VOA标准英语2012--Glass Art Evokes World's Natural Wonders

Glass Art Evokes¹ World's Natural Wonders

 

Glass artist Josh Simpson's fascination² with the natural wonders of the universe is evident in his intricate platters, which resemble galaxies³, as well as his one-of-a-kind planet-like spheres.

“All of my work has something to do with the perspective of either standing⁴ on Earth and looking up at the sky, or being in the sky and looking down at an earth-like planet or even a more fanciful little planet,” he says. 

Smithsonian Craft Show 

Like many U.S. artists, the Massachusetts-based Simpson exhibits at craft shows. His favorite is the most prestigious⁵ one of all, the Smithsonian Craft Show, which takes place each year in Washington.

However, gaining admittance to the Smithsonian craft show is a challenge. Out of 1,200 applicants⁶, only about 120 artisans - representing everything from ceramics⁷, glass, metal, furniture, wood and wearable art and jewelry⁸ - are selected each year. 

While Simpson has been applying for 30 years, this is only the third time he’s been accepted into the show. 

“It’s probably easier to get into Harvard than it is to be accepted into this show,” he says.

Getting there

Then there is the challenge of getting there.

Forty-eight hours before opening night, Simpson’s brother, Kim, drove eight hours from the artist’s home in Massachusetts to Washington’s National Building Museum and began unloading the glass objects.

The brothers spent the next day unpacking⁹ and setting up their booth. 

“I actually like this sort of an event because I get immediate¹⁰ feedback from people who walk by my exhibit space," Simpson says, "…and I can get a nice response from people usually, and that’s very good for me as an artist.”

Craft shows like the Smithsonian are also a great place to meet potential buyers. 

“For me, my art is the actual glass…but with each piece of glass that you purchase," says Simpson, "you also get me."

Simpson hopes his art serves as a source of inspiration.

“I hope it evokes some of the excitement and the thrill that I’ve gotten seeing Hubble Space Telescope images.”

Celestial¹¹ inspiration

Simpson's wife, astronaut Cady Coleman, after returning from the International Space Station in May 2011. 

Simpson himself is inspired by his wife, Cady Coleman, an astronaut with NASA who has traveled into space three times. 

While Simpson had been making glass planets long before he met Coleman, their shared interest in outer space has enhanced his work.

“She brought back thousands of pictures and those pictures help inform what I do," says Simpson.

Kathleen White Koehrsen, a volunteer at the Smithsonian show, fell in love with one of Simpson’s creations 

“When I saw his pieces, I was drawn¹² to them, particularly his blues¹³ because they’re so bright and they pull you into the complexity¹⁴ of the glass,” she says. 

Despite the odds¹⁵, Simpson hopes to be back again next year. “I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed that I’ll get in.”

1 evokes   

产生，引起，唤起( evoke的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• Each type evokes antibodies which protect against the homologous. 每一种类型都能产生抗同种病毒的抗体。

2 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

3 galaxies   

星系( galaxy的名词复数 )； 银河系； 一群（杰出或著名的人物）

参考例句：

• Quasars are the highly energetic cores of distant galaxies. 类星体是遥远星系的极为活跃的核心体。
• We still don't know how many galaxies there are in the universe. 我们还不知道宇宙中有多少个星系。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

6 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

7 ceramics   

n.制陶业；陶器

参考例句：

• an exhibition of ceramics by Picasso 毕加索陶瓷作品展
• The ceramics bore the imprint of Luca della Robbia. 陶器上印有卢卡·德拉·罗比亚的字样。

8 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

9 unpacking   

n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等）

参考例句：

• Joe sat on the bed while Martin was unpacking. 马丁打开箱子取东西的时候，乔坐在床上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They are unpacking a trunk. 他们正在打开衣箱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 celestial   

adj.天体的；天上的

参考例句：

• The rosy light yet beamed like a celestial dawn.玫瑰色的红光依然象天上的朝霞一样绚丽。
• Gravity governs the motions of celestial bodies.万有引力控制着天体的运动。

12 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

13 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

14 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

15 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？