美国国家公共电台 NPR--Wade Goodwyn, longtime NPR correspondent, dies at age 63

Wade¹ Goodwyn, longtime NPR correspondent, dies at age 63

Transcript²

NPR has lost one of its singular and most recognizable voices. Morning Edition remembers correspondent Wade Goodwyn, who died of cancer. (Story first aired on All Things Considered on June 8, 2023.)

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Longtime NPR correspondent Wade Goodwyn, known for his coverage³ of his home state of Texas, has died of cancer. He was 63. NPR's Debbie Elliott remembers Goodwyn's reporting and his singular voice.

DEBBIE ELLIOTT, BYLINE⁴: Wade Goodwyn's soothing⁵ bass⁶ had a way of pulling you a little closer to the radio.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

WADE GOODWYN: Compared to the nuclear blast that Biloxi and Gulfport experienced from Hurricane Katrina...

ELLIOTT: If his voice pulled you in, his storytelling kept you listening, with telling details that illuminate⁷ just what people are going through after a hurricane.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

GOODWYN: In Louisiana, you hug your NASCAR teddy bear when the big blow comes, even if you're a barrel-chested National Guardsman.

STEVE DRUMMOND, BYLINE: You know, Wade was a poet.

ELLIOTT: NPR senior editor Steve Drummond.

DRUMMOND: A little detail, the little color or sound that he'd seen out in the field - and it just made what he said sparkle.

ELLIOTT: Radio storytelling is what pulled Wade Goodwyn into journalism⁸. His first big assignment came in 1993.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

BOB EDWARDS: Good morning. The FBI today begins the search for bodies in the ruins of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.

GOODWYN: Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms rushed through their preparations for the assault on the Branch Davidian compound. They were spurred on by the knowledge that the element of surprise they'd been counting on was gone and that heavily armed cult⁹ members were likely awaiting them a few hundred yards away.

ELLIOTT: NPR managing editor Vickie Walton-James says Wade brought a distinctive¹⁰ voice to the network's breaking news coverage.

VICKIE WALTON-JAMES, BYLINE: He was really good at infusing humanity into those situations that sometimes people just want to turn away from. They don't want to think about them.

ELLIOTT: He also had a passion for stories about injustice¹¹, like the story of James Lee Woodard, who came to Wade's home studio in Dallas for an interview.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

GOODWYN: ...The very same day he'd been exonerated¹² and gotten out of jail. My two big dogs, Miles and Rosie, came running into the room with stuffed toys in their mouths to demonstrate just what fine guard dogs they were. Come on, guys, leave the man alone, I said. Get out of here. Woodard stopped me, saying, no, I love dogs. I guess it's been a while, I said. Woodard teared up. Twenty-seven years, he whispered, as he got down on both knees to play with Miles and Rosie. I stood there a while and watched and then sat. Take your time, Mr. Woodard, I said. The interview can wait.

ELLIOTT: Wade was eager to share Texas' cultural gems¹³ and bits of forgotten history and folklore¹⁴. That earned him a bit of a cult following among NPR listeners who flat-out love the way he could spin a tale.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

GOODWYN: Joe Bowman was so good with a single-action revolver, he could turn an aspirin¹⁵ into powder at 20 yards.

ELLIOTT: Spanning three decades with NPR, Wade Goodwyn gave voice to much joy and also much trauma¹⁶. As he reflected 25 years later on the toll¹⁷ of the Oklahoma City bombing, Wade gave listeners a glimpse of what it was like to consider all that he'd seen.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

GOODWYN: When I tried to record the narrative¹⁸ for the story, describing the bagpiper¹⁹ playing "Amazing Grace," my throat closed up at that part, and I couldn't go on. I told the recording²⁰ engineers to give me five and then try it again. To my frustration²¹, I choked up a second time. Eventually, I got through it, but someone must have called my editor, and a few minutes later, the phone rang. It's time to go home, he told me. You've done a good job, Goodwyn. Go home to Texas. And so I did. Wade Goodwyn, NPR News.

ELLIOTT: Good job indeed, Goodwyn. Find rest at home.

Debbie Elliott, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。

6 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

7 illuminate   

vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释

参考例句：

• Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。
• They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。

8 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

9 cult   

n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜

参考例句：

• Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
• The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。

10 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

11 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

12 exonerated   

v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。
• An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句

13 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

14 folklore   

n.民间信仰，民间传说，民俗

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• In Chinese folklore the bat is an emblem of good fortune.在中国的民间传说中蝙蝠是好运的象征。

15 aspirin   

n.阿司匹林

参考例句：

• The aspirin seems to quiet the headache.阿司匹林似乎使头痛减轻了。
• She went into a chemist's and bought some aspirin.她进了一家药店，买了些阿司匹林。

16 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

17 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

18 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

19 bagpiper   

n.吹风笛的人，风笛手

参考例句：

• Maybe I'll follow the sweet sound of the bagpiper playing along 16th Street. 也许我会顺着16街吹奏出的风笛甜美的声音走过去。 来自互联网

20 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。

21 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。