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VOA慢速英语2011--Cohousing Community Offers Washington Homeowners Modern Village Living

时间:2011-10-24 06:03:19

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THIS IS AMERICA - Cohousing Community Offers Washington Homeowners Modern Village Living

 

BARBARA KLEIN: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I’m Barbara Klein.

STEVE EMBER: And I’m Steve Ember. This week on our program, we visit a small community built on the idea known as cohousing. We also hear from the nation's new poet laureate. And we look at interfaith marriage in the United States.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: There are more than one hundred fifty cohousing communities across the United States. One of them is Takoma Village Cohousing here in Washington. The development has forty-three units of attached housing, in buildings grouped around a shared open space. About sixty adults and twenty-two children currently1 live there.

The units are individually owned. The residents share a common building with a children's playroom, study room and laundry machines. It also has a kitchen and a large area where the residents eat meals together several times a week.

Sharon Villines was one of the first people to move into Takoma Village Cohousing when it opened in two thousand.

Phillip Levine

SHARON VILLINES: “What I like most is I know all my neighbors. It’s just like this big, extended family."

STEVE EMBER: In some ways it seems like an old-fashioned village where everyone knows everyone else.

SHARON VILLINES: “There is a Monday night group that consists of thirty, forty people. Two or three people would cook each week and serve other people. We have lots of potlucks, where people bring things. That works very well.”

The residents are from different generations and ethnic2 groups.

ABE HUSSEIN: "For me, the most important advantage for cohousing is diversity.”

Abe Hussein and his wife moved to Takoma Village six years ago. They used to live in New York state in a house with four bedrooms and even a swimming pool indoors.

ABE HUSSEIN: “One good thing about cohousing is it’s also a great place for raising kids. The children here, they don’t have any strangers because they see their neighbors every day or every week.”

BARBARA KLEIN: Ann Zabaldo also lives in Takoma Village.

ANN ZABALDO: “We have a group of about four or five people who as part of what we call work share, or their part of the contribution to the community is every two weeks they clean the common house. We have a specific person who cleans the bathrooms, and, in between, people are expected to pick up after themselves when they use the common house.”

Neighbors shape life inside their community through their imagination and participation3. But Abe Hussein says not everyone seems interested in sharing the work.

ABE HUSSEIN: “One of the areas I have a lot of troubles with is work share. The assumption4 here is that everyone will do some work, and most of the people do, but there are a few people who don’t.”

STEVE EMBER: Charles Durrett and his wife, Kathryn McCamant, helped bring the idea of cohousing to the United States.

KATHRYN McCAMANT: "My husband and I were young architects studying in Denmark when we came across this idea. It really intrigued5 us both on a personal and a professional level."

They wrote about it in a nineteen eighty-eight book called "Cohousing." They recently published a second book, "Creating Cohousing."

KATHRYN McCAMANT: “It’s the oldest idea about how people lived together. I think what we did was sort of take the Danish model and adapt it to an American model, to our crazy, modern twenty-first century lives.”

BARBARA KLEIN: Kathryn McCamant says cohousing is about creating a better quality of life. She says cohousing also makes sense for economic and environmental reasons.

KATHRYN McCAMANT: “We have chosen to live in smaller houses with more community facilities and very energy-efficient houses. We live more sustainably, we use less of the earth resources, less energy and drive less.”

(MUSIC)

STEVE EMBER: America’s new poet laureate is Philip Levine. He is eighty-three years old and was born in Detroit, Michigan. Many of his poems celebrate the nation's industrial past and the struggle of working people. He was a factory worker in Detroit in the nineteen forties and fifties.

US Poet Laureate Philip Levine draws on his own past as a factory worker in his poems.

PHILIP LEVINE: “I remember when I worked at General Motors, sometimes people would come in being led on a tour. They were looking at us like we are in the zoo. I felt demeaned by it. I also felt I am a smart guy. I am not living on my wits. And I’ve got to figure out a way to live on my wits because my back is getting tired. And I did finally get out of it. I got out of it by publishing poetry.”

Mr. Levine’s subject matter has new meaning in today’s difficult economy. His poem “What Work Is” was the title work of a collection that won him the National Book Award.

PHILIP LEVINE:

We stand in the rain in a long line
waiting at Ford7 Highland8 Park. For work.
You know what work is--if you're
old enough to read this you know what
work is, although you may not do it.
Forget you. This is about waiting ...


Mr. Levine and his wife of nearly sixty years, Frances, have an apartment in Brooklyn, New York. But they often stay at their home in Fresno, California, about two hundred fifty kilometers from the Pacific coast. In Fresno he writes a different sort of poetry. Here is an excerpt9 from his poem “Our Valley.”

