. Betty is Coyukan, an Alaskan native nation, and Debby's ancestors³ came from England.

Mrs. Talen came to Betty's room, "We are going home to our village for a potlatch." she told her daughter.

"What is a potlatch?" asked Debby.

"It is a big ceremony and meal," said Betty, "people cook food and give away blankets, it is really silly. Do I have to go?" she asked her mother.

"Yes, it is our responsibility⁴." said her mother, "We are flying out tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Betty was flying in a small plane beside her mother. "I really hate this," she said, "why couldn’t I stay with Debby?"

But when the plane landed, Betty was beginning to think the Potlatch might be fun. She would see her uncle Vincent and aunt Molly and visit with her cousins. But most important was that her father would be at the Potlatch. He was often away from home for months working with the tribe⁵ on environmental⁶ issues⁷.

Uncle Vincent met them at the airport. He had a thick way of talking and a missing⁸ tooth in the corner of his smile. Uncle Vincent was a hunter in the village.

"How you folks⁹ been doing there in Fairbanks?" He asked as he drove¹⁰ his truck down a snowy road. They drove for almost an hour. Betty thought everything just looked frozen¹¹, but to her mother, it was the place where she had grown up. She showed Betty the birds and other animals along the road. Suddenly Uncle Vincent stopped the truck and looked into the bushes¹². Mrs. Talen watched too, but Betty could see nothing. Then Betty saw a large moose whose breath¹³ made steam in the winter air.

Uncle Vincent quickly reached for his gun and stepped out of his truck. Betty looked at her mother. ''He is not going to shoot the moose, is he? " Before her mother could answer, there was a loud sound from the gun, then silence. Mrs. Talen got out of the truck and stood beside Vincent. Betty watched them talk softly¹⁴, then her mother said, "Come on, Betty, we have a moose". Betty said softly to her mother, "This is so horrible¹⁵, I hate it! Why can't we just go? '' But Mrs. Talen put her finger to her lips¹⁶ as a sign to be quiet.

A short way into the woods, they came upon the moose lying on her side in the snow. Betty watched as Uncle Vincent touched different parts of the dead moose, praying quietly and offering¹⁷ thanks for the use of the animal. Then he stood up and said, ''Betty, run up to the truck and bring back the knives under the seat. '' Betty walked through the snow, feeling unsure. A potlatch was supposed to be fun! Now here they were, in the middle of the forest with a dead moose. She found the knives in the truck and returned to where her mother and uncle were waiting. ''This is so horrible! " She said under her breath.

Uncle Vincent and Mrs. Talen both took off their coats. It was freezing, but her mother did not seem cold. She took one of the knives from Betty. "Mum? "asked Betty. "What? You did not know that I know how to cut the skin off a moose? I used to help my brothers all the time! My mother and I took care of the skins and we smoked them to make coverings for our feet and hands. When you were born, I used to give you a moose bone to chew¹⁸ on to help your baby teeth grow. '' She said with a laugh.

''No way! '' Betty protested¹⁹. As they worked late into the afternoon, Betty thought it was so strange to see her mother working on a moose. Betty was used to seeing her mother working in an office wearing dresses and nice shoes, but not in the middle of the snow taking the skin off a moose. What else didn't she know about her mother? When they were ready to leave, Betty saw that the woods did not seem quiet anymore. Black birds called ravens²⁰ were circling high in the sky and a cold wind was blowing.

As they drove along the snowy road, Betty thought to herself, ''This land was difficult, but her mother was a part of it, because she knew things. '' As they drove into the small village, Betty saw that there were no big stores. This was the place her mother had been raised, and Betty suddenly felt as though she did not know very much.

Uncle Vincent stopped by a small house at the far end of the village. There were so many people inside. Betty did not remember any of them, but they seemed to know her. Betty was only a baby when she left and her relatives ragged²¹ her cheeks and welcomed. She smiled as they put their arms around her. Then, out of the crowd, came her father, David Talen. He picked her up and cried, ''Betty Boop !''

