英语听力—环球英语 1303 Ao Dai: Vietnam’s Traditional Clothing

Voice 1 

Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Ryan Geertsma.

 

Voice 2 

And I’m Liz Waid. 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 

Vu Ngoc Anh stands on a performance stage.  Bright lights shine on her from above. Hundreds of people are watching her. They are interested in her beautiful clothing. She is wearing a kind of traditional Vietnamese clothing called an Ao Dai or Ao Dai. Ngoc Anh walks slowly across the stage.  Her Ao Dai moves gently side to side. This is because it is made of silk - a light, flowing material. The Ao Dai is two pieces of clothing – trousers, and a long fitted shirt or gown². Ngoc Anh’s trousers are white.  Her gown is a golden, yellow color. It covers her arms, down to her wrists. And it fits tightly³ around her chest and neck. It hangs almost to the ground. The gown is split⁴. It opens on the sides from her waist to the floor.  As Ngoc Anh walks across the floor, she looks as if she is floating.

 

Voice 2 

On that night, Vu Ngoc Anh won the 2012 Miss Vietnam Ao Dai competition. The judges thought she looked the most beautiful in her Ao Dai. Achieving the title “Miss Ao Dai” is a great honor⁵. This is because the Ao Dai is more than just traditional Vietnamese clothing.  It is a symbol of the history and beauty of the Vietnamese culture and people. Today’s Spotlight is on the Vietnamese Ao Dai.

 

Voice 1 

The Ao Dai has a long history in Vietnam.  Experts believe forms of the Ao Dai have existed for hundreds of years.

 

Voice 2 

Traditional Chinese clothing has influenced the history of the Ao Dai. In the 1600s and 1700s Chinese rulers occupied the land of Vietnam. People were required to wear traditional Chinese clothing. Vietnamese clothing designers began to change the design of the traditional Chinese clothing. They created early forms of the Ao Dai to show Vietnam’s separate and independent culture. During this time, members of the Vietnamese ruling family began wearing these early forms of the Ao Dai. And both men and women wore them.

 

Voice 1 

In 1802, there was a Vietnamese leader called Gia Long.  He freed Vietnam from Chinese rule. Before this time, people in different areas of Vietnam wore different forms of the early Ao Dai. But designers began to combine the different regional designs. The result was a form of the Ao Dai called the Ngu Than. From 1820-1841 rulers made the Ngu Than Vietnam’s official national clothing.

 

Voice 2 

For the next 50 years, a new foreign power ruled Vietnam.  France claimed Vietnam as a colony⁶.  During this time, many people began wearing clothes influenced by Western design. However, some Vietnamese designers reacted against this foreign cultural influence - just like they had when China ruled over Vietnam.

 

Voice 1 

During the 1920s and 30s, designers in Hanoi began re-designing the Ngu Than.  The most famous designer was Cat Tuong, also known as Le Mur.  This new design was particularly for women.  The designers used some of the new French or western design influences.  But, what they designed was not western.  Instead, it was a modern version⁷ of Vietnam’s traditional clothing - what people today call the Ao Dai.

 

Voice 2 

The modern Ao Dai became very popular in parts of Vietnam after the end of French rule. The Ao Dai was most popular from 1960-1975. After 1975, Vietnamese women wore the Ao Dai less often. The Vietnamese economy was struggling and most people did not think the Ao Dai was necessary.

 

Voice 1 

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Ao Dai experienced⁸ a new growth in popularity⁹.  In 1989, a Ho Chi Minh City newspaper began the first “Miss Ao Dai” competition.  Sixteen thousand people attended the competition. But this was only the beginning of the Ao Dai’s new popularity.  From Ho Chi Minh City, Miss Ao Dai competitions spread around the world - to places like Long Beach, California in the United States and the city of Toronto, Canada.  Today, there are many countries that have large populations of Vietnamese immigrants¹⁰.  When these people moved out of Vietnam, they brought the Ao Dai with them.

