THIS IS AMERICA - New Orleans and Mardi Gras

THIS IS AMERICA - New Orleans and Mardi Gras
By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Monday, February 07, 2005

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. Our program this week is about Mardi Gras and New Orleans.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Wild celebrations of Mardi Gras come just before the start of Lent. Lent is the Christian¹ observance leading up to the Easter holiday. It is a serious, spiritual time.

The name "Mardi Gras" is French. It means "Fat Tuesday." This year Fat Tuesday falls on February eighth.

During Mardi Gras, huge crowds fill the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the southeastern part of the United States. People come to eat, drink and dance. Police are in the crowds in case things get too wild.

Many parties and parades have already taken place by the time Fat Tuesday arrives.

VOICE TWO:

Many social groups hold parades. Some of the huge floats carry up to two hundred fifty people.

Graphic² Image
Riders on the parade floats wear colorful clothes. Bird feathers top hats that stand a meter tall. Beautiful, and sometimes strange, masks cover the faces of people on the floats. These people throw cups and necklaces to the crowds of people who watch the parades. This is a tradition.

Another tradition is to eat "King Cake." This food, similar to a sweet bread, is served at Mardi Gras parties. Inside one piece is a small plastic baby. Whoever gets the baby must promise to hold the next party. (MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Before Europeans arrived, several tribes³ of American Indians lived in what is now New Orleans. The city was established in seventeen eighteen. The Louisiana Territory was a French colony⁴ then. The city was named for the Duke of Orleans, the ruler of France at that time.

The city lies along the Mississippi River. The river flows past until it empties into the Gulf⁵ of Mexico, one hundred sixty kilometers away.

VOICE TWO:

New Orleans French Quarter VOA photo - G. Flakus
The first area settled in New Orleans was the Vieux Carre. This is now commonly called the French Quarter. After the city was established, roads and simple houses were built quickly. Government buildings and a church were added around the Place D'Armes, now called Jackson Square.

Ships brought people from Europe as well as Africa and the Caribbean. Wealthy businessmen were among the newcomers. So were exiles⁶, criminals -- and slaves.

The people found wetlands and difficult living conditions. There were clouds of mosquitoes. The insects bit people and spread yellow fever.

VOICE ONE:

Survival⁷ was a struggle. Settlers had to deal with floods, diseases⁸ and food shortages⁹. But they stayed. And they developed a society that was almost a copy of French culture.

In seventeen sixty-two, the people of New Orleans discovered that they no longer lived in a French colony. The French king had given Louisiana to his cousin, the king of Spain.

Wealthy Spaniards continued the cultural life begun by the French. French and Spanish families became linked through marriage. The sons and daughters of these unions became known as Creoles.

VOICE TWO:

A fire in seventeen eighty-eight, and another fire six years later, left New Orleans in ashes. But the city was rebuilt. Much of it was rebuilt in the Spanish way. Earthen bricks¹⁰ were covered with a mixture of lime¹¹, sand and water. The new homes had flower gardens surrounded by walls. They had iron balconies on the upper level.

In eighteen-hundred, France secretly regained¹² control of the Louisiana Territory. Then, three years later, France sold Louisiana to the United States. Most people living in New Orleans were not happy. They considered Americans to be people without culture.

VOICE ONE:

Americans were not welcome in the Vieux Carre. So they built their own New Orleans north of it. They put large, beautiful homes in what is now the Garden District.

Over time the older groups began to need the money and business skills of the Americans. The Americans wanted the warmth and life of the old city. Both groups were forced to join in a continuing battle against windstorms, floods and diseases such as yellow fever. Soon they developed a spirit of unity¹³.

By eighteen forty, New Orleans was the fourth largest city in America. For a time, it was the richest city in the country. It was called the "Paris of America."

VOICE TWO:

Rich cotton and sugarcane farmers built huge homes along the Mississippi River outside New Orleans. They also kept smaller homes in the city. They stayed there while attending the opera, the theater and festivals.

The celebration of Mardi Gras became an important social event. Through the years it got bigger and better. But high-spirited living ended with the American Civil War in the eighteen sixties. Louisiana and the other slave-holding states of the South lost the war. Federal¹⁴ troops from the North occupied New Orleans.

VOICE ONE:

By nineteen hundred, the city was growing again. People from Ireland, Germany and Italy had arrived. They added their culture, food and traditions to the already exciting mix.

Engineers made the Mississippi River deeper so bigger ships could reach the city. New Orleans became a busy port. Engineers also pumped water out of wetlands. This action denied refuge¹⁵ to mosquitoes and helped end the threat of deadly yellow fever.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

By government estimates¹⁶, four hundred sixty-nine thousand people lived in greater New Orleans as of two thousand three. In the last national population count, in two thousand, New Orleans was thirty-first among cities. It lost two-point-five percent of its population during the nineteen nineties, at a time when rates of some crimes increased. Officials say people continue to leave the city. People in New Orleans face a number of problems. There are not enough jobs. There is not enough money for schools and roads. The city must also deal with a history of racial divisions¹⁷. Today two out of three people in New Orleans are black.

