英语听力—环球英语 1250 Stones for Remembering

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Ryan Geertsma.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I’m Robin² Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Imagine you are in the city of Frankfurt, Germany.  You are walking along a street.  As you walk past a house, you notice something shiny on the ground. You look down. You see a metal covered stone in the walking path. On the stone there are words.  It says:

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Here lived Alfred Grünebaum

 

　　Born 1899

 

　　Forced to move to Kowno/Kaunas 1941

 

　　Murdered November 25, 1941

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　What would you think if you saw a stone like this?  Would the words shock you?  Would they make you stop and think?

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　This stone is called a Stolperstiene. In German this means stumbling³ stone. German artist Gunter Demnig created this and many other stumbling stone memorials. Each stumbling stone represents one victim killed during the Holocaust⁴ of World War Two. Today’s Spotlight is on Gunter Demnig and his stumbling stones.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　During World War Two, the Nazi⁵ political party ruled Germany. The Nazis⁶ fought to expand their rule in Europe.  During this time, they also tried to rid Germany and surrounding countries of particular groups of people – like Jewish⁷ and Romani people. They forced millions of people from their homes.  They also killed millions more in planned executions⁸, and in prison camps. This horrible event is called the Holocaust.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　During the Holocaust, the Nazis killed between 11 and 17 million people total.  They killed nearly 6 million Jews. They also killed many other groups that they considered non German - like the Romani people.  The Nazis killed anyone who lacked physical or mental abilities.  And they even killed Germans who did not agree with their beliefs.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The Holocaust was a terrible event in German history.  Some people may want to forget the Holocaust, but Gunter Demnig believes it is important to remember and honor⁹ the many victims. And he wants people to remember the victims individually - by their name.  So, in 1996, he began the stumbling stone art project.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Demnig began his project by researching individual victims of the Holocaust. He learned¹⁰ where each victim last lived - before the Nazis forced them to move. He researched what happened to each person when the Nazis came. He also found where and how each person died.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Next, Demnig began making his stumbling stones.  He used special tools to press the victim’s information onto a thin piece of metal. He bent¹¹ the metal over a square stone.  And he placed these stones in walking paths outside a victim’s last home or place of work.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　“Stumbling stone” is a common expression. It describes a rock found on a path. Often, a person does not see a stumbling stone until their foot hits it. And when their foot hits a stumbling stone, it causes them to lose their balance.  In the same way, Demnig wants his stumbling stones to make people lose their mental balance.  He wants people to briefly¹² stop in their path.  He wants them to think about the individual the stone represents. He told travel writer, Barbara Kingstone,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“I wanted to bring back the names of the Jews who lived and loved. They had children and a normal life. They lived in these houses.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　There are many museums and memorials around the world that honor and remember victims of the Holocaust. But Demnig thinks his stumbling stones will reach people better.  He told National Public Radio,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"I think the large Holocaust memorial here, in Berlin, will always remain removed from people’s daily thoughts. You have to decide to visit it. But not with the stumbling stones. Suddenly they are there, right outside your front door, at your feet, in front of you."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Demnig placed the first stumbling stones in the city of Berlin. Since then, he has placed them in more than 610 places in Germany. He has also sent stumbling stones to many other countries - like Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Norway and Ukraine.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　People are noticing Demnig’s stumbling stones.  Many communities send Demnig special requests for stumbling stones. People from the community work together to raise money to pay for the memorial stones.  The stones will honor Holocaust victims from their communities. Helmut Loelhoeffel helped organize a project to get stumbling stones in Charlottenburg, Germany. He believes Demnig’s work is effective. Loelhoeffel told National Public Radio,

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　"Six million Jews were killed, murdered. The stumbling stones make clear that it was one person and one person and one person and one person. It makes clear that they were all individuals."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　For family members of the victims, seeing a stumbling stone can cause many emotions. When Demnig places the stumbling stones, there is often a ceremony. He often invites families to be involved. Walker Simon attended a stumbling stone ceremony for his father.  He even placed the stone in the ground.   He wrote about his experience for the Reuters news organization.

 

　　Voice 5

 

　　“I placed the stumbling stone for my father into a space in the walking path. My heart shook. Then suddenly it warmed. Then, I was troubled. My mind seemed to speed back to another time, possibly 1937, when my father left Germany.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　People’s reactions to Demnig’s stumbling stones are mixed. Some people love them.  Other people are concerned that as people walk over the memorial, the memory of the victim is violated¹³.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Martin Diehl is a Christian¹⁴ leader in Germany. He attended the same ceremony as Walker Simon in the town of Egelsbach. He talked with Simon about why the stumbling stones may make older Germans uncomfortable.

 

　　Voice 6

 

　　"The stumbling stones are difficult for the older generations of this town. They may have had advantages in life because of the Holocaust. For example, they may have purchased their homes for very little money after Nazis forced people out. So they may feel guilty - like they were part of the crimes."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　However, most people are very positive about the stumbling stones. They understand and support Denmig’s goal.  Isabel Guettler is a stumbling stone supporter.  She is a teacher in Germany. She told the CNN news organization,

 

　　Voice 7

 

　　"When you read long lists of dead people's names on a piece of paper, it can feel meaningless. But when you see these interesting stones outside the houses where the victims really lived, it is different. Suddenly you have this very human, emotional¹⁵ connection...I work as a teacher. So for me, these objects play a huge part in educating new generations."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writer of this program was Courtney Schutt. The producer was Ryan Geertsma. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can find our programs on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called “Stones for Remembering.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 stumbling   

adj.摇摇晃晃或跌跌撞撞的v.（不顺畅地）说( stumble的现在分词 )；跌跌撞撞地走；绊脚；（说话、演奏等）出错

参考例句：

• The question of disarmament proved a major stumbling block to agreement. 结果证明裁军问题是达成协议的主要障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His stumbling attempts at colloquial Russian amused her. 他结结巴巴地学说俄语，把她逗乐了。 来自辞典例句

4 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

5 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

6 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 Jewish   

adj.犹太人的，犹太民族的

参考例句：

• The coin bears a Jewish symbol.硬币上有犹太标记。
• They were two Jewish kids;I was friendly with both of them.他们是两个犹太小孩；我同他们都很要好。

8 executions   

n.实行( execution的名词复数 )；（尤指遗嘱的）执行；演奏；依法处决

参考例句：

• Executions used to be held in public. 过去处决犯人都公开执行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The espionage, the betrayals, the arrests, the tortures, the executions, the disappearances will never cease. 间谍活动、叛党卖国、逮捕拷打、处决灭迹，这种事情永远不会完。 来自英汉文学

9 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

10 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

11 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

12 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

13 violated   

亵渎( violate的过去式和过去分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Note that thick, strong angles of tibia are not violated. 注意肥厚、结实的胫骨成角部分未受损坏。
• The soldiers violated the church by using it as a stable. 士兵们把教堂当马厩，亵渎了教堂。

14 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。

15 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。