PHILIP LEVINE:

We don't see the ocean, not ever, but in July and August
when the worst heat seems to rise from the hard clay
of this valley, you could be walking through a fig6 orchard10
when suddenly the wind cools and for a moment
you get a whiff of salt, and in that moment you can almost
believe something is waiting beyond the Pacheco Pass,
something massive11, irrational12, and so powerful even
the mountains that rise east of here have no word for it.


BARBARA KLEIN: Mr. Levine values silence. He even celebrates it in his poem called “He Would Never Use One Word Where None Would Do.” Here is poetry reader Allan Lokos reading from that poem.

READER:

Fact is, silence is the perfect water:
unlike rain it falls from no clouds
to wash our minds, to ease our tired eyes,
to give heart to the thin blades of grass
fighting through the concrete for even air
dirtied by our endless stream of words.


Philip Levine won a nineteen ninety-five Pulitzer Prize for his collection "The Simple Truth." These lines, read by Allan Lokos, are from the title poem.

READER:

Can you taste
what I'm saying? It is onions or potatoes, a pinch
of simple salt, the wealth of melting butter, it is obvious,
it stays in the back of your throat like a truth
you never uttered because the time was always wrong

STEVE EMBER: The librarian of Congress, James Billington, appointed Philip Levine to follow W.S. Merwin as poet laureate. In that position, Mr. Levine says he will do what he does when he writes a poem. He will not know where it is going; he will just follow his instincts.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: A study has estimated that between one-third and one-half of all marriages in the United States are between people of different faiths. Jews are marrying outside their religion faster than members of other faiths.

An interfaith meeting in a high school in Kensington, Maryland

But some interfaith couples say they want to be true to both Christian13 and Jewish traditions. More than one hundred families are members of the Interfaith Families Project. They meet Sunday mornings at a high school in Kensington, Maryland, near Washington.

They have Jewish prayers ...

CONGREGATION: "Baruch shem kevod malkhuto le-olam va-ed"

and Christian prayers ...

CONGREGATION: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven."

and some things that belong to neither tradition -- like singing a Beatles song.

CONGREGATION: ("When I'm Sixty-four")

Then their children go into classrooms to learn about both Christianity and Judaism.

TEACHER: “What do you see?”

CHILD: “A star in the middle of an apple!”

The teacher is Cindy Porhoryles. She is Roman Catholic14. Her husband is Jewish.

CINDY PORHORYLES: “We really try to honor both traditions, both sets of rituals15 if you want to call it that, and the foundation of both religions.”

BARBARA KLEIN: Critics say there are limits to combining traditions -- after all, Jews do not share the Christian belief that Jesus is the son of God. At the same time, many parents in the Interfaith Families Project say they worry that their children will not be accepted by either religion.

Angela Whitehead Quigley was raised Catholic. Her husband, David Quigley, is Jewish. They met in college.

ANGELA WHITEHEAD QUIGLEY: “Neither one of us was going to convert16. We both felt very strongly about our own faiths, and so we were really trying to find a place where we felt home and that’s what we found here."

DAVID QUIGLEY: “Part of what I loved about her from day one was her Christianity. I assume part of what she loved about me from day one was the faith I had, the Jewish background.”

STEVE EMBER: Theology professor Chester Gillis at Georgetown University in Washington is writing a book. He hopes it will show interfaith couples how they can live with different beliefs in God.

CHESTER GILLIS: “If you marry someone from your own community, there’s a common sympathy and understanding, tradition, a culture, social events, that you’re just familiar with. When you marry outside of that you may not be familiar with those at all. It may be your first time celebrating Easter, or your first time celebrating Passover, or your first time celebrating Eid."

BARBARA KLEIN: Two researchers, David Campbell at the University of Notre Dame17 and Robert Putnam at Harvard, published a study last year. They found that one-third to one-half of all marriages in the United States are interfaith. That could involve for example, marriages between Catholics and Protestants.

Recent waves of immigration have brought new groups of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists18 and others into society. Americans are increasingly socializing with people outside their own faiths.

The United States is sometimes described as the world's most religiously diverse nation. Religious leaders are under pressure to be more accepting of interfaith couples. Professor Gillis says the biggest challenge so far has been for Jews.

CHESTER GILLIS: “There’s a fierce debate within Judiasm as to whether this is a good phenomenon or not. Some, like Harvard lawywer Alan Dershowitz argues that, “This is the end of anti-Semitism, this acceptance in the common culture, this is very good for Jews’. And others argue, particularly in the Orthodox19 community and sometimes in the conservative20 Jewish community, “No, this is the demise21 of Judiasm.”