 

Voice 2 

Originally, each woman’s Ao Dai was custom made.  Ao Dai makers¹² sewed each Ao Dai using only a needle, thread and her hands. A woman visited her Ao Dai maker¹¹ many times to make sure her Ao Dai fit perfectly¹³. Today, factories have begun to produce Ao Dais in large numbers.  These Ao Dais are sold in Vietnam and around the world. The export of the Ao Dai has influenced global clothing designers as far away as Paris, France and New York City.

 

Voice 1 

Unlike many forms of traditional clothing, the Ao Dai is still worn by many Vietnamese women. And wearing the Ao Dai has special meaning.  Kimlai is a Vietnamese American writer.  On her website, she explained what the Ao Dai meant to her as a child.

 

Voice 3 

“I remember when I was a little girl.  I would walk into my mom and dad’s rooms.  Behind the door hung long pieces of fabric¹⁴.  I knew these beautiful pieces of material were going to be made into Ao Dais...I remember staring up at my mom when she wore her Ao Dai. I would think how beautiful she looked. I could not wait until I could have an Ao Dai for myself.”

 

Voice 2 

We asked Vietnamese Spotlight listeners when Vietnamese women wear the Ao Dai.  Listener Cong Le explained,

 

Voice 4 

“Women usually wear the Ao Dai during official holiday celebrations.”

 

Voice 1

Listener Trinh Hoang said,

 

Voice 5 

“I think all women in Vietnam wear the Ao Dai at least one time - when they get married.”

 

Voice 2 

And Nguyen Tran told us,

 

Voice 6 

“When I studied in high school, I wore the Ao Dai six days each week.”

 

Voice 1

In Vietnam, women wear many different colors of Ao Dai. Usually younger women wear light colors.  And older women wear darker or bolder¹⁵ colors. Spotlight listener Tuan Anh  Nguyen explained,

 

Voice 7 

“Every different Ao Dai color and design shows the beauty and character of the person wearing it. For example, students wear a white Ao dai.  This shows purity¹⁶, innocence¹⁷, and young beauty. A woman may wear a pink Ao dai at her wedding, when she marries.  This shows graceful¹⁸ beauty.”

 

Voice 2 

The Ao Dai continues to be popular in Vietnam. And people in Vietnam are proud to share the Ao Dai with people around the world.  As Spotlight listener Tuan Anh Nguyen writes,

 

Voice 7 

“The Ao Dai is the pride of the nation.  It is the pride of every woman, every time she puts it on.”

 

Voice 1 

The writer of this program was Robin¹⁹ Basselin. The producer was Mark Drenth. 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 “Ao Dai: Vietnam’s Traditional Clothing.”  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 gown   

n.长袍，特殊场合穿的长服

参考例句：

• She pinned the gown at the neck with a safety pin.她在领子那儿用一枚别针把睡衣别住。
• He threw on his gown.他穿上他的礼服。

3 tightly   

adv.紧紧地，坚固地，牢固地

参考例句：

• My child holds onto my hand tightly while we cross the street.横穿马路时，孩子紧拉着我的手不放。
• The crowd pressed together so tightly that we could hardly breathe.人群挤在一起，我们几乎喘不过气来。

4 split   

n.劈开，裂片，裂口；adj.分散的；v.分离，分开，劈开

参考例句：

• Who told you that Mary and I had split up?谁告诉你玛丽和我已经离婚了？
• The teacher split the class up into six groups.老师把班级分成6个小组。

5 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。

6 colony   

n.殖民地；(同类人的)聚居地

参考例句：

• There lived a colony of bees on the tree.树上生活着一群蜜蜂。
• They live in an artists'colony.他们住在艺术家聚居区。

7 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

8 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

9 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

10 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

12 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

14 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

15 bolder   

n.[医]柄adj.明显的( bold的比较级 )；粗体的；勇敢的；冒失的

参考例句：

• And if bolder measures were necessary, she would take them. 如果需要更加大胆的办法呢？她也乐意采用。 来自飘（部分）
• Later we got bolder and developed a more aggressive approach. 后来，我们越来越大胆，并且想出了一些声势盛大的宣传。 来自辞典例句

16 purity   

n.纯净，纯洁，纯度

参考例句：

• She was a woman of purity and goodness.她是一位纯洁善良的妇女。
• The white colour is a symbol of purity.白色是纯洁的象征。

17 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

18 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

19 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。