VOA慢速英语2009年-PEOPLE IN AMERICA - Remembering Six In

VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Shirley Griffith with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today we remember six interesting people who died in the past year. We begin with two writers.

VOICE ONE:

John Updike

John Updike once said that people read fiction because it makes them feel less lonely about being a human being. This writer is best known for his novels about the private lives of small-town, middle class Americans. He wrote in a way that was extremely detailed¹, honest and direct. Over his long career, Updike wrote over fifty books including stories, poetry and essays. The nineteen sixty-eight bestseller “Couples” is about the unfaithful relations of several married couples. The sexual openness of the story was revolutionary at that time.

One of Updike’s most famous series is about a man named Harry² “Rabbit” Angstrom. The books are “Rabbit, Run”, “Rabbit Redux”, “Rabbit is Rich” and “Rabbit at Rest.” They tell about the successes, failures and desires of one man throughout his life. Other works include “The Witches of Eastwick”, “Brazil”, and “The Centaur³.”

Over his career Mister Updike won two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Book Awards. He died in January at the age of seventy-six.

Frank McCourt

FRANK MCCOURT: “When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable⁴ childhood. The happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood. And worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.”

VOICE TWO:

That was Frank McCourt reading the opening lines of his book “Angela’s Ashes”, released in nineteen ninety-six. The Pulitzer Prize winning book tells about his difficult childhood growing up in Ireland. His mother struggled to raise her many children after his father left the family. Frank McCourt tells the story in a way that is expressive⁵, warm and light-hearted.

Frank McCourt left Ireland at the age of nineteen to return to New York City where he was born. He earned a degree in English education and taught creative writing for nearly thirty years. After retiring in nineteen eighty-seven, he decided⁶ to write about his childhood. “Angela’s Ashes” became a huge success and was later made into a movie. Frank McCourt wrote two more books about his life, “’Tis” and “Teacher Man.” He died in July of cancer. He was seventy-eight.

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VOICE ONE:

Farrah Fawcett

For many people, Farrah Fawcett was the face, body and hair of the nineteen seventies. She had a big, bright smile and long, flowing, golden hair. Ms. Fawcett began her career appearing in television commercials for products to make hair and teeth beautiful.

She became internationally famous in nineteen seventy-six for her role on the television series “Charlie’s Angels.” Soon, women around the world were copying her special hairstyle.

Farrah Fawcett spent much of her career working hard to prove that she was more than just a pretty face. She accepted difficult roles in serious television movies. In the nineteen eighties, her performances in “The Burning Bed” and “Small Sacrifices” earned her Emmy Award nominations⁷.

VOICE TWO:

Farrah Fawcett often received more attention for her troubled private life than for her work as an actress. Her son, Redmond O’Neal, was jailed for drug use. In nineteen ninety-five at the age of fifty, she received a great deal of attention for being photographed without clothes in a magazine.

In two thousand six, Farrah Fawcett learned she had cancer. She used her fame to raise awareness⁸ about the disease. She used a video camera to document her battle. The recordings⁹ were made into a television program called “Farrah’s Story.” She died in June at the age of sixty-two.

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VOICE ONE:

John Hope Franklin

John Hope Franklin was a respected historian and social activist¹⁰. He wrote about race and the struggles of black Americans. His book, “From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African- Americans,” was first published in nineteen forty-seven. It is widely considered the leading book on the subject.

Mister Franklin grew up in the state of Oklahoma where his father was a lawyer. His family experienced the terrible reality of hatred¹¹ and discrimination when he was a young boy. His father’s property was destroyed during the race riots in Tulsa in nineteen twenty-one. Events like this one shaped how Mister Franklin would later work to fight racism¹².

VOICE TWO:

John Hope Franklin studied first at Fisk University then at Harvard University, where he earned master’s and doctorate¹³ degrees. His careful research helped the lawyer Thurgood Marshall win a historic case in nineteen fifty-four. The Supreme¹⁴ Court decision in Brown versus¹⁵ the Board of Education made racial separation illegal in schools.