''Dad, do not call me that!'' She said, but she was still smiling. She put her arms around him. ''We killed a moose for potlatch!'' Betty did not know where her words came from, but she sensed the importance of this group of family members.

''You got a moose?'' asked Betty's father. He smelled her and added²² with a laugh. ''You smell like a moose. Hi, you!''

That night, Betty slept on blankets on the floor. She was so tired from walking in the woods with the moose. She dreamed that the moose talked to her and said, ''I give myself to you, so your people can eat and live.'' When she woke up, she thought her dream was real. Betty found her mother having a cup of coffee. ''Mom, I had a dream.'' She said. ''The moose was there and she told me her death was like a gift to us. I do not understand.''

Betty's mother held the warm cup of coffee in her hands and explained. ''No matter how far we travel from home, when we return, this is still our land. The place we come from. This is a place of people, ravens, moose and so many other beings. The bird does not take more than it needs and people do not, either. This is the balance of our world. Your moose visited you to let you know that it was all right. She gave up herself to feed your family because we honored²³ her. And from that, you're learning²⁴ to be honorable²⁵. You watch here how all these meat will be shared. Everyone will be fed from your moose. That is life.''

Just then, Betty's father joined them, her mother looked up and smiled. ''Betty dreamed about the moose.''

''Oh, I see,'' said Betty's father. ''Would you feel better if I told you Aunt Ester makes soft shoes? She will make you a pair from your moose.''

Betty smiled, ''Really?''

Her father said, ''Maybe we should all talk more about our traditions, so we do not forget them.''

''You're always gone,'' said Betty.

''Well, that could change.'' said her Dad. ''I am moving back to Fairbanks.''

Her mother jumped up and put her arms around him. ''That is wonderful, David.'

The next day, Betty enjoyed the potlatch ceremony. All the people cooked big pots of meat and fried²⁶ bread. Older members of the village stood up to speak about the unity²⁷ of the people. They offered prayers²⁸ to the spirits and everyone ate.

''I never ate so much in my life.'' Betty said to her mother, ''My moose was very good.''

When Betty flew back to Fairbanks, she looked down at the land. Her mother's village looked like little dots on the snowy earth.

Back home, Betty was happy to see her friend Debby.

''Look what I brought you! A pair of soft shoes, my aunt made them.''

Debby said, ''I wish I could go to a potlatch.''

Betty said, ''Maybe next year, I will ask my mother if you can come, but if we shoot a moose, you have to help.''

You have heard the native American story ''The Animals Give Themselves'' from the book Cloud Walker. It was written by Joe Montour and adapted into Special English by Karen Legate. Your storyteller was Faith Lapidus. The producer was Lawan Davis. Listen again next week at this time for another American story in VOA special English. I'm Bob Doughty²⁹.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

3 ancestors   

n.祖先( ancestor的名词复数 )；祖宗；原型；（动物的）原种

参考例句：

• His ancestors had come to America from Ireland. 他的祖先从爱尔兰来到美国。
• The custom of worshipping ancestors is prevalent among these people. 崇拜祖先的风俗在这些人中是普遍的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 responsibility   

n.责任，职责

参考例句：

• The safety of the ship is the captain's responsibility.确保船的安全是船长的责任。
• The matter is outside my area of the responsibility.此事超出我的责任范围。

5 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

6 environmental   

adj.环境的

参考例句：

• A global environmental meeting is going to be held here.一个全球环境会议将在这里举行。
• We need to cure our environmental problems.我们需要解决环境问题。

7 issues   

（水等的）流出( issue的名词复数 )； 出口； 放出； （特别重要或大众关注的）问题

参考例句：

• Let's start with the more easily addressable issues. 我们先从较容易处理的问题着手。
• Employment and taxation are the bread-and-butter issues of politics. 就业和征税是很重要的政治问题。

