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Voice 1
Voice 2
And Bruce Gulland. 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
A building stands against a bright blue sky. It has sixteen columns2. These white poles begin in a large circle and curve3 inwards in the shape of a bell. The columns almost touch each other but then they continue up and out. In the space between the columns, walls of glass make a round shape. The glass is blue, white and green. From the outside, the building looks a bit like open hands that are touching4 at the wrist. Inside, there are statues of angels. This is the cathedral of Brasilia. This Christian5 church and many important buildings of Brasilia were all built at the same time. They were designed by one great architect. Today’s Spotlight is on the beautiful and important buildings in Brasilia.
Voice 2
Every country in the world has a capital city. The capital is where the leaders of the country live and work. Many capital cities are ports on the ocean. In the past, one such city was Rio de Janiero. It was the capital of Brazil. But the port of Rio de Janiero was extremely crowded. There was not enough space for all the people who lived there. And the business of the huge country of Brazil was concentrated in a very small area.
Voice 1
In 1956 Brazil elected a new president - Juscelino Kubitschek. He wanted to move the capital city. This was not a new idea. People had talked about moving the capital city for many years. The name had even been chosen: Brasilia. President Kubitschek decided6 it was time to finally build Brasilia. But who would design the important buildings? President Kubitschek wanted Brasilia to be beautiful. He wanted it to be modern. So he chose a skilled7 and experienced8 Brazilian architect to build Brasilia. His name was Oscar Niemeyer.
Voice 2
Niemeyer was born in Rio de Janiero in 1907. He was a well respected architect by the time he was 30 years old. Niemeyer was a great artist. His designs were very different than other buildings at the time. Most other buildings had straight lines up and down. Niemeyer liked to build using half circles and curves9. Many of his designs had rounded parts. Niemeyer used these shapes because he saw them in nature. In a book about his life, he explains how he was inspired by the beauty of Brazil:
Voice 3
“I did not use traditional architecture designed with straight lines and squares. I boldly10 entered the world of curves by using concrete. This purposeful protest11 came from the environment in which I lived. My design came from Brazil’s white coasts, its huge mountains, its old traditional churches, and its beautiful women.”
Voice 1
Niemeyer’s designs for Brasilia were also inspired by the curves of nature. These natural shapes inspired the cathedral from the beginning of this program. To make these shapes Niemeyer used a material called concrete. Concrete is a grey building material. It is a mixture of ground sand and stone mixed with cement12. When this mixture is wet it can be poured into a shape. When concrete dries, it is very hard. Using concrete gave Niemeyer a lot of freedom to design and build interesting buildings.
Voice 2
Niemeyer was very excited to design the main buildings of Brasilia. He saw the new capital as a chance for a fresh beginning for Brazil. He described his ideas for Brasilia’s buildings:
Voice 3
"When planning the government buildings for Brasilia I tried to push the use of concrete to its limits. I wanted to be as light and detailed13 as possible. I wanted it to seem as if the buildings barely14 touched the ground."
Voice 1
This seems like an impossible thing to do - to make heavy concrete seem like it is floating. But Niemeyer achieved it! Niemeyer designed a building called The Palace of the Dawn. It was a house for Brazil’s president. This building looks like it is floating above the ground. It has curved15 white points around it. They are very light and beautiful. A lake around the palace reflects these curved shapes.
Voice 2
Niemeyer also designed the National Congress16. This government building has many parts. The biggest part is two tall towers that rise straight up into the air. On one side of this is a white building. It is shaped like a bowl that a person would eat out of. On the other side is a building in the opposite shape. It is a dome17, which is rounded on top like a bowl turned upside down. These shapes are not the usual design of government buildings. Niemeyer told the BBC:
Voice 3
"If you go to see Brasilia, the important thing is this: you may or may not like the buildings, but you could never say you had seen something similar before. Those fine columns, the buildings like a bird’s feathers touching the ground, all that creates an effect of surprise.”
Voice 1
Niemeyer believed that building Brasilia was an important project for the whole country. Building the new city would be a way to give people jobs. It did not take any special education to build with concrete. So, many different people could help build Brasilia. Niemeyer designed and built Brasilia in only four years. Brasilia became the official capital of Brazil in 1960.
Voice 2
Niemeyer also hoped that his buildings would bring people joy. Niemeyer believed that all people should enjoy the buildings of Brasilia. He believed that architects should inspire and serve other people. He told the Biography18 Channel website:
Voice 3
"It is important that the designer think of more than design. The architect's role is to fight for a better world. One where he can produce an architecture that serves everyone not just a group of important people."
Voice 1
Today, Niemeyer’s buildings do just this. Brasilia is now a UNESCO World Heritage19 Site. The United Nations believes that these buildings are important cultural structures. People from all over the world come to Brasilia to see Niemeyer’s buildings. Their beautiful design continues to inspire people – and will continue to do so for many years.
Voice 2
The writer of this program was Rena Dam. The producer was Nick Mangeolles. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called, ‘Beautiful Buildings of Brasilia.’
Voice 1
You can also leave your comments on our website and find us on Facebook - just search for spotlightradio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
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spotlight
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| n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目 | |
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columns
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| n.柱( column的名词复数 )；纵队；栏；（舰队的）纵列 | |
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curve
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| n.曲线，弯曲，曲球；v.弯，使...弯曲 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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skilled
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| adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的 | |
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experienced
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| adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的 | |
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curves
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| n.曲线( curve的名词复数 )；弧线；曲线状物；弯曲物v.（使）弯成弧形( curve的第三人称单数 ) | |
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boldly
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| adv.大胆地，显眼地；冒 | |
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protest
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| v.反对，抗议；宣称；n.抗议；宣称 | |
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cement
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| n.水泥；胶结材料；vt.粘结；巩固 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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barely
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| adv.仅仅，几乎没有，几乎不 | |
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curved
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| a.弯曲的 | |
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Congress
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| n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会 | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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biography
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| n.个人经历，传记 | |
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heritage
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| n.传统，遗产，继承物 | |
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