VOA慢速英语2009-EXPLORATIONS - Environmental Film Festival Shows

VOICE ONE:

I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty¹ with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. The Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C., has been bringing movies to America's capital for seventeen years. This year, the twelve-day festival showed more than one hundred and thirty movies from thirty-four countries.

The movies were shown in fifty-two museums, embassies, and other places around the city this month. Many movies were about the state of the world's oceans and sea life. The aim of the festival is to educate people about environmental issues affecting our planet.

(MUSIC)

MOVIE: "After feeding the world for hundreds of years, we showed our gratitude² by nearly wiping cod³ off the face of the earth. Today, the species is on the verge⁴ of extinction⁵. And for the fisherman of Aveiro, the consequences have been devastating⁶."

VOICE ONE:

That was from the movie "The State of the Planet's Oceans" made by Hal and Marilyn Weiner. Its first public showing took place during the film festival at the National Museum of Natural History. The movie tells about the effects of overfishing on local economies and on the health of the oceans. The movie also shows how climate change is threatening this ecosystem⁷. In a striking closing scene, the ocean expert Sylvia Earle talks about the importance of protecting the beautiful world that lives under the sea.

We asked audience member James Edwards how watching a movie about the environment can affect people.

JAMES EDWARDS: "I think a film like this can make a difference by raising people's awareness⁸ of not only the problems that are out there, because a lot of films are gloom and doom⁹, but solutions that are out there. What are other people doing, what can you do?"

VOICE ONE:

Mister Edwards is an independent filmmaker in Washington, so he is very interested in the work that other people are doing. And, he says the subject of oceans interests him especially because he has been scuba¹⁰ diving since he was a child.

VOICE TWO:
　
"Fisheye Fantasea" shows the ocean from the point of view of a fish

The Museum of Natural History showed many other movies about the ocean. These included "Fisheye Fantasea" which explores how fish see in the ocean. "Cracking the Ocean Code" is about the work of scientist J. Craig Venter. In the movie he travels around the world documenting the genetic¹¹ information of small sea creatures.

At the Library of Congress, festival visitors could watch "The Silent World" directed by Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle. When this movie came out in nineteen fifty-six, it was the first to show scuba diving exploration to the world. The movie takes place during a trip across the Mediterranean¹², Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The Environmental Film Festival in Washington was started by Flo Stone. We asked her what gave her the idea to begin this event.

FLO STONE: "I founded the festival in nineteen ninety-three. I'd worked on other film festivals, one on cultural diversity at the Natural History Museum in New York City. But in Washington, I thought it would be wonderful to do a festival on the environment very broadly, cooperating with many museums, universities, libraries, environmental organizations and even embassies from around the world."

VOICE ONE:

Miz Stone says the National Museum of Natural History asked if this year's festival could pay special attention to the subject of oceans.
　
Flo Stone

FLO STONE: "What is happening in the ocean films, of course, is the technology is so phenomenal. You can film the deepest parts of the ocean. You can track a shark that swims from Australia all the way to southern Africa and back. So, the ocean theme has been extremely popular and exciting."

VOICE TWO:

Not all movies at the festival were about oceans. One movie shown at the National Building Museum is called "Designing a Great Neighborhood: Behind the Scenes at Holiday." It tells about building a community housing project in Boulder¹⁴, Colorado. The future owners of the houses work together with different building designers to create environmentally safe houses that do not pollute.

MOVIE: "When solar panels supply both hot water and space heating, the goal of zero emissions¹⁵ begins to look achievable."

VOICE TWO:

The neighbors consider choices including solar energy, clean water and plantings.

The movie gives an interesting lesson in how city communities can come together to build healthy and safe housing that is not costly¹⁶.

VOICE ONE:

Several movies at the festival examined trash in different parts of the world. "Cartoneros" was shown at the Embassy of Argentina.

Its director, Ernesto Livon-Grosman, was there to introduce his film. The movie is about trash pickers who collect paper in the streets of Buenos Aires. Then they sell the paper to sorting centers who prepare trash for recycling.

