VOA慢速英语 2008 0328b

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Wyclef Jean Mixes Hip-Hop, Reggae and World Music in New 'Carnival²'
Also: A question from Laos about the national anthem³. And a report on award-winning writer Junot Diaz. Transcript⁴ of radio broadcast:
27 March 2008

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

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

New music from Wyclef Jean …

A question from Laos about the national anthem …

And a report on the award-winning fiction writer Junot Diaz.

(MUSIC)

Junot Diaz

HOST:

Junot Diaz is an American writer who was born in the Dominican Republic. He immigrated⁵ to the United States with his family when he was six years old. Several critics listed his latest book, “The Brief Wondrous⁶ Life of Oscar Wao,” as one of the best books of last year. This month it won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. The book tells the story of Oscar de Leon, his family, and their Dominican roots. But the book is also about language, popular culture and the role of history in a family’s life. Faith Lapidus has more.

FAITH LAPIDUS:
　

Junot Diaz

The hero of “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” is a fat, smart and lonely young man who spends his time writing science fiction stories. Oscar’s sister Lola and her boyfriend tell the story of Oscar and his family. You learn about Abelard Cabral, Oscar’s grandfather whose life is destroyed because he opposed the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. You learn about Oscar’s mother Belicia who moves to the United States after a painful love affair. And you learn about the life of Oscar and Lola as they grow up in the Hispanic neighborhoods near New York City.

One critic said this book establishes Junot Diaz as one of the most important voices in current literature. Diaz's writing is funny, intense and imaginative. It is also informative⁷ because he describes historic events in the Dominican Republic. He includes many Spanish words in the book to express the cultural ties of his characters. Here is a recording⁸ of Junot Diaz talking about the effect of using a language that some readers will not understand. He spoke⁹ at the Key West Literary Seminar in Florida in January.

JUNOT DIAZ: “There’s always a part of every message that gets lost and misinterpreted and not heard. The dream of perfect communication is a wonderful dream. It doesn’t exist. And unintelligibility¹⁰ is not a misfire of language, it’s a very vital and important component¹¹ of it. And I always thought that in real life we have no problems with unintelligibility. You know, we’re more than happy not to hear ten, to fifteen or twenty percent of conversations and we sort of accept it. But in a book it becomes a different matter, right?”

Junot Diaz teaches writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. His first book, “Drown,” was published in nineteen ninety-six. In this collection of stories, Diaz tells about the experiences of Dominican Americans like himself. He has said that even though he has lived in the United States most of his life, he still feels like an outsider. He says his children might feel American. But he says he is an immigrant and will stay an immigrant forever.

(MUSIC)

Star-Spangled Banner

HOST:

Our question this week comes from Laos. A VOA listener named Davanh wants to know more about the national anthem.
　

Francis Scott Key

We begin our explanation in eighteen fourteen, during the second war between America and Britain. A young American lawyer and poet, Francis Scott Key, was being held on a British ship in the Chesapeake Bay. He had gone aboard the ship to negotiate the release of a doctor from Maryland who had been arrested by British forces.

But during the negotiations¹², Francis Scott Key had learned of some British military plans. So the British refused to free him until after they carried out their plan to attack Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.

The attack began the morning of September thirteenth. Francis Scott Key watched the shells and rockets fall on Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.

The American doctor detained on the ship also watched the fighting. He kept asking Francis Scott Key if the Stars and Stripes, the American flag, still flew over the fort. The doctor had difficulty seeing it for himself. The lawyer and poet could see the flag, until darkness fell. The attack went on through the night.

At sunrise the next morning, Francis Scott Key saw the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry. That sight, and the battle that came before it, led him to take an old letter from his pocket. On it he wrote a poem about what he had seen. He called it "The Defence of Fort McHenry."

After his release on September sixteenth, Francis Scott Key worked on the poem some more. His final version was published a short time later. Key had called for it to be sung to the tune¹³ of the "Anacreontic Song." The Anacreontic Society was a group of amateur musicians in London.

Later a music store published the words and music under the name “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Congress passed a bill declaring it the national anthem in nineteen thirty-one. President Herbert Hoover signed the bill into law.

The Library of Congress says there is strong evidence that the members of the Anacreontic Society liked to drink. But it says there is little basis to the belief that the national anthem was an old English drinking song.

(MUSIC)

Wyclef Jean

HOST:

Wyclef Jean is a singer, musician, producer and activist¹⁴ who has been making music for twenty years. His latest album is called "Carnival Volume II: Memoirs¹⁵ of an Immigrant." The first album, "The Carnival," came out ten years ago. "Carnival II" combines hip-hop, reggae and world music, and also includes guest performers. Mario Ritter has more.

(MUSIC)

MARIO RITTER:
　

Wyclef Jean

That was "Hollywood Meets Bollywood," Wyclef Jean with the rapper Chamillionaire. The song is a good example of how Wyclef Jean likes to mix musical styles from different cultures.

He started singing at the age of three in his father’s church in Haiti. An album his father gave him by the Christian¹⁶ groups Petra and Stryper was Wyclef’s introduction to rock music.

Twenty years ago he joined the Fugees. The band became popular in the nineteen nineties with hits like their remake of “Killing Me Softly.” In nineteen ninety-seven, Wyclef Jean left the Fugees to make records on his own.

One singer he has worked with is the Colombian-born Shakira. Here is their latest song, “King and Queen.”

(MUSIC)

Wyclef Jean is also known for his social activism. In two thousand five he formed Yele Haiti. This group works to bring the arts to poor communities there, and to provide food, medicine and educational programs.

We leave you with Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige, and a song about the struggles of a divorced father who wants to see his daughter. From "Carnival Volume II," here is "What About the Baby."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

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

It was written by Dana Demange and Caty Weaver¹⁷, who was also the producer. 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 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

3 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

6 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

7 informative   

adj.提供资料的，增进知识的

参考例句：

• The adverts are not very informative.这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。
• This intriguing book is both thoughtful and informative.这本引人入胜的书既有思想性又富知识性。

8 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

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 unintelligibility   

不可懂度，不清晰性

参考例句：

• Thus, they argue: "'Unintelligibility' resulting from faithfulness is worse than faithlessness that makes translation 'intelligible'." 故此主张“与其忠实而使人看不懂，毋宁不很忠实而看得懂。” 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

11 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

14 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

15 memoirs   

n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)

参考例句：

• Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。
• I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

17 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。