VOA标准英语2010年-Protesters Attack British Art Gallerie

Campaigners dressed as mock clean-up crew called the 'Greenwash Guerrillas' gather outside the National Portrait Gallery in London, 22 Jun 2010

Artists and environmental protesters have joined forces to attack British art galleries and museums over their acceptance of sponsorship from oil giant BP. The huge oil spill in the Gulf¹ of Mexico - following an accident at a BP rig - has thrown the spotlight² on the company's attempts to create a positive public image. But , with government funding for the arts facing big cuts, many art-lovers are also grateful for the support the oil company provides.

 It's summer in London and the city is buzzing as millions of tourists come to visit. At nearly every one of the major attractions - from the Tate Modern and National Portrait galleries, to the British Museum, and the Royal Opera House, there's one corporate³ logo displayed alongside the exhibitions - the green and yellow flower of oil giant BP. The company spends millions of dollars on sponsoring the arts to generate positive public relations.

Tarnished⁵ image

But the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, following an explosion at a BP rig, has tarnished that image. It has prompted attacks from artists and environmentalists, over the relationship between art and the oil industry in Britain.

"We're now in a time of climate crisis," said artist John Jordan who has helped coordinate⁶ the anti-BP campaign. "We need to look at these companies and go, 'Hang on, do we want a culture that supports these companies, or do we want something else? Do we want art that is supporting other kinds of culture?' This is a perfect time to re-think all these questions and to stop taking this absolutely foul⁷, dirty money."

The demonstrations⁸ have been eye-catching. During an event at the Tate Modern gallery to mark 20 years of BP sponsorship, protesters spread oil and feathers across the entrance just before the VIP guests turned up.

At the Tate Modern Gallery, they released black helium-filled balloons with dead fish attached to them. Gallery staff were forced to shoot down the balloons with air rifles.

And demonstrators poured oil-filled eggs onto a BP-sponsored Easter Island exhibition at the British Museum.

Art sponsorship

In a joint⁹ statement, the galleries and museums defended the BP sponsorship deal, saying, "We are grateful to BP for their long-term commitment, sharing the vision that our artistic¹⁰ programs should be made available to the widest possible audience."

With Britain's economy barely out of recession, government spending on arts and culture faces a cut of up to 25 percent. Alan Davey is the Chief Executive of Arts Council England which allocates¹¹ government money.

"The protesters were in one respect being a little na?ve because in this country we do depend on corporate giving and individual giving as part of the mix and we don't just survive on government funding alone," said Alan Davey. "So I think we need to be realistic that we're grateful for corporate funding and we should seek it wherever we can get it."

Public opinion

Next to the River Thames in London stands the vast brick Tate Modern gallery, converted from a former power station. Our reporter asked some of the visitors what they thought of BP's sponsorship.

"Part of me thinks it's nice the big corporations are giving money to the arts and I don't know if they pulled all the BP funding whether things like the Tate would be able to continue if they do," said one.

"BP are a pretty grim company aren't they? It's not just the oil spill," said another. "There's the tar⁴ sands in Canada under investigation¹². They seem to be an all-round horrible company."

"I think BP is a good company which is being unfairly hounded and I welcome the fact that they are still sponsoring these organizations," was another opinion.

Britain's galleries and museums say they need sponsorship to continue to offer free entry and a wide range of exhibitions. But environmentalists say they will continue protesting until the galleries stop taking what they insist is '"dirty money".
 

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

5 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

6 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

7 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

8 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

11 allocates   

分配，分派( allocate的第三人称单数 )； 把…拨给

参考例句：

• The state allocates huge funds for the development of aid-agriculture industries. 国家拨出大批资金，发展支农工业。
• The value that then I create value allocates part to discuss. 于是我把价值创造的价值分配分别开来论述。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。