VOA标准英语2014--Basket Maker’s Skills Have World Reach

 

Basket Maker’s Skills Have World Reach 

WASHINGTON — A prestigious¹ craft show in the U.S. capital offers one-of-a-kind creations by more than 120 artists working in a variety of media. One artist lucky enough to be selected said sharing her skills with women overseas is just as significant.

Basket artist Jackie Abrams began making traditional, functional² baskets in 1975. Today, she makes two lines of contemporary baskets using non-traditional materials.

“One are [is] coiled baskets using a very traditional coil technique where it’s stitched… and for that I use recycled fabric,” she explained. “I also weave other baskets with a heavy cotton paper and wire to make a form…reminiscent of a woman’s form,” said Abrams.

She describes her coiled baskets as her "Spirit Vessels³."

"The exposed cores represent their essential beings, their solid inner cores, giving strength, always visible. Each stitch connects and reinforces the rows that came before. The frayed⁴ edges are a part of their lives," she said.

She describes her "Women Forms" as "a series of woven vessels that speak of women, their shared stories, and their layers of experience. They are continuing studies in form, color, and surface textures⁵. The inside and outside of each piece tell a different story. The outside has been formed and shaped by society, her life, and her experiences. The inside catches the light in unexpected ways, reflecting her inner strengths. These strengths are not always visible; you have to look carefully."

 

Abrams considers these decorative⁶ 'sculptures,' and said she’s very interested in exploring what she can use to cover the surfaces of her pieces, including sand or other textured⁷ materials.

The fiber⁸ artisan is one of 123 artists presenting their work at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington. The annual event is widely regarded as the most prestigious juried craft show in the country and one of the most difficult to be accepted into.

“This is the fourth time I’ve done this show in 17 years,” she said, “and it’s a thrill to be here."

The show includes hundreds of one-of-a-kind or limited edition works representing a variety of media; everything from glass, wood and wearable art to vibrant⁹ dioramas with miniature figurines made out of boiled potatoes and plaster.

But for Abrams, exhibiting her baskets here is just one of the highlights of her career.

The other is work she began doing with women in Africa in 2005.

She started in Ghana, sharing her skills and talents.

“While I was there, there was so much trash all over the ground and so many plastic bags,” she said. “I’m a fiber person, and I thought we can use these fibers¹⁰, we can clean these bags and use them.”

And that’s exactly what she did.

Working under the auspices¹¹ of a micro-lending organization, she taught women to crochet¹² using the throwaway plastic trash bags. They made wallets with zippers¹³ and carrying bags.

The women generated enough income from their handicrafts to help support their families.

“I think these women now have some economic freedom from their husbands, it gives them a little power within their families,” Abrams said. She added that it also gave the women “a sense of worth.”

Abrams would like to go back to Africa one day to help empower more women financially.

But in the meantime, she looks forward to expanding her line of basket sculptures and hopes be selected for the Smithsonian Craft Show again next year.

1 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

2 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

3 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 frayed   

adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His shirt was frayed. 他的衬衫穿破了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The argument frayed their nerves. 争辩使他们不快。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 textures   

n.手感( texture的名词复数 )；质感；口感；（音乐或文学的）谐和统一感

参考例句：

• I'm crazy about fabrics textures and colors and designs. 我喜欢各式各样的纺织物--对它的质地，色彩到花纹图案--简直是入了迷。 来自辞典例句
• Let me clear up the point about the textures. 让我明确了一点有关的纹理。 来自互联网

6 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

7 textured   

adj.手摸时有感觉的, 有织纹的

参考例句：

• The shoe's sole had a slightly textured surface. 鞋底表面稍感粗糙。
• Shallow burial seems to preserve chalky textured porosity. 浅埋藏似能保留具白垩状结构的孔隙。

8 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

9 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

10 fibers   

光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质

参考例句：

• Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上，以硫酸钠为凝固剂，对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝，制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
• Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。

11 auspices   

n.资助，赞助

参考例句：

• The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
• The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。

12 crochet   

n.钩针织物；v.用钩针编制

参考例句：

• That's a black crochet waistcoat.那是一件用钩针编织的黑色马甲。
• She offered to teach me to crochet rugs.她提出要教我钩织小地毯。

13 zippers   

n.拉链( zipper的名词复数 )；用拉链的人，装拉链的包

参考例句：

• Buttons, zippers should be glitch free and sharp edge. 纽扣、拉链应无毛刺和锐利边缘。 来自互联网
• Buttons, Zippers, Trimmings and Accessories for the Garment Industry. 主营钮扣，拉链，装饰品和其他服装辅料。 来自互联网