The movie shows many people criticizing the work of the cartoneros. But in a country that was suffering a major recession, this kind of work was a good way for unemployed¹⁷ people to make money. And, the cartoneros provide a service to the city that is environmentally helpful.

VOICE TWO:

The documentary "Recycled Life" tells about people living in the garbage collection area in Guatemala City. The movie tells about the many families who live and work there.

In "Marina of the Zabbaleen" director Engi Wassef explores a group of Christian¹⁸ garbage collectors in Cairo called the Zabbaleen. The film is presented through the eyes of a seven year old girl named Marina. The movie is about garbage and recycling but also about family, culture, and spirituality.

The Canadian movie "Addicted¹⁹ to Plastic" is about plastic pollution. It was filmed over three years in twelve countries. The film explores ways to reduce the harmful effects of plastic waste. And it looks at new developments such as plastic made from plants.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:
　
A diver in "Encounters at the End of the World"

Several of the festival's events honored the German filmmaker Werner Herzog. The natural environment plays an important role in his documentaries and other movies. For example, you could see his documentary "Encounters at the End of the World" which came out in two thousand seven.

(MUSIC)

WERNER HERZOG: "These images taken under the ice of the Ross Sea in Antarctica were the reason I wanted to go to this continent. The pictures were taken by a friend of mine, one of these expert divers¹³."

VOICE ONE:

In this movie, Herzog meets the many workers and researchers who live at McMurdo station in Antarctica. He learns about different projects that the scientists are working on.

VOICE TWO:

Werner Herzog's movie "Grizzly²⁰ Man" tells about the bear expert Timothy Treadwell who lived with and studied bears in the state of Alaska.

"Fitzcarraldo" is a Herzog film that was released in nineteen eighty-two. It tells the story of Carlos Fitzcarraldo, a rubber producer in Peru.

VOICE TWO:

This character fights against the forces of nature to try to realize his dream of building a performance center in Iquitos, Peru.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:
　
A scene from "Return of the Honeybee"

Several of the movies at the Environmental Film Festival dealt with food and agriculture. The Swedish film "Cows Are Nice" looks at cow farmers trying to make a living in the milk industry.

In the Brazilian movie "Mister Bene Goes to Italy", a manioc flour producer travels from Brazil to Italy. There, he meets small farmers from around the world who are interested in the "slow food" movement.

"Return of the Honeybee" was shown at the Carnegie Institute for Science. It explores the political and economic effects caused by the disappearance²¹ of honeybees. The film shows the important role these bees play in the world's food chain.

The movie "Nora!" examines the career of restaurant owner and cook Nora Pouillon. Her restaurant in Washington, D.C. had the first officially organic kitchen in the United States. She has become an important leader in the organic and local food movements.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Flo Stone says that this year's festival was so popular they had to turn crowds away because there was no room for all the people who wanted to see the movies. Here she explains part of why these films are so popular.

FLO STONE: "I feel that film takes you to places. It introduces you to people all over the world. You get to hear their voices. It inspires you. And the variety of the films is what is so exciting."

VOICE ONE:

The Environmental Film Festival in Washington plays an important role in helping²² increase understanding about a subject that is important for people all over the world.

((THEME))

VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. You can download podcasts from our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

1 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。

2 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

3 cod   

n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗

参考例句：

• They salt down cod for winter use.他们腌鳕鱼留着冬天吃。
• Cod are found in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.北大西洋和北海有鳕鱼。

4 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

5 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

6 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

7 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

8 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

9 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

10 scuba   

n.水中呼吸器

参考例句：

• I first got hooked on scuba diving when I was twelve.12岁时我开始迷上了带水中呼吸器潜水。
• While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。

11 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

12 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

13 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

14 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

15 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

16 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

17 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

18 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

19 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

20 grizzly   

adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊

参考例句：

• This grizzly liked people.这只灰熊却喜欢人。
• Grizzly bears are not generally social creatures.一般说来，灰熊不是社交型动物。

21 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

22 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。