美国国家公共电台 NPR Old Boy Band Sings For Peace And Goodwill In 2017

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST: 

OK. Nigeria has this rich cultural heritage and many fine singers. But one group that burst onto the scene over the new year is grabbing a lot of attention. They sing for peace, and they have been called a boy band. Though, is that technically¹ true, Ofeibea Quist-Arcton?

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST")

CHOIR²: (Singing) O, God, our help in ages past...

OFEIBEA QUIST-ARCTON, BYLINE³: Boy band, it certainly is not, maybe an old boy band. All the Nigerian voices you're listening to are senior citizens. They are mostly prominent past political and military leaders from Africa's most populous⁴ nation. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, once also a military ruler of Nigeria, has a distinctive⁵ voice, which is enthusiastic, but probably better suited to galvanizing the masses.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST")

OLUSEGUN OBASANJO: (Singing in foreign language).

QUIST-ARCTON: Their debut⁶ is a vintage hymn⁷ "O God, Our Help In Ages Past," sung in English and a range of local Nigerian languages. It's a slick and colorful video package, which zooms⁸ in on the individual singers, the conductor and the pianist, interspersed⁹ with patriotic¹⁰ images of Nigeria. Singing alongside Obasanjo is Nigeria's current vice¹¹ president, Yemi Osinbajo. He's the sort of tremulous tenor¹².

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST")

YEMI OSINBAJO: (Singing) Before the hills in order stood...

QUIST-ARCTON: The video also features former military leader retired¹³ General Yakubu Gowon and two erstwhile military men, baritone Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe and retired General Oladipo Diya. Then there are a couple of civilians¹⁴, former Vice President Alex Ekueme and gravelly voiced former interim¹⁵ leader Ernest Shonekan.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST")

ERNEST SHONEKAN: (Singing in foreign language).

QUIST-ARCTON: It's not clear whether these Nigerian singer-leaders have come together to raise money for charity or whether they gathered to wish their compatriots goodwill¹⁶ for 2017. But they certainly grabbed the headlines. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST")

1 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

2 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

3 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。

4 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

5 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。

6 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。

7 hymn   

n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌

参考例句：

• They sang a hymn of praise to God.他们唱着圣歌，赞美上帝。
• The choir has sung only two verses of the last hymn.合唱团只唱了最后一首赞美诗的两个段落。

8 zooms   

n.嗡嗡声( zoom的名词复数 )；隆隆声；（车辆等）疾驰的声音；变焦

参考例句：

• A sneeze zooms out of your mouth at over 600 m.p.h. 从你口中打出的喷嚏速度可达每小时600里。 来自互联网
• When the camera zooms in, the whole world watches out. 当镜头对准（汶川），全世界都在关注。 来自互联网

9 interspersed   

adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The grass was interspersed with beds of flowers. 草地上点缀着许多花坛。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

13 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

14 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

15 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

16 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。