Mister Franklin accepted a teaching position at Brooklyn College in New York.He became the first African-American to lead a history department at a mostly white college. He later taught at top universities including Duke, Harvard and the University of Chicago.

His other publications include “The Emancipation¹⁶ Proclamation” and “Reconstruction after the Civil War.” In his book “The Color Line”, he wrote that the problem of race has been part of America since its creation. And, he said it remains¹⁷ the most tragic¹⁸ social problem in the country’s history.

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VOICE ONE:

Abe Pollin

Abe Pollin was a property developer best known for his love of sports. He brought professional basketball and hockey to his hometown of Washington, D.C. He also donated millions of dollars to help others.

Abe Pollin began his career working for his family’s building business. The company made a great deal of money buying land and building houses after World War Two. Mister Pollin later started his own business developing large apartment buildings.

He named the Linda Pollin Memorial Housing Project after one of his two children who died of heart disease. This apartment building was in an African-American neighborhood. Its large rooms and affordable¹⁹ rent gave middle class black people a new kind of housing opportunity in the nineteen sixties.

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen sixty-four Abe Pollin bought a failing basketball team from Baltimore, Maryland and brought it to his hometown. He named it the Washington Bullets, now called the Washington Wizards. He also built a sports center in Landover, Maryland for this team and the hockey team he owned called the Washington Capitals. In the nineteen nineties, Mister Pollin used his own money to build another sports center in downtown Washington. The sports arena²⁰, now called Verizon Center, brought new life to this area of the city.

Abe Pollin gave money to many causes including the United Nations Children’s Fund and research for children’s medicine. He died in November at the age of eighty-five. He was days away from starting to build a large new affordable housing project in his beloved city of Washington.

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VOICE ONE:

Mary Travers

Mary Travers was a folk singer who performed with the group Peter, Paul and Mary. The other members were Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey.The group was extremely popular in the nineteen sixties. Some of their hit songs include “500 Miles”, “Puff the Magic Dragon” and “If I Had a Hammer.” Their singing style was very direct and emotional.

The three were very open about their political beliefs. This was unusual for such a mainstream²¹, commercial group. Mary Travers was a strong supporter of the civil rights and anti-war movements of the nineteen sixties. Many other successful music groups during this period avoided making political statements.

VOICE TWO:

Peter, Paul and Mary often performed at demonstrations²² and political gatherings²³. In nineteen sixty-five, they took part in marches in Alabama to support voting rights for African-Americans.

Miz Travers did not intend to become a professional singer. Folk singing was something she did for fun. Her fear of appearing in public made performing difficult. But, a music industry expert thought she would be a good fit with the trio he was organizing.

Peter, Paul, and Mary stopped singing together in nineteen seventy. Mary Travers continued performing and making records on her own. Sometimes the trio would reunite, often for performances that brought attention to political issues. Mary Travers died in September at the age of seventy-two.Paul Stookey published a message on her Web site after her death. It said he was honored beyond his wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and her career.

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VOICE ONE:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Shirley Griffith. You can learn about other famous Americans on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English.

 

1 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 centaur   

n.人首马身的怪物

参考例句：

• His face reminded me somehow of a centaur.他的脸使我想起半人半马的怪物。
• No wonder he had soon been hustled away to centaur school.也难怪父母匆匆忙忙就把他送到了半人马学校。

4 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

5 expressive   

adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的

参考例句：

• Black English can be more expressive than standard English.黑人所使用的英语可能比正式英语更有表现力。
• He had a mobile,expressive,animated face.他有一张多变的，富于表情的，生动活泼的脸。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

8 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

9 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

10 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。

11 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

12 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

13 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

14 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

15 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

16 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 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。

18 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

19 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

20 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

21 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

22 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。

23 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。