THIS IS AMERICA - Kennedy Center Honors

THIS IS AMERICA - Kennedy Center Honors

By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: December 2, 2002
VOICE ONE:

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate the work of five
famous performing artists on Sunday, December eighth. They will be honored for
many years of excellence¹. I'm Mary Tillotson.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. We tell about the winners of this year's Kennedy Center
Honors on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.

((MUSIC: “MARCH” FROM “AIDA”))

VOICE ONE:

The lights of the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D-C, will shine next Sunday on five famous
performing artists. The Kennedy Center will honor orchestra² conductor and pianist James Levine (lah-VINE),
actress Elizabeth Taylor and actor James Earl Jones. Other honorees are singer and songwriter Paul Simon and
actress, dancer and singer Chita Rivera.

VOICE TWO:

Musical conductor and pianist James Levine (lah-VINE) is the youngest Kennedy Center Honors
winner this year. The artistic³ director of the Metropolitan⁴ Opera in New York City is fifty-nine
years old. For thirty of those years Mister Levine has helped make the Metropolitan Opera one of
the best in the world. He also will direct the Boston Symphony⁵ Orchestra beginning in two-
thousand-four.

James Levine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. At age ten, he played piano with the Cincinnati
Symphony. He led his first Metropolitan Opera performance at age twenty-seven. In just four
more years he became the opera’s musical director. Listen as James Levine leads the Metropolitan Orchestra
and Chorus⁶ in music from “Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi.

((MUSIC))

VOICE ONE:

James Levine
The Kennedy Center also is honoring actress and humanitarian⁷ Elizabeth Taylor. She has been
acting⁸ for sixty of her seventy years. She has appeared in almost sixty movies.

Mizz Taylor has won two Academy Awards for best leading actress from the Motion Picture
Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also has received many other honors from the film industry.

Elizabeth Elizabeth Taylor was born in London, England. But her American parents took her to live in
Taylor California before World War Two.Elizabeth first gained widespread fame in the movie
“National Velvet⁹”
when she was only twelve years old. Later she gave outstanding performances in great films
like “Giant,”“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” Her first appearance in
the theater earned her honors and critical praise. Mizz Taylor appeared in “The Little Foxes” in nineteen-
eighty-one.

Two years later a close friend of Mizz Taylor, actor Rock Hudson, died of the disease AIDS. This death led her


to support and establish several organizations for AIDS research and treatment. Elizabeth Taylor has raised more
than one-hundred-million dollars for the struggle against AIDS.
((MUSIC BRIDGE)
)
VOICE TWO:

The Kennedy Center is also honoring James Earl Jones. Mister Jones is known for his
commanding acting presence and deep voice. Over the years he has played in theater, films and on
radio and television. In the nineteen-sixties, he was one of the first African American actors to
have a continuing part in daytime television dramas. Critics have praised his work in plays by
William Shakespeare and as the voice of Darth Vader in the first “Star Wars” movies.

James Earl Jones was born in the state of Mississippi in nineteen-thirty-one. He grew up in
Michigan, cared for by his grandparents. As a child he suffered from a severe speech problem. Jones
This prevented him from talking much. He began to develop his voice with acting lessons at the University of
Michigan. He had gone there to study medicine. Instead, he decided¹⁰ to become an actor.

Here is James Earl Jones reading from “Lincoln Portrait”
by Aaron Copland.

“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.” That is what he said. That is what Abraham Lincoln said.
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in
spite¹¹ of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance¹² can spare one or another of us. The fiery¹³ trial
through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. We -- even we here --
hold the power and bear the responsibility.
”

VOICE ONE:

James Earl
Paul Simon
The Kennedy Center also is honoring singer and songwriter Paul Simon. His beautiful melodies¹⁴
have deeply influenced American music. Paul Simon has won many Grammy awards for the finest
single records and collections of songs.

Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey¹⁵ in nineteen-forty-one. He went to high school in
New York City. There he met Art Garfunkel, another student deeply interested in music. Paul
Simon art Art Garfunkel soon began creating music together. At age sixteen, they recorded a song
called “Hey Schoolgirl.” It sold many copies. The song led to an appearance on the popular

television program “American Bandstand.
”

The two musical friends combined their voices again in nineteen-sixty-four on the song “Wednesday Morning,
Three A-M.” Simon and Garfunkel were a successful singing team for several years. Their songs in the
nineteen-sixty-seven film “The Graduate”
became especially famous.

In the early nineteen-seventies, Paul Simon started working alone. Since then he has produced many new songs.
Some have included musical traditions and musicians from South Africa and Brazil. In nineteen-ninety he was
named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here are Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel singing Paul Simon’s song,
“Missus Robinson.
”

((MUSIC))

VOICE TWO:

The Kennedy Center is honoring Broadway and nightclub star Chita Rivera for many years of
outstanding acting, singing and dancing. Chita Rivera was born in Washington, D-C, in nineteen-
thirty-three. Her father was a musician who was born in Puerto Rico. He died when Chita was a
young girl. Her mother supported her five children by working in a government office.

In nineteen-forty-nine, Chita won money to attend George Balanchine’s School of American
Ballet. Chita Rivera first earned fame on Broadway singing and dancing in the musical “West Chita Rivera
Side Story” in nineteen-fifty-seven. She also has starred in Broadway musicals like “Can-(Photos
Can,”“Bye Bye Birdie” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” She has won praise and major Kennedy


awards for her work in theater. Here Chita Rivera sings “America” from “West Side Story.
”
Center)
((MUSIC)
)
VOICE ONE:
James Levine, Elizabeth Taylor, James Earl Jones, Paul Simon, and Chita Rivera are special performers. The

Kennedy Center will honor them for sharing their gifts with people around the world.
((THEME)
)
VOICE TWO:
This VOA Special English program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced by Cynthia Kirk. I’m Steve

Ember.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Mary Tillotson. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on our VOA

Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.

 

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1 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

2 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

3 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。

4 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

5 symphony   

n.交响乐（曲），（色彩等的）和谐

参考例句：

• The Ninth Symphony of Beethoven is a famous one.贝多芬的第九交响乐非常有名。
• They play over the whole symphony.他们把整个交响乐重新演奏了一遍。

6 chorus   

n.合唱，合唱队，齐声

参考例句：

• Never before have I heard this song sung in chorus.我从来没有听过这首歌的合唱。
• The children repeated the words after her in chorus.孩子们跟她齐声朗读单词。

7 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

10 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。

11 spite   

n.（用于短语）虽然，不顾，尽管

参考例句：

• He has modern ideas in spite of his great age.尽管他年事很高，但思想观念却很入时。
• In spite of his anger,his remarks were restrained.他尽管生气，说的话还是有节制的。

12 insignificance   

n.不重要；无价值；无意义

参考例句：

• Her insignificance in the presence of so much magnificence faintly affected her. "她想象着他所描绘的一切，心里不禁有些刺痛。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• It was above the common mass, above idleness, above want, above insignificance. 这里没有平凡，没有懒散，没有贫困，也没有低微。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

13 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

14 melodies   

曲调( melody的名词复数 )； 旋律； 乐曲的音符编排； 美妙的音乐

参考例句：

• The two melodies are played in counterpoint. 用对位法来演奏这两首曲调。
• And now for your further delectation, we present a selection of popular melodies. 为使你们更加愉快，我们奉献给你们一组精选的流行歌曲。

15 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。