VOA慢速英语 2008 1031b

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week:

We listen to music from the Four Tops, whose lead singer, Levi Stubbs, died recently …

Answer a listener question about the electoral college in the United States …

And report about how everyday Americans can perform weddings.

(MUSIC)

Online Wedding Officiants

HOST:

Weddings in America are often big, complex and costly² events. Usually a religious leader or judge performs the marriage ceremony. But now people can choose a friend or family member to perform the ceremony. That person can become an official marriage officiant online through some unusual Web sites. Faith Lapidus tells us more.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

One Web site is called Church of the Latter-Day Dude. It is named for a character called the Dude in the movie "The Big Lebowski." The Church of the Latter-Day Dude appeals to visitors to "join the slowest-growing religion in the world – Dudeism."

Its members do not believe in telling people what to do. In fact, they do not believe in doing much at all. But they are happy to provide people with a "certificate of ordination³." The Web site says the document legally permits a person to perform a wedding ceremony in most states. But it also says a person should check with the local government to see if this is permitted.

Other Web sites offering free and immediate⁴ ordination services include the Universal Life Church Monastery⁵ and the Church of Spiritual Humanism. The Universal Life Church says it welcomes all people who show interest in becoming ministers, whether they are religious or not. The church claims to have ordained⁶ more than twenty million ministers online around the world.
　

George Estreich marries Michael Filtz and Mallika Good

One of those people is writer George Estreich of Corvallis, Oregon. Exactly five months ago, he performed his first wedding ceremony. The groom⁷ was Michael Filtz, the younger brother of his wife. The bride was Mallika Good.

Mister Filtz and Miz Good said they thought about asking Mister Estreich to be their officiant early in the planning process. George Estreich was almost fifteen years older than Michael Filtz and they were very close. The bride and groom knew that, as a writer, Mister Estreich would be good with words. So they went online and found the Universal Life Church. They asked Mister Estreich if he would become a Universal Life Church minister and marry them. He agreed.

On the evening of May thirty-first, George Estreich performed the marriage ceremony of Michael Filtz and Mallika Good. It took place in the garden of the Newton White Mansion⁸ in Mitchellville, Maryland. He spoke⁹ to the guests about Mike as a child and about Mike and Mallika as a couple. The two hundred guests enjoyed the ceremony and the party that included cultural traditions of both families.

Electoral College

Our question this week comes from listeners in Italy and Nigeria. Mariella and Idris want to know about the Electoral College. Is it true that this system could elect a president who was not chosen by popular vote?
　

An elector in the state of New York casts her vote in the 2004 presidential election

The answer is yes. It has happened four times. The most recent was in two thousand when George W. Bush was elected to his first term in office as president. Five hundred thousand more Americans voted for Senator¹⁰ Al Gore¹¹ for president. But more electoral votes went to Mister Bush.

This is because forty-eight of the fifty states have a winner-take-all electoral votes policy. The candidate who wins the highest number of popular votes in a state receives all of that state's electoral votes.

The Electoral College is made up of representatives from all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Electors are appointed representatives who promise to vote as the people of the state guide them. Different states have different laws on the appointment of the electors. But political parties often nominate¹² people to recognize their service to their party. In some states, the names of the electors appear on the ballot¹³, below the names of the candidates.

The number of electoral votes in each state equals the number of representatives and senators¹⁴ in Congress from that state. This depends on population. So, states with more people have more electoral votes. In all, there are five hundred thirty-eight electoral votes. To become president, a candidate must win a simple majority, at least two hundred seventy.

Critics of the Electoral College system call it undemocratic, difficult to understand and dangerous to the political system. Supporters say it helps to guarantee the rights of states with small populations. They say it also requires candidates to campaign in many states, not just those with large populations.

There have been hundreds of proposals in Congress to end or reform the Electoral College. But amending¹⁵ the Constitution is a difficult process.

This year the electors will meet in their state capitals on December fifteenth to cast their votes for president of the United States. But we hope to know the answer to that question just hours after voting ends on November fourth.

You can learn more about the presidential candidates and issues on the Special English program This is America on Monday, November third.

Levi Stubbs

HOST:
　

Four Tops, from left: Abdul Fakir, Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo Benson

Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the famous pop singing group, the Four Tops, died earlier this month. He was seventy-two. Barabara Klein tells us about the popular singer who helped define¹⁶ the "Motown" sound and build Motown Records into a hit machine.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN:

The Four Tops released that song, "Baby I Need Your Loving," in nineteen sixty-four. It was the group's first hit on the popular record ratings¹⁷ charts. It was also their first song to sell one million copies.

The group's lead singer was born Levi Stubbles in Detroit, Michigan, in nineteen thirty-six. He and three friends formed a singing group while in high school, called the Four Aims. It was clear early on that Levi with his deep, pure voice would lead the singing.

(MUSIC: "Bernadette")

The group became the Four Tops and signed with Chess Records in nineteen fifty-six. The singers were more interested in jazz music than pop. They left Detroit for New York City. Motown Records leader Berry Gordy saw them perform one night and asked them to join his record company. Many pop hits followed.

Levi Stubbs had suffered health problems following a series of strokes that ended his career in two thousand. We leave you with another Four Tops hit, "Reach Out, I'll Be There."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

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

It was written and produced by Caty Weaver¹⁸. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Send your questions about American life to [email protected]. Please include your full name and mailing address. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A.

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 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 ordination   

n.授任圣职

参考例句：

• His ordination gives him the right to conduct a marriage or a funeral.他的晋升圣职使他有权主持婚礼或葬礼。
• The vatican said the ordination places the city's catholics in a "very delicate and difficult decision."教廷说，这个任命使得这个城市的天主教徒不得不做出“非常棘手和困难的决定”。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

6 ordained   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：

• He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句

7 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

8 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 senator   

n.参议员，评议员

参考例句：

• The senator urged against the adoption of the measure.那参议员极力反对采取这项措施。
• The senator's speech hit at government spending.参议员的讲话批评了政府的开支。

11 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

12 nominate   

vt.提名，推荐，任命

参考例句：

• I nominate Tom to make the tea.我指派汤姆去沏茶。
• The EU would nominate two members to the committee.欧盟将为该委员会指定两名成员。

13 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

14 senators   

n.参议员( senator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When the senators vote, the ayes will have it. 参议员投票时，投赞成票的人将占多数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The committee concluded that the senators had engaged in improper conduct. 委员会断定议员们从事了不正当活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 amending   

改良，修改，修订( amend的现在分词 )； 改良，修改，修订( amend的第三人称单数 )( amends的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Amending acts in 1933,1934, and 1935 attempted to help honest debtors rehabilitate themselves. 一九三三年，一九三四年和一九三五年通过的修正案是为了帮助诚实的债务人恢复自己的地位。
• Two ways were used about the error-amending of contour curve. 采用两种方法对凸轮轮廓曲线进行了修正。

16 define   

vt.解释，下定义，阐述，限定，规定

参考例句：

• Please define the words.请解释这些字的意义。
• It's hard to define exactly what has changed.很难解释清楚到底发生了什么变化。

17 ratings   

n.等级( rating的名词复数 )；收视率；表示电影分级的数字（或字母）；（海军）水兵

参考例句：

• He won high ratings [marks] in all his examinations. 他所有的考试都获得高分。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The boat was operated by two naval ratings in dress whites. 船由两个穿着白色礼服的水兵驾驶。 来自辞典例句

18 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。