VOA慢速英语2012 AMERICAN MOSAIC - Some Tractors; Some Comments; Some Singles

 

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Some Tractors; Some Comments; Some Singles

PAT BODNER: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I’m Pat Bodner. This week, we explore music from a band that’s been gone a while, a band that’s been popular for a long while and a musician who has recently changed his style and his name.

We also read some of your recent comments.

But first, we head south to a very loud competition you may be hearing about for the first time.

(MUSIC)

Tractor Pulling

PAT BODNER: Tractor pulling began as a simple competition in rural areas. Farmers would compete to see whose horses or tractors were the most powerful and could pull the heaviest load. 

The popularity of tractor pulling competition grew and so did events that featured it. Now, the sport can be found around much of the country. Christopher Cruise tells us about the yearly tractor pull in Chapel² Hill, Tennessee.

(SOUND)

CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Chapel Hill held its first tractor pull in nineteen seventy-six. Now the national competition called “Pull of the South,” takes place every July. 

Here’s how it works. People transport their tractors and other pullers to Chapel Hill in large trucks. The competition vehicles do not look like tractors you might find plowing³ farm fields across America. These vehicles are marked with colorful designs and often the name of the owner or company sponsor. Thousands of people come from across the United States to attend the competition. 

The competition begins when the tractors line up at the start of a one hundred meter track. Long sled devices are attached to the tractors. The sleds are then weighted with loads up to twenty-nine thousand kilograms.

The tractors start up their engines. They run on alcohol fuel. As the tractors move, their loads slide from the back to the front of the sled. This adds to the difficulty of the pull. 

The driver who makes the longest pull wins the competition. 

The engines of these tractors are extremely loud. In fact, many in the audience use devices like ear plugs to protect their hearing.

(SOUND)

After the competition ends, and the engines are quiet, some fans describe tell us why they love the event.

FAN ONE: “The first time I came was last year and I was pretty blown away. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

FAN TWO: “I’ve been coming to this since nineteen-seventy-seven. I hate to miss one.”

FAN THREE: “We love to the smoke roll up in the sky. I mean, it’s, it’s power.”

Tractor pull competitions do not make for huge prize earnings⁴. But, team owners spend huge amounts to keep their crews and equipment competitive.

Puller Jim Martell explains.

JIM MARTELL: “Well, these tractors here are upwards⁵ of two hundred fifty to three hundred thousand dollars a piece. And, on any given night the most that we can pull for is two thousand dollars. So, it’s actually not a money-making deal. It’s basically trying to get your money back and just, kind of, stay even with it.”

Wealthy business owners or famers with large corporations support most tractor pulling teams. They like that the tractors carry their names in front of large audiences. Jim Martell says the pulling community is a closely tied community.

JIM MARTELL: “The camaraderie⁶ with the fans, and the other pullers, it’s one big family.”

The tractor pulling season will soon come to an end. One of the last major competitions takes place August seventeenth in Bowling⁷ Green, Ohio. However, pulling has become a worldwide sport. In September, a European championship will be held in Fuchtorf, Germany. 

(MUSIC)

Comments

FAITH LAPIDUS: And now we take a look at a few of your comments about some of our recent stories.

Last month, Steve Ember told about the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera. He remembered getting his first as a boy and it changed his life forever. He remains⁸ an enthusiastic photographer.

A listener in south India wrote to say he found the report “amazingly enjoyable.” He said, VOA has made it possible for us to lead a journey to our childhood through the camera. He added that he thinks history is best understood through photographs. Hail to the camera, he wrote.

Also last month we reported about some older Americans who were singing to improve their health. Jadwinga from Poland liked this idea. Jadwinga wrote I think it is nice and a good idea to work with old people. The program of singing and performing together makes them happier, healthier and more necessary.

Finally, Jean wrote to use about recent stories about fighter Mike Tyson and an Olympic boxing hopeful Rau’shee Warren. Jean considers as heroes all the athletes who struggle to be in the Olympics. It’s not easy to do well especially under unimaginable pressure. And Jean noted⁹ the difficulties that can come when athletes win. When they succeed, huge wealth comes to them. So do different kinds of challenges. Boxer¹⁰ Mike Tyson is a good example. It’s even harder not to get lost.”

Thanks to all of you for your comments. And, please, keep them coming. To do so, visit our website at www.voanews.cn. We want to hear what you think of all our programs.

(MUSIC)

Some Singles

PAT BODNER: Some performers go away for a while, others never go out of style and then there are those who like the element of surprise. This week we listen to some new releases from artists who fit all these descriptions. Here’s Barbara Klein.

BARBARA KLEIN: It has been eleven years since No Doubt has released a new album. Lead singer Gwen Stefani began recording¹¹ alone several years ago. Other band members also worked on solo projects.

But No Doubt re-grouped in two thousand eight. A new CD “Push and Shove” will come out next month. A single from the album was released last month and is currently on Billboard¹² Magazine’s Hot One Hundred List. It’s called “Settle Down.”

(MUSIC)

Hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg has changed his name for a new album he is working on. He has told reporters that he had to re-invent himself for his new sound: reggae. So, Snoop Dogg went to Jamaica this year and came back Snoop Lion.

His reggae album, “Reincarnated” is expected out sometime in autumn. A film about his experience in Jamaica is also in production.

Snoop Lion’s first single is “La La La.”

(MUSIC)

Robin¹³, Maurice and Barry Gibb formed the British band the Bee Gees¹⁵ in the nineteen fifties. But their greatest fame came in the late nineteen seventies with the release of the soundtrack to the movie “Saturday Night Fever.”

Now, Barry Gibb is the only surviving Bee Gee¹⁴. Maurice died in two thousand three and Robin died in April. But the Bee Gees are still popular. In August, a Bee Gees recording from two thousand four re-entered Billboard’s top two hundred albums chart. The greatest hits album is called “Number Ones,” and includes the nineteen seventy-seven song, “More Than A Woman.”

(MUSIC)

PAT BODNER: I’m Pat Bodner. This program was written Kim Varzi and Caty Weaver¹⁶, who was also the producer. Mike Osbourne provided additional reporting.

Go to www.voanews.cn to find transcripts¹⁷ and MP3s of our programs.

Join us again next week for music and more on AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA 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 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

3 plowing   

v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• "There are things more important now than plowing, Sugar. "如今有比耕种更重要的事情要做呀，宝贝儿。 来自飘（部分）
• Since his wife's death, he has been plowing a lonely furrow. 从他妻子死后，他一直过着孤独的生活。 来自辞典例句

4 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

5 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

6 camaraderie   

n.同志之爱，友情

参考例句：

• The camaraderie among fellow employees made the tedious work just bearable.同事之间的情谊使枯燥乏味的工作变得还能忍受。
• Some bosses are formal and have occasional interactions,while others prefer continual camaraderie.有些老板很刻板，偶尔才和下属互动一下；有些则喜欢和下属打成一片。

7 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

11 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。

12 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

13 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

14 gee   

n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转

参考例句：

• Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
• Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

15 gees   

n.（美俚）一千元（gee的复数形式）v.驭马快走或向右（gee的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• When the lunch bell rang, she peeled the gees and ate them. 中午吃饭铃响时她就剥开鸡蛋吃起来。 来自互联网
• How do you want you gees? 你要怎么样的蛋呢？ 来自互联网

16 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。

17 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句