AMERICAN MOSAIC - Soccer in America / Richard Rodgers Music

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ -June 28, 2002: Soccer in America / Richard Rodgers Music / Question about
'Chinatown'

HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC
—
VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.
(THEME)
This is Doug Johnson. On our program today we:
Play some music written by Richard Rogers ..
.
Answer a listener’s question about “Chinatown
”
..
.
And report about the growing popularity² of soccer football in the United States.

Soccer in the U.S.

HOST:

On Sunday, June thirtieth, an important soccer football game will be played in the
city of Yokohama, Japan. That game will decide the World Cup champion of soccer
football. Americans are becoming more interested in this great international game.
Steve Ember explains.

ANNCR:

In its first game in the World Cup matches this year, the United States defeated a
strong team from Portugal by a score of three-to-two. That is the first time a United States team had scored three
points in World Cup competition since a game in nineteen-thirty against Paraguay.

The American team finally lost to Germany, one to nothing, in a very close quarterfinal game. American soccer
fans were happy about the results. It was the best an American team had done in more than seventy years in
World Cup competition.

However, most of the American public showed little interest. Many people in the United States still have no idea
how important the World Cup soccer championship games are to the rest of the world. Many Americans do not
know how the game is played.

The American public has never shown much interest in soccer. Sports experts say this is only true of older
Americans. They never played soccer when they were children. They did not grow up with the sport as people in
other countries have. Sports like American football, baseball and basketball have always been much more
popular.

The United States Soccer Federation³ says about eighteen-million people today play soccer in the United States.
But those who play are very young. Seventy-eight percent are under the age of eighteen. Sports experts say it is
these children who are making the sport popular in the United States. The experts say soccer has become popular
with children because almost anyone can play. There are teams for girls, boys, older children and young adults.

Many Americans are becoming interested in soccer because their children play. This has produced the new
American expression “Soccer Mom.
”
This is a mother who spends a lot of time driving her children to soccer
games in the family car.

The United States Soccer Federation says it is helping⁴ children improve their playing skills. It provides special
training for young players at soccer camps during the summer.


Federation officials say the United States may one day have a World Cup champion team, but it will be sometime
in the future. Soccer fans in the United States will have to wait until young soccer players grow up playing the
world’s most popular sport.

Chinatown

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Vietnam. Chung Tanquoc asks about Chinatown.

Many large cities in the United States and around the world have an ethnic⁵ area called Chinatown. Each was
settled by people who came from China.

For example, Chinatown in San Francisco, California, began in the eighteen-forties. Gold had been discovered in
California. Chinese immigrants⁶ came to America in search of wealth. They settled in an area that later became
known as Chinatown. Nearly all the immigrants were men. Their hard work was quickly recognized. In eighteen-
fifty, San Francisco Mayor⁷ John Geary held a ceremony honoring⁸ Chinese efforts to improve the city. Today,
Chinatown is a leading cultural influence in San Francisco. Many people visit the area.

Chinatowns were also established in cities in the western states of Oregon and
Washington during the middle of the nineteenth century. Many Chinese settlers in these
areas helped build the first railroad⁹ system across the United States. However, after the
work ended in eighteen-sixty-nine, many Chinese moved to the eastern and middle parts
of the United States.

The first Chinese immigrants arrived in Chicago, Illinois, in the eighteen-seventies.
Many of these first immigrants opened clothes -cleaning businesses and low-cost eating
places. Chicago’s Chinatown has grown over the years. The largest number of
immigrants came after communists took control of mainland¹⁰ China in nineteen-fortyeight.

Chinatowns also can be found in cities outside the United States. For example, the first Chinese settlers in
London arrived in the late eighteenth century. They were men who worked for the East India Company. Later,
Chinese immigrants operated small stores and eating places that were visited by Chinese sailors traveling through
the city. Today, many people visit London ’s Chinatown. It has special Chinese Gates and walking areas for
visitors.

Chinatowns around the world are not only places where Chinese people live and work. They are also places
where visitors can learn more about Chinese culture and traditions.

Richard Rodgers

HOST:

June twenty-eighth is the one-hundredth anniversary¹¹ of the birth of one of the most successful writers of
Broadway show music. Richard Rodgers was born in New York City in nineteen-oh-two. He died in nineteen-
seventy-nine. Mary Tillotson has more.

ANNCR:

Richard Rodgers wrote about forty Broadway musical plays, ten movie musicals,
and two television musicals. He also wrote music for television and the ballet. He
won many awards for his work.

His first Broadway show was “Garrick Gaities”
in nineteen-twenty-five. He
wrote the music. Lorenz Hart wrote the words. Rodgers and Hart worked together
on twenty-five other shows, including “Pal¹² Joey”
in nineteen-forty. It was later
made into a movie.

One of the most popular songs from “Pal Joey”
is “The Lady Is a Tramp¹³.
”

Richard Rodgers, seated,
with Oscar Hammerstein.
(Photo -Library of Congress)

Frank Sinatra played Joey in the movie. He sings the famous song.
((THE LADY IS A TRAMP)
)
Richard Rodgers later created nine popular Broadway shows with Oscar Hammerstein. They were the most

successful songwriting team in Broadway history.

Their first show opened in nineteen-forty-three. That show is now being performed again on Broadway in New
York City. It is called “Oklahoma.
”
Here is the title song.
((OKLAHOMA)
)
Richard Rodgers also wrote both the words and music for Broadway shows. Perhaps the best known of these is

“No Strings¹⁴.
”
It opened on Broadway in nineteen-sixty-two. The title describes the idea of love without

responsibility. It also means that Rogers did not use any string instruments in the orchestra¹⁵.
We leave you now with a song from Richard Rodgers’
show, “No Strings,
”
performed by Richard Kiley and
Diahann (di-ANNE) Carroll. It is called “The Sweetest Sounds.
”

((THE SWEETEST SOUNDS)
)
HOST:
This is Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. And I hope you will join us again next week for

AMERICAN MOSAIC
—
VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.
This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by Jill Moss¹⁶, Nancy Steinbach and Paul Thompson. And our
producer was Paul Thompson.

 

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1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 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。

3 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 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》

7 mayor   

n.市长

参考例句：

• The new mayor said he would clean the city up.新市长说，他要整顿本市。
• The mayor hurried into his office,brushing off the reporters.市长赶快走进办公室，拒不接见记者。

8 honoring   

v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They sat in silence, honoring the clan Jordache for a moment. 他们默默地坐了一会儿，对乔达虚家族表示了一番敬意。 来自辞典例句
• Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check. 美国没有履行这项神圣的义务，只是给黑人开了一张空头支票。 来自辞典例句

9 railroad   

n.铁路；vi.由铁路运输

参考例句：

• The railroad connects two cities,namely,New York and Chicago.这条铁路连接两个城市，即纽约与芝加哥。
• My brother is working on the railroad.我兄弟在铁路系统工作。

10 mainland   

n.大陆，本土

参考例句：

• The new bridge will link the island to the mainland.新的桥梁将把该岛与大陆连接在一起。
• Hong Kong's prosperity relies heavily on mainland.香港的繁荣在很大程度上依赖于大陆。

11 anniversary   

n.周年(纪念日)

参考例句：

• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
• Today is my parents'30th wedding anniversary.今天是我父母结婚30周年纪念日。

12 pal   

n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友

参考例句：

• He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
• Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。

13 tramp   

n.流浪者，步行，跋涉；v.步行，跋涉

参考例句：

• She wants to go for a tramp in the country.她想去乡间远足。
• A tramp came to the door and asked for food.一个流浪汉来到门前讨饭吃。

14 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

15 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

16 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。