STEVE EMBER: Some people may wonder which religion a child of interfaith marriage will choose as an adult. Seventeen-year-old Eli Kane says his education in the faiths of both his parents taught him to appreciate both religions.

ELI KANE: “I like the open-mindedness of Judaism, but I also like some of the -- I like the deep belief of Christianity, I guess I respect the deep belief of Christianity.”

And what does he consider himself? His answer: "Interfaith."

(MUSIC)

Our program was written and produced by Brianna Blake from reporting by Faiza Elmasry, Adam Philips and Jerome Socolovsky. I’m Steve Ember.

BARBARA KLEIN: And I’m Barbara Klein. You can find transcripts22, MP3s and podcasts of our programs at voanews.cn. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 currently SvMzI2     
adv.通常地,普遍地,当前
参考例句:
  • Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
  • Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。
2 ethnic jiAz3     
adj.人种的,种族的,异教徒的
参考例句:
  • This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏,这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
  • The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。
3 participation KS9zu     
n.参与,参加,分享
参考例句:
  • Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
  • The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。
4 assumption UOoyn     
n.假定,臆断,担任,承担
参考例句:
  • We mistook assumption that the price would fall.我们错误地认为价格会下降。
  • I would question the validity of that assumption.我会质疑那个假设的正当性。
5 intrigued 7acc2a75074482e2b408c60187e27c73     
adj.好奇的,被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式);激起…的兴趣或好奇心;“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧!
  • He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。
6 fig L74yI     
n.无花果(树)
参考例句:
  • The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果,又挑了一个。
  • You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。
7 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
8 highland sdpxR     
n.(pl.)高地,山地
参考例句:
  • The highland game is part of Scotland's cultural heritage.苏格兰高地游戏是苏格兰文化遗产的一部分。
  • The highland forests where few hunters venture have long been the bear's sanctuary.这片只有少数猎人涉险的高山森林,一直都是黑熊的避难所。
9 excerpt hzVyv     
n.摘录,选录,节录
参考例句:
  • This is an excerpt from a novel.这是一部小说的摘录。
  • Can you excerpt something from the newspaper? 你能从报纸上选录些东西吗?
10 orchard UJzxu     
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场
参考例句:
  • My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
  • Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。
11 massive QBRx2     
adj.巨大的,大规模的,大量的,大范围的
参考例句:
  • A massive sea search has failed to find any survivors.经过大规模的海上搜救仍未找到幸存者。
  • He drank a massive amount of alcohol.他喝了大量的烈酒。
12 irrational UaDzl     
adj.无理性的,失去理性的
参考例句:
  • After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
  • There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。
13 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
14 catholic irxzd     
adj.天主教的;n.天主教徒
参考例句:
  • The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。
  • She was a devoutly Catholic.她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。
15 rituals b06e3d3e24116eaa062b253320f0a474     
(宗教等的)仪式( ritual的名词复数 ); 例行公事,老规矩
参考例句:
  • A cognac before bed is one of our little nightly rituals. 临睡之前喝点儿干邑是我们每天晚上的小习惯之一。
  • Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills. 这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。
16 convert aZhyJ     
v.(在形式、状态、用途等方面)(使)改变
参考例句:
  • I must convert sorrow into strength.我要化悲痛为力量。
  • At what rate does the dollar convert into pounds?美元以什么汇率兑换成英镑?
17 dame dvGzR0     
n.女士
参考例句:
  • The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
  • If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会,你就要跟那个夫人结婚。
18 Buddhists 5f3c74ef01ae0fe3724e91f586462b77     
n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The Jesuits in a phase of ascendancy, persecuted and insulted the Buddhists with great acrimony. 处于地位上升阶段的耶稣会修士迫害佛教徒,用尖刻的语言辱骂他们。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
  • The return of Saivite rule to central Java had brought no antagonism between Buddhists and Hindus. 湿婆教在中爪哇恢复统治后,并没有导致佛教徒与印度教徒之间的对立。 来自辞典例句
19 orthodox 240zl     
adj.正统的,传统的,惯常的
参考例句:
  • They are orthodox Jews.他们是正统的犹太教徒。
  • His ideas are very orthodox.他的思想非常合乎规范。
20 conservative jprzC     
adj.保守的,守旧的;n.保守的人,保守派
参考例句:
  • He is a conservative member of the church.他是一个守旧教会教友。
  • The young man is very conservative.这个年轻人很守旧。
21 demise Cmazg     
n.死亡;v.让渡,遗赠,转让
参考例句:
  • He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标,但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
  • The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。
22 transcripts 525c0b10bb61e5ddfdd47d7faa92db26     
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

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