8 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

9 folks   

n.人们；父母；亲人；家属；人们( folk的名词复数 )；亲属；大伙儿；民间音乐

参考例句：

• Ask yourself what the folks in Peoria will think of it. 想一想皮奥里亚的人会如何看待这件事。
• When good folks meet, evil men keep their distance. 好人相逢，恶人远离。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 drove   

vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群

参考例句：

• He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
• They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。

11 frozen   

adj.冻结的，冰冻的

参考例句：

• He was frozen to death on a snowing night.在一个风雪的晚上，他被冻死了。
• The weather is cold and the ground is frozen.天寒地冻。

12 bushes   

n.灌木（丛）( bush的名词复数 )；[机械学]（金属）衬套；[电学]（绝缘）套管；类似灌木的东西（尤指浓密的毛发或皮毛）

参考例句：

• There was someone skulking behind the bushes. 有人藏在灌木后面。
• The boy chased his sister in and out among the bushes. 那个男孩在灌木丛里跟着他姐姐追过来追过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 breath   

n.呼吸，气息，微风，迹象，精神，一种说话的声音

参考例句：

• I'm just going out for a breath of fresh air.我正要出去呼吸新鲜空气。
• While climbing up the stairs the old man always loses his breath.那老人上楼时总是气喘吁吁的。

14 softly   

adv.柔和地，静静地，温柔地

参考例句：

• He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻，她听不见。
• She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。

15 horrible   

adj.可怕的，极可憎的，极可厌的

参考例句：

• This is a horrible monster.这是一个可怕的怪物。
• That is a horrible accident.那是一次可怕的事故。

16 lips   

abbr.logical inferences per second 每秒的逻辑推论n.嘴唇( lip的名词复数 )；（容器或凹陷地方的）边缘；粗鲁无礼的话

参考例句：

• Her lips compressed into a thin line. 她的双唇抿成了一道缝。
• the fullness of her lips 她丰满的双唇

17 offering   

n.提供，奉献物，牲礼

参考例句：

• What is your competition offering?你的竞争者提出的条件是什么？
• The police are offering a big reward for information about the robbery.警方出大笔赏金要求提供那起抢劫案的破案线索。

18 chew   

vt.咀嚼，嚼碎；vi.咀嚼，细想；n.咀嚼，咀嚼物

参考例句：

• This candy is so hard that no one can chew it.这种糖太硬，没人嚼得动。
• You should chew over this thing.你应当好好思量这件事。

19 protested   

v.声明( protest的过去式和过去分词 )；坚决地表示；申辩

参考例句：

• He protested he was being cheated of his rightful share. 他提出抗议说他被人骗取了他依法应得的份额。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Amy protested she was being cheated of her rightful share. 艾米提出抗议，说有人骗取了她依法应得的份额。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 ravens   

n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Wheresoever the carcase is,there will the ravens be gathered together. 哪里有死尸，哪里就有乌鸦麇集。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A couple of ravens croaked above our boat. 两只乌鸦在我们小船的上空嘎嘎叫着。 来自辞典例句

21 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

22 added   

adj.更多的，附加的，额外的

参考例句：

• They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
• The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。

23 honored   

adj.光荣的：荣幸的v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I hope to be honored with further orders. 如蒙惠顾，不胜荣幸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is a time-honored custom. 这是一个古老的习俗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

25 honorable   

adj.光荣的，荣誉的；可敬的，高尚的

参考例句：

• I don't think I am worthy of such an honorable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honorable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

26 fried   

adj.油煎的；油炒的

参考例句：

• I ate everything fried.所有油炸的我都吃。
• I prefer fried peanuts.我选择炸花生。

27 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

28 prayers   

祈祷( prayer的名词复数 )； 祈祷（习惯）； 祈祷文； 经文

参考例句：

• to say your prayers 祷告
• He says his prayers every night before he goes to bed. 他每晚睡觉前都做晚祷。

29 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。