THIS IS AMERICA - Artistic Expression in Reaction to 9/11

THIS IS AMERICA - Artistic¹ Expression in Reaction to 9/11
By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Monday, September 06, 2004

WRITER: "Hey, it's okay. Maybe I can help. I've never written a eulogy² before, but I've written some speeches. How many did you say there were?"

FIRE CAPTAIN: "Eight."

WRITER: "Eight!"

FIRE CAPTAIN: "Eight men. I lost eight men."

VOICE TWO:

In Washington, the Library of Congress is showing a collection of posters related to Nine-Eleven. One of these posters is formed from images of the victims. It shows the Twin Towers with a burst of yellow light between the buildings.

The poster by Alex Spektor is called "The Sun." But the light could also represent the fires of Nine-Eleven or a spiritual effect.

VOICE ONE:

Some songs about Nine-Eleven express anger. Other express pride in America. Still others describe conditions during or after the attacks.

Bruce Springsteen wrote "Empty Sky." The name comes from the days immediately after Nine-Eleven when all but military flights were grounded.

((CUT TWO: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, "EMPTY SKY" CDP 25546A, Band Six, beginning at about 0:57 to 1:58))

VOICE TWO:

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra asked the composer John Adams to write a piece in memory of Nine-Eleven. Mister Adams won a Pulitzer Prize for this work. The names of victims, and some of their final words, are heard over the music.

The piece is called "On the Transmigration of Souls."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

A recording³ of "On the Transmigration of Souls" by composer John Adams is being released to mark the third anniversary of Nine-Eleven.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver⁴. And our e-mail address is [email protected]. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Gwen Outen. Please join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

1 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。

2 eulogy   

n.颂词；颂扬

参考例句：

• He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man. 他不需要我或者任何一个人来称颂。
• Mr.Garth gave a long eulogy about their achievements in the research.加思先生对他们的研究成果大大地颂扬了一番。

3 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

4 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。