VOA慢速英语2013 Malala Yousafzai遭受攻击一年之后

 

Malala Yousafzai, a Year After the Attack   Malala Yousafzai遭受攻击一年之后

Welcome to American Mosaic¹ from VOA Learning English.

I’m Avi Arditti.

This week on our show, we have music from Lorde, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus.

We explain how a Somali-American found himself acting² in a major new film with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

But first, President Obama had a special guest at the White House recently: 16-year-old Pakistani activist³ Malala Yousafzai. One year ago the Taliban shot her because of her efforts to support education for girls.

The White House said the president wanted to thank Malala for her work on behalf of girls' education in Pakistan. First lady Michelle Obama and their older daughter, Malia, were also at the meeting. Kelly Jean Kelly has our story.

The White House visit came on the same day that the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize. Malala was considered a favorite to win this year. However, the prize went to the Organization for the Prohibition⁴ of Chemical Weapons, which is currently working in Syria. But a day earlier, Malala won the European Union's top human rights award, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, made the announcement in France. The Sakharov prize will be presented on November 20. The annual prize comes with an award of more than $65,000.

Mr. Schulz said the European Union is a proud ally of people like Malala, who stand up for equality for girls and women.

"An 11-year-old who was told she's going to be killed because she simply wants to go to school. Just imagine the courage that she has shown. As far as I'm concerned, Malala is an incredible personality of the 21st century."

Malala was 11 when she became an activist for women's education and freedom in Pakistan's Swat Valley. The Taliban banned women from attending school there in 2009.

She began a blog, writing under a different name, and quickly became a voice for women's rights.

Then, on October 9, 2012, Malala was shot while returning home from school in the Swat Valley. Two other students with her were also wounded.

Malala was shot in the face. She was taken for specialized⁵ treatment in Britain. She recovered, regaining⁶ her sight and her voice, and has continued to fight for women's rights.

"Education is the only solution. Education first. Thank you."

Now, one year after the attack, many Pakistanis express their pride in Malala Yousafzai.   

Mazhar Abba is a Pakistani journalist.

"It's great not only for her, for her family, but for the whole nation."

But not everyone in Pakistan is celebrating Malala's success.

Mohammad Sohail lives in Karachi.

"My point of view on Malala is that the whole thing is a drama. There are lots of issues here, like drone strikes, other things happening. You are ignoring all the issues and following a girl."

In Malala's hometown in the Swat Valley, she is a hero to student Saadia Shah and others.

"She is an extremely intelligent and brave girl. I want to be like her. She did a lot of work for the education of girls."

Malala now lives in England and promises to continue her work for years to come.

“Captain Phillips”

The new movie "Captain Phillips" is earning praise for its star, Tom Hanks, and its realistic presentation of a hijacking⁷ by Somali pirates.  The young actor who plays the lead pirate in the film is also winning praise for his performance.

“Look at me. Look at me. I’m the captain now.”

Barkhad Abdi is a Somali-American who spent his early years in Somalia. He has spent his more recent years driving limousines⁸ in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He told VOA he never dreamed he would get to act in a major Hollywood movie.

Barkhad Abdi's life changed because of a report he saw on a Minneapolis TV station. It said producers were looking for actors to play parts in a film about Richard Phillips. He was the captain of the American ship Maersk Alabama that was hijacked⁹ by Somali pirates in April 2009. 

He says his background in Somalia helped him relate to the part.

"I was always fascinated by the pirates, and I was amazed by what they do. And I'm a Somalian myself -- I was born in Somalia, I left Somalia when I was seven years old, and I witnessed the war. So I could relate to the pirates in a lot of ways, I know a lot of people who came from Somalia who lived with us in Minneapolis."

Minneapolis is home to the largest Somali immigrant community in the United States. Thousands of Somalis have moved there over the past 20 years, fleeing war and poverty in their homeland.

The 28-year-old Abdi suddenly found himself working with two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks and a major Hollywood director, Paul Greengrass. He says both men helped him feel at ease on the movie set.

"Tom Hanks is really a humble¹⁰ guy that, you know, was there with me, and, you know, just helped me through it. And Paul Greengrass was the one that gave me a chance and who believed in me from the get-go. And so if ever I'd do anything wrong, he'd take me aside and help me get the scene better. So I'm really grateful about working with them."

Barkhad Abdi says that before the movie came out, he received some criticism within the Somali community. Some people said the part he was playing could make Somalis look bad. But now, he says, those feelings are gone.  

"The Somali community, they're loving it. I received all kinds of messages on Facebook and Twitter, complimenting me and telling me how proud they are of me."

Abdi says he does not have any offers for future parts, but he hopes to keep acting.

Hot Songs

So what songs are you and your friends listening to this week? We asked Larry London, host of “Border Crossings” on VOA Music Mix, about some of the most popular songs on this week’s Billboard¹¹ magazine Hot 100 chart.

Currently the number one song is by a 16-year-old newcomer from New Zealand. Her name is Lorde.

So we are talking about “Royals,” the name of this song by Lorde. Tell us a little bit more about Lorde.

She’s a newcomer, as I mentioned. There is kind of a dark side to her. She is little known. She keeps herself private, and yet she has chosen a very public industry to be a part of. She writes great music. A lot of people are really applauding the music she’s written, and this is her debut¹² effort. And she sounds like Adele. A lot of people are comparing her voice and the timbre¹³ of her vocals¹⁴ to an Adele-sounding song.

And number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week is “Roar” by Katy Perry.

