VOA慢速英语20061110b

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Veterans Day: Honoring the Men and Women Who Served, and SacrificedBy Dana Demange and Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Friday, November 10, 2006

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We answer questions about American Indians ...

Play some music by the group the Decemberists ...

And report about Veterans Day.

Veterans Day

Saturday, November eleventh, is Veterans Day in the United States. It is a day to honor Americans who have served in the country's military forces. Barbara Klein has more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

Many cities and towns across the United States hold ceremonies honoring the nation's veterans. Probably the most ceremonies are held in Washington, D.C. Several memorials honor the men and women who fought and died in the service of their country.


Tomb of the Unknowns

The National Veterans Day ceremony takes place at Arlington National Cemetery² near Washington. This is where veterans from all the nation's wars are buried. Each year on Veterans Day, the president and other top officials lay a wreath of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknowns. They also attend a memorial service to honor those who were killed.

Another ceremony is held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. Speakers and military bands honor those killed during the Vietnam War. Their names appear on the memorial itself. The speakers and Vietnam War veterans lay a wreath of flowers following the ceremony.

Navy officials lay a wreath at the Lone³ Sailor Statue at the United States Navy Memorial. Similar ceremonies are held at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the World War Two Memorial and the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. Air Force officials are holding Veterans Day ceremonies at the new Air Force Memorial in Virginia on Friday.

The United States Marine⁴ Corps⁵ also celebrates November tenth every year because
Artist's picture of the National Museum of the Marine Corps

it is the Marine Corps birthday. This year, the Marine Corps is celebrating the opening of the National Museum of the Marine Corps near the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia.

Government and Marine Corps officials are taking part in those opening ceremonies Friday. A Veterans Day memorial ceremony will be held Saturday to honor Marines no longer living. The museum will open to the public on Monday. Officials say the museum will make it possible for visitors to experience what it means to be a United States marine.

American Indians

HOST:

November is National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage month in the United States. It honors the history, culture and traditions of American Indians and Alaska Native people. So, this week, we answer two listener questions about American Indians. Godswill Eke⁶ Kalu from Nigeria asks why Native Americans are called Indians. And Amrit Rai from Nepal asks about the economic situation of American Indians today.

The European explorer Christopher Columbus gave the name Indians to the native peoples of North and South America. He thought that he had reached a place called the Indies. In time, the terms American Indian and Indian became widely used.

The United States Bureau of Indian Affairs says the term Native American started to be used in the nineteen sixties. It describes American Indians and Alaska Natives. Later the term also included Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The government agency says the Eskimos and Aleuts of Alaska do not like to be called Indians. They call themselves Alaska Natives.

Many American Indians reject the term Native American. They say it tries to
A Lakota dancer

describe too many different groups of people, including American Samoans, Aleuts and Hawaiians. These people want to be called American Indians. Some want to be known by their tribe, such as Lakota or Navajo.

The United States Census⁷ Bureau says more than four million American Indians and Alaska natives lived in the country in two thousand four. Some live on government land called reservations or tribal⁸ lands. Others live in cities and towns.

The economic situation of American Indians as a group is not good. A continuing study by Harvard University says that American Indians generally earn less money than other Americans. It also says that they have more unemployment, higher rates of death and disease and less family unity⁹ than other American groups.

However, the study is also finding that an increasing number of tribes are creating successful businesses. For example, the Pequot tribe in the northeast owns and operates a hotel, gambling¹⁰ casino and museum of its culture and history. You can learn about a famous chief of the Lakota Indians known as Crazy Horse on the Special English program People in America on Sunday.

The Decemberists

HOST:


The Decemberists

The Decemberists are an independent rock group from Portland, Oregon. They perform songs filled with imaginative and unusual stories. The Decemberists' music combines the storytelling of traditional songs with a modern rock sound. Their latest album is The Crane Wife. It tells about magical creatures and faraway lands. Faith Lapidus has more.

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

That was Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then). It is a song about a nineteenth century American soldier who was killed in battle. He is singing from the dead to the woman he loves. He says he will come back to her one day on the breath of the wind.

Colin Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter of the Decemberists. His songs have a rich and poetic¹¹ language. It might not surprise you that he studied English literature in college. Reading his songs is as interesting as listening to them. This autumn, the Decemberists will be traveling in the United States and Europe to perform their magical music. Here is the tragic¹² love song O Valencia!

(MUSIC)

We close with the song the album is named after. The Crane Wife Three is based on a popular Japanese story. Colin Meloy discovered the story in a children's book. He could not stop thinking about the story. Listen to this poetic song about a man who marries a magical bird.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

This show was written by Dana Demange and Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver¹³ was the producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, www.unsv.com.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

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 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

3 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 eke   

v.勉强度日，节约使用

参考例句：

• They had to eke out a livinga tiny income.他们不得不靠微薄收入勉强度日。
• We must try to eke out our water supply.我们必须尽量节约用水。

7 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

8 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

9 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

10 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

11 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

12 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

13 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。