VOICE ONE:

Ray Nagin, an African American, was elected mayor¹⁸ in two thousand two. He started campaigns to reduce crime in the city and dishonesty in government. Recently Mister¹⁹ Nagin announced a plan to improve communities around the city.

The plan is called Neighborhood One. A main aim is to improve seven neighborhoods where thousands of buildings are in bad condition. The Neighborhood One plan would replace them with single-family homes. The city government would carry out the plan together with private developers. Work would begin in small areas of three neighborhoods. VOICE TWO:

New Orleans faces many of the modern problems common to big cities. At the same time, many of its citizens have fought hard to save the beauty of its past.

The French Quarter is the oldest part of the city. It remains²⁰ the heart of New Orleans. And the French Quarter is where some of the best food -- a mix of French and Caribbean influences -- can be found.

The central business area has modern office buildings. It also has one of the biggest indoor sports centers in the world. Almost one hundred thousand people can watch events inside the Louisiana Superdome.

And the city has a museum that honors²¹ the D-Day invasion²² in Europe by Allied²³ forces during World War Two.

VOICE ONE:

In modern New Orleans, old paddle-wheel steamboats still travel the Mississippi River. And old electric streetcars travel along Saint²⁴ Charles Street. They take visitors past the large homes of early American settlers. Nearby are the modern buildings of two universities: Tulane and Loyola.

VOICE TWO

In New Orleans, music spills into the streets not just at Mardi Gras, but throughout the year. New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz. But local sounds also include Cajun and zydeco music.

On Bourbon Street, the music and the crowds seem like a huge celebration that never ends. The most traditional old-time jazz is played at Preservation²⁵ Hall in the French Quarter. As they say in New Orleans, it is the kind of jazz that gets your blood moving.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver²⁶. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

1 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。

2 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

3 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 colony   

n.殖民地；(同类人的)聚居地

参考例句：

• There lived a colony of bees on the tree.树上生活着一群蜜蜂。
• They live in an artists'colony.他们住在艺术家聚居区。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 exiles   

流放，放逐，流亡( exile的名词复数 )； 长期离家[出国]； 被流放者，流亡国外者，背井离乡者

参考例句：

• There were many French exiles in England after the Revolution. 法国大革命后，有许多法国人流亡到英国。
• Political exiles had not been given indemnity from prosecution. 政治流放犯没有得到免予起诉的保护。

7 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

8 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

9 shortages   

n.不足( shortage的名词复数 )；缺少；缺少量；不足额

参考例句：

• Food shortages often occur in time of war. 在战争期间常常发生粮食短缺的情形。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• At the same time, worldwide food and fuel shortages eased. 同时，世界性粮食和石油短缺的现象终止了。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

10 bricks   

n.砖( brick的名词复数 )；砖块；积木；可靠的朋友

参考例句：

• He compounded water, sand and soil and formed bricks. 他用水拌和沙和泥土做成砖块。
• The United Auto Workers hit the bricks against General Motors. 联合汽车工人工会举行罢工，反对通用汽车公司。

11 lime   

n.石灰，酸橙，酸橙树，粘鸟胶，钙；vt.施石灰，涂上粘性物质，沾上粘鸟胶

参考例句：

• Lime exists in many soils.许多土壤中都含有石灰。
• A broad avenue of lime trees led up to a grand entrance with huge oak doors.一条栽有酸橙树的宽阔林阴道通向巨大的橡木门的雄伟入口。

12 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

13 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。

14 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

15 refuge   

n.避难（处），庇护（所）；v.庇护，避难（所）

参考例句：

• They took refuge in a cave yesterday.他们昨天是在一个洞里避难的。
• We took refuge in the lee of the wall.我们在墙的背风处暂避。

16 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 divisions   

n.分开( division的名词复数 )；分界线；分歧；分离

参考例句：

• The country's political divisions are deep-seated. 这个国家的政治分歧根深蒂固。
• The country's political divisions are deep-seated. 这个国家的政治分歧根深蒂固。

18 mayor   

n.市长

参考例句：

• The new mayor said he would clean the city up.新市长说，他要整顿本市。
• The mayor hurried into his office,brushing off the reporters.市长赶快走进办公室，拒不接见记者。

19 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

20 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

21 honors   

n.礼仪；荣典；礼节； 大学荣誉学位；大学优等成绩；尊敬( honor的名词复数 )；敬意；荣誉；光荣

参考例句：

• He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 invasion   

n.入侵，侵略，侵犯

参考例句：

• They are ready against the possible invasion.他们防备可能的入侵。
• It is our duty to shield our country from invasion.保卫祖国不受侵犯是我们的责任。

23 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

24 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

25 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

26 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。