高中英语 第二部分 VOA慢速英语《美国万花筒》第19课（文本）素材

高中英语第二部分 VOA慢速英语《美国万花筒》第19课（文本）
素材
英语翻议讲解：
1.curator n.管理者,管理人,图书馆馆长
例句：The curator conducted us round the museum. 馆长带领我们在博物馆各处参观。

Our curator is an expert on the research of bronzeware. 我们馆长是研究青铜器的专家。

2.unusual adj.罕有的, 异乎寻常的
例句：It was an unusual day for summer, damp and chilly. 这是夏季少有的一天, 又湿又凉。

The boy's unusual behaviour puzzled the doctor. 这男孩的异常行为使医生困惑不解。

3.album n.（唱片或盒式磁带等上的）音乐专辑，歌曲专辑；歌集唱片，唱片
例句：Will you look over his album? 你要不要去看看他的歌集唱片?
4.fame n.名声, 名望
例句：Her chief fame rests on her several films. 她的名声主要来自她的几部影片。

She is a woman of ill fame. 她是个名声不好的女人。

5.alternative adj.两者择一的, 供替代的
例句：We returned by the alternative road. 我们从另一条路回来的。

不寻常的, 非传统性的
例句：These are alternative medicine. 这些是非传统性药物。

6.beneath prep.在…的下方, 在…的底下
例句：They sheltered beneath their umbrellas. 他们躲到了伞下。

1.He said studying this jewel will help scientists learn more about diamonds in general.
in general一般而言, 总的来说, 从总体上看
例句：The class are, in general, very bright. 总的说来, 这个班级的学生都很聪明。

2.Many names of American states and cities are based on Native American languages. be bas ed on根据，以…为基础
例句：Our figures are Based on projections for the next year. 我们的数字是根据明年的计划算出来的。

3.And Louisiana is named in honor of King Louis the Fourteenth of France.
in honor of为了向…表示敬意
例句：A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests. 宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

4.And you might decide you would rather live in Happy, Texas than in Hell, Michigan. would rather than宁愿,与其…不如…
例句：He would suffer death rather than betray the secret. 他宁死也不肯泄露机密。

英语听力原文：
HOST:Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.(MUSIC)I'm Bob Doughty.This week on our program... we play new music from singer/songwriter Mike Doughty ...And, answer a question about names of American towns, cities and states.But first, some news about one of the most famous jewels in the world.The Hope Diamond is one of the largest and most famous jewels in the world. For fifty years, it has been in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. To mark this anniversary, the museum is showing the forty-f ive carat blue diamond for the first time without its usual setting. Visitors can now see the Hope Diamond in all its natural beauty. Barbara Klein has more.BARBARA KLEIN:The Hope Diamond has a long and rich history. It was formed over a billion years ago far beneath the Earth's surface. Its rare blue color comes from small amounts of the element boron. The stone was discovered in a mine in India during the seventeenth century. It was more than one hundred carats in weight. In sixteen sixty-eight, the stone was sold to the ruler of France, King Louis the Fourteenth.The Hope DiamondA few years later, the king's jeweler recut the stone to a weight of about sixty-seven carats. The stone was later lost during the French Revolution. A recut version of this blue diamond later reappeared in England.Different families and jewelry experts have owned the stone over the years. The diamond received its name from one of its nineteenth century owners, Henry Phillip Hope. A wealthy American woman named Evalyn Walsh McLean bought the Hope Diamond in nineteen eleven. During her ownership the stone was placed in a setting surrounded by sixteen small white diamonds on a long diamond st month, the Smithsonian removed the Hope Diamond from this setting. Visitors can see the diamond all by itself, in all its sparkling blue glory. In April, the Hope Diamond will temporarily be placed in a new necklace before returning to its original setting. Also in April, the Smithsonian will release a new movie about the diamond's history.The Hope Diamond is one of the most visited objects in the museum. Museum organizers say they wanted people to be able to see the famous stone in a new way.Jeffrey Post is the curator of the museum's gem and mineral c ollection. He says seeing the Hope Diamond out of it s settin g also allows experts to study the rare stone. He said studying this jewel will help scientists learn more about diamonds in general.A sign for Hell, MichiganOur question this week comes from China. Li Wei wants to know why some American cities and states have the same name. For example, there is a New York City and a New York State. The same is true of the West Coast state of Washington and the East Coast city of Washington, D.C. And, there are more than ten other cities named Washington. They include those in Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.It is quite common for cities to have the same name s as states. For example, there is a California, Maryland and an Iowa, Louisiana. There is a Florida, New Yo rk and a Kansas, Alabama.Many names of American states a nd cities are based on Native American languages.For example, the state of Alabama was named after a local Indian tribe called the the Alibamu. The word means "thicket clearers" or "herb gatherers." The state of Illinois comes from the Algonquian tribal word Illiniwek. It means "tribe
of superior men." The states of North and South Dakota were both named for a group of Sioux Indians called Dakota. The word means "allies" or "friends."Many American states are named after historic people. Georgia is the feminine Latin form of George and is named after King George the Second of Great Britain. Maryland was named after Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles the First of England. And Louisiana is named in honor of King Louis the Fourteenth of France.But some names of cities and towns are unusual. Like Big Ugly, West Virginia and Idiotville, Oregon. Also, Sweet Lips, Tennessee and Kissimmee, Florida. There is Celebration in Florida and Santa Claus in Indiana. You could surely get something to drink in Hot Coffee, Mississippi. If you like animals, you might want to visit Monkey's Eyebrow, Arizona or Toad Suck, Arkansas, but not Deadhorse, Alaska. And you might decide you would rather live in Happy, Texas than in Hell, Michigan.Mike Doughty's new albumSinger and songwriter Mike Doughty keeps it simple on his new CD "Sad Man Happy Man." The CD is free of the fancy production tricks common to many studio albums. Instead, you can hear Mike Doughty's unusual voice and his excellent guitar playing. Faith Lapidus has more.FAITH LAPIDUS:"Diane" is one of thirteen songs on Mike Doughty's new CD. Doughty rose to fame in the nineteen nineties as the lead singer of the band Soul Coughing. The band was known for its unusual mix of music styles, from alternative rock, to hip hop, to jazz and electronics. Mike Doughty was known for his ability to string words together in a skillfully artistic and funny way. He is a poet, rapper and singer, which you can hear on the song "You Should Be Doubly Gratified."Mike Doughty's skill with words comes as no surprise. He is a published poet and playwright. He is currently writing his life story.In addition to guitar, Doughty plays keyboards on the new album and did all of the drum programming. Music partner Andrew "Scrap" Livingston added the cello and bass. Some critics are calling "Sad Man Happy Man" Mike Doughty's best work to date. We leave you with the song "When I Box the Days Up."I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by Dana Demange and June Simms. Caty Weaver was the producer. For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to . You can also comment on our programs.Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to [email=mosaic@%20]m osaic@ [/email] and we may answer it on this show.Join us again next week for AMERICAN M OSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.。