Now that song is interesting for a variety of reasons. First of all, it’s the first song off of Katy’s new album, which is her second album. It is called “Prism,” coming out in November. But the song itself, you know, she made a video. The video has already had millions and millions of hits on YouTube. But because she used animals in the video, she is already coming under fire for her use of animals in the video. People from PETA are --

People for the Ethical¹⁵ Treatment of Animals.

-- are giving her criticism for, you know, exploiting animals. She says she had the Humane¹⁶ Society on the set with her and she did n ot hurt any animals.

Moving on, we have got number three on the Hot 100 this week, is “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus.

What is the story with Miley Cyrus? If people have been missing some of the publicity¹⁷ recently, tell us about it. 

Well, she has managed to find different ways, whether they are good or not, whether people approve of them or don’t, but she has [found]  ways to keep herself in the mainstream¹⁸, in people’s top of mind these days, whether it be for her VMA performance, or the twerking or the tongue sticking out – all of her different antics. But she still keeps herself out there. And people are talking about her.

They’re talking about the VMA [MTV Video Music Awards] performance a month after it took place. So she has managed to keep herself out there. She has the number one album. Right now, she is the ‘It Girl.’ Miley Cyrus is the It Girl.

And breaking with her past, for those who will remember her as “Hannah Montana” or the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, the country singer.

Now, she said on “Saturday Night Live” when she was doing one of the skits¹⁹, when she was a guest and a host, she said “Hannah Montana was murdered.” She kind of said that in jest, and everybody got a laugh out of that, but I think there’s a lot of truth to that.

She is trying to distance herself as much as possible from the image of “Hannah Montana” because she is now 20 and she did that when she was 13, 14 years old. So it is very, very different now. She wants people to accept her as the artist she is, not as “Hannah Montana” and the illusion she created as that Disney character.

Let’s talk briefly²⁰ about this next song, “Wake Me Up.”

“Wake Me Up.” Avicii is a Swedish DJ, and Avicii doesn’t sing. The vocals on this song are not Avicii’s, they are a different singer. But this song is doing very, very well, and it seems like there is a trend these days for DJs. Swedish House Mafia, and the list goes on and on -- David Guetta. There are so many that are very popular right now as far as DJs. Five years ago that was not the case, but right now if you are a DJ and you attach yourself to some popular vocalists, you can have a mega-hit.

And one more song, we have got to talk about “The Fox.”

OK, well that’s the European brothers who are making this. It is crazy, what the fox said, and what this said and what that said. I have it as a ringtone on my phone right now, that song.

I first saw them on a television show called “Ellen.” She introduced these two --

Ellen DeGeneres.

Right, and these guys came on and performed the song. And in the video, which has again gotten millions and millions [of views], they wear these different animal costumes. They are known as funny writers, parody²¹ writers back at home in Europe where they are from.

They are Norwegian?

Yes, Norwegian brothers.

And they are known as, well, Y-L-V-I-S.

Yill-vis.

Not Elvis.

Not Elvis. Ylvis has left the building.

Larry London is the host of “Border Crossings” on VOA Music Mix.

Time for us to leave the studio. That’s all for American Mosaic this week. I’m Avi Arditti. You can read and listen to our programs and add your comments at learningenglish.voanews.com. You can also find us on Facebook at VOA Learning English.

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Contributing: Harun Maruf, Dan Joseph and Pam Dockins 

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 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。

3 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

4 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

5 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

6 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

7 hijacking   

n. 劫持, 抢劫 动词hijack的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• I have been told about the hijacking . 我已听说了那次劫机事件。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
• They are taking measures to guarantee against the occurrence of hijacking. 他们正采取措施防止劫机事件的发生。

8 limousines   

n.豪华轿车( limousine的名词复数 )；（往返机场接送旅客的）中型客车，小型公共汽车

参考例句：

• Elearor hated to use White House limousines because she didn't want people spying on her. 埃莉诺很不愿意使用白宫的小轿车，因为她不愿让人暗中监视她。 来自辞典例句
• Maybe they are seeking for spacious houses and limousines. 也许在追求阔宅豪车。 来自互联网

9 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

10 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

11 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

12 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。

13 timbre   

n.音色，音质

参考例句：

• His voice had a deep timbre.他嗓音低沉。
• The timbre of the violin is far richer than that of the mouth organ.小提琴的音色远比口琴丰富。

14 vocals   

（乐曲中的）歌唱部份，声乐部份( vocal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Also look out for soaring vocals on The Right Man. 另外，也可留意一下《意中人》中的那高亢的唱腔。
• Lazy bass line, lazier drums, lush violins, great piano and incomparable vocals. 懒惰的低音线，较懒惰的鼓，饮小提琴，棒的钢琴和无比的声音。

15 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

16 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

17 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

18 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

19 skits   

n.讽刺文( skit的名词复数 )；小喜剧；若干；一群

参考例句：

• One of these skits, "The King of Beasts" resembles a traditional frontier prank. 一出滑稽短剧《兽王》酷似传统的边疆闹剧。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗
• Kids can develop ad campaigns, commercials and skits to illustrate character traits. 孩子们会发动宣传运动，制作广告宣传片和幽默短剧来说明性格品质。 来自互联网

20 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

21 parody   

n.打油诗文，诙谐的改编诗文，拙劣的模仿；v.拙劣模仿，作模仿诗文

参考例句：

• The parody was just a form of teasing.那个拙劣的模仿只是一种揶揄。
• North Korea looks like a grotesque parody of Mao's centrally controlled China,precisely the sort of system that Beijing has left behind.朝鲜看上去像是毛时代中央集权的中国的怪诞模仿，其体制恰恰是北京方面已经抛弃的。