美国国家公共电台 NPR Plácido Domingo Out At Metropolitan Opera Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations

 

NOEL KING, HOST:

The opera star Placido Domingo has withdrawn¹ from a series of planned performances at the Metropolitan² Opera in New York. He was supposed to sing tonight, but some Met employees were upset about having to perform with him after 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct. NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas has been following this story. She's with us now. Good morning.

ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS, BYLINE³: Good morning, Noel.

KING: So I know that you've been following this story very doggedly⁴. What did you find out? And did your reporting, as I understand it, contribute to Domingo pulling out of these performances?

TSIOULCAS: Yes. Well, I've reported a couple of stories over the last few days using Met sources. And late yesterday afternoon, the Metropolitan Opera's general manager, Peter Gelb, sent an email to staff that sources sent me. It said Domingo was withdrawing from all of his upcoming performances at the Met. And not only that, in a statement included in that email, Domingo himself said he will never perform at the Met again. And this is a singer who performed at the Met for 51 years in a row in over 700 performances.

KING: And now saying after 51 years he'll never perform at the Met again. I wonder, your sources, the people you've been speaking to, have they said anything to you about him ending his career at the Met, so to speak?

TSIOULCAS: I have, and I think it's important to mention that all of my sources asked for anonymity⁵ for fear of retribution in their workplace. One woman in the orchestra last night, for example, told me that she felt relieved that this situation is now over. But she noted⁶ it was an 11th-hour solution that came out of mounting media pressure. And I've heard from a lot of the public, as well, many who support the decision and some very upset fans.

KING: Oh, interesting that many people still support him. Well, what is Placido Domingo saying about stepping down? Is he defending himself at all?

TSIOULCAS: In that statement in that email to Met employees, he said he still disputes the allegations from 20 women who had come forward. But he acknowledged the strain that his presence was putting on his colleagues, Noel.

KING: So he acknowledges that him being there is sort of making a mess of things for the people who are singing with him given the attention. Now, I know that some of those colleagues - his colleagues told you that they felt that women's voices weren't being taken seriously at the Met. And they were especially upset by what general manager Peter Gelb said in a meeting on Saturday. What did Peter Gelb say exactly?

TSIOULCAS: Right. And this is how this reporting has contributed to the day we are now. The sources I spoke⁷ with were particularly upset about Gelb's contention⁸ that the women's allegations were anonymous⁹ and, in Gelb's estimation, uncorroborated. The allegations were first published by The Associated Press, and the AP reported it spoke to dozens of people who corroborated¹⁰ the allegations. And two of the women who came forward in those reports used their names. So one source texted me last night saying that it had taken over a month for the Met to act, and this person said, quote, "that illustrates¹¹ management's lack of a moral compass."

KING: So, again, as is true of many of these #MeToo stories, you have just allegations that the people in charge are not taking the women who come forward seriously. I imagine that this will continue to roil¹² through the Metropolitan Opera for weeks and months to come. NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas, thank you so much for your really intrepid¹³ reporting on this story. We appreciate it.

TSIOULCAS: You're welcome, Noel. Thanks so much.

(SOUNDBITE OF BRYCE DESSNER AND AARON DESSNER'S "ST. CAROLYN BY THE SEA")

1 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

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 doggedly   

adv.顽强地，固执地

参考例句：

• He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。
• He trudged doggedly on until he reached the flat.他顽强地、步履艰难地走着，一直走回了公寓。

5 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

9 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

10 corroborated   

v.证实，支持（某种说法、信仰、理论等）( corroborate的过去式 )

参考例句：

• The evidence was corroborated by two independent witnesses. 此证据由两名独立证人提供。
• Experiments have corroborated her predictions. 实验证实了她的预言。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分

12 roil   

v.搅浑，激怒

参考例句：

• Times of national turmoil generally roil a country's financial markets.在国家动荡不安的时代，该国的金融市场一般都会出现混乱。
• Some of her habits are off-putting but don't let them roil you.她的一些习惯让人恶心，但最好别烦你。

13 intrepid   

adj.无畏的，刚毅的

参考例句：

• He is not really satisfied with his intrepid action.他没有真正满意他的无畏行动。
• John's intrepid personality made him a good choice for team leader.约翰勇敢的个性适合作领导工作。