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VOA慢速英语2013 音乐可以帮助乌干达的贫困儿童

时间:2013-11-30 14:44:10

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AS IT IS 2013-11-28 Music Helps Poor Children of Uganda 音乐可以帮助乌干达的贫困儿童

Hello, again!  And welcome back.  I’m Jim Tedder1 in Washington.  Today our program is about the arts …music and painting.  We will travel to Uganda to hear how music  is helping2 some poor children.  Then we are off to Baltimore, Maryland, in the eastern United States to hear about something new that is happening at a wedding.  We  call the program As It Is.  It is a way to help you learn and improve your English.

Years ago, a group of young people who lived on the streets in Uganda heard a school band playing.  They liked the sound so much, they set up a brass3 band of their  own.  They called it M-lisada.  Milagros Ardin joins us with the details.

Today, Bosco Sagawa operates a home for street children in Kampala.  Bosco was among those who first established M-lisada.  The children in the home learn to play  instruments and perform in concerts.  M-lisada has become a source of pride for kids who had lost all hope.

Seventeen-year-old Derick Tamale does not know how old he was when he lost his parents and his home.  As far as he can remember, he spent his whole childhood running  in the streets of Kampala with other boys. They survived by stealing and picking food out of the trash.

“It was a miserable4 life, because I didn’t have a home.  When it came to night, [there was] nowhere you could sleep.  We only slept on the verandas5.  Sometimes we  got food from the rubbish, and then sometimes we’d go to big hotels like Serena, where they throw things that are not so good to sell to people, like cakes.”

He does not remember how long his life on the streets went on.  But  one day he discovered music. His life changed forever.

By chance, Derick saw a brass band called M-lisada playing in a very poor part of the city. Only former street kids can take part in the band. Their concerts help  support the orphanage6, the group home where they live.  Derick joined them and is now a skilled7 trombone player.  He likes to talk about music with everyone he meets.

Mister8 Segawa understands the feeling.  Having grown up on the streets himself, he discovered music when he was 12. It happened just by chance when he came upon that  school band playing a concert.  The parents were applauding9, and he says he knew he wanted to be part of something like that.

“In slums10 people don’t appreciate children, even if children try and try, it’s very hard.  So it was my first experience to see [that] people could appreciate the  children because of music.  From that time, I thought maybe I could become a musician so that one day people could appreciate me.”

With the help of a music teacher, Bosco Segawa and a few friends learned11 to play on used instruments. Not long after they saved enough money to rent a small house and  start a band.  Over the years, he says music has changed their lives.

“All, they are not perfect musicians, but they discovered what they could do.  One is a lawyer, two are businessmen, one is a mechanic12, one is a social worker who  works with me, and one is an expert in education.  I’m not a professional musician.  But I’m a teacher who teaches young kids.”

For the 80 kids in his orphanage, Mister Segawa hopes that music will help them discover their abilities as well. Godfrey Mboira is a volunteer music teacher.  He says  that being in a band also helps former street kids feel they are valued. “It empowers them.  And they will do what people don’t expect them to do.  And then at the  end of it they feel they are appreciated (cared about).  At least every performance they say, ‘well done, well done.’  That’s the most important thing these  children have been missing13 all those years on the streets.”

The children at M-lisada all go to school.  But after class every day they practice for upcoming concerts.  For Derick, it is one of the best parts of the day.  He  says playing the trombone makes him feel important.  He says he does not know what would have become of him without the band.

“I think I would maybe be dead by this time.  Because on the street every day I would see my friends dying14, using drugs and then they end up dying.  Maybe I would  have been in jail15, somewhere working as a prisoner, or maybe just a useless person on the street.  Music is the one which is making me to be where I am now.  It is  really like a thing which rescued me.”

Derick is one of the lucky ones.  The orphanage is small, with no more than three bedrooms.  Thousands of children still live on the streets.  During the day, many  show up at the orphanage to rest and listen to music.

But when night falls, they melt back into the shadows of the city.  I’m Milagros Ardin.

Paintings Capture16 a WeddingIn the United States, weddings, birthdays and other celebrations are usually captured17 in photographs. But now, a small but growing number of  artists are making paintings of these events.For that story, we travel to a wedding celebration near Baltimore, Maryland.              Gina D’Anna and Donald Anderson  Junior were just married. As they dance for the first time as a married couple, we see that their family and friends are enjoying the party.

In a distant part of the room, a witness to the action carefully paints the dancing couple on her canvas18. This woman, Patricia Bennett, is a live event artist. She  captures the special day as it takes place.

“I try to focus on what I think is important to the group or the individual who is commissioning it. For weddings, a lot of times it is the cake, the dance.”

Patricia Bennett once painted nature and portraits – official-looking pictures of people. Her first live event painting came last year when she captured her  grandmother’s 97th birthday party. That was a turning point in her career as an artist.

“I especially love live event painting because I love to paint people and I love to paint beautiful things. And I like to paint happiness.”

Ms. Bennett usually starts painting the background a few hours before the event. As people arrive, she adds them and other activities to the picture.

“What I hope to be captured is just the emotion that is going on this evening.  There is a bunch of happiness with friends and family here this evening.”

Not everyone at the event will appear on the painting. So Anna Hergenroeder, a relative of Mr. Anderson, is surprised to find herself in a painting.

“I feel very important. I am a 94-year-old woman. I don’t know why I am in the painting, but I am excited to be in there.”

Patricia Bennett does not object to doing a little work to improve people’s images.

“I don’t call it fictionalized (untrue). It’s more like if sometimes the wife comes over to me and says, ‘Can you give him some more hair’?”

She asks $1,500 for her services at an event.

“I think more and more artists are starting to do it because it is really fun. And it is useful”.

By the time the party ends, the painting is complete. Ms. Bennett takes it home to make any final changes, then signs and delivers it.

“O my goodness19, it’s beautiful. It’s absolutely gorgeous20.

Ms. Bennett says almost all her time for live event painting is filled for the coming spring and fall. And she already has requests for 2015.

Well, it looks like our As It Is party is just about over.  There are more Learning21 English programs headed your way in just a few seconds.  And, of course, you can  hear world news at the beginning of the hour on VOA.  I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  We hope to see you again real soon. 


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 tedder 2833afc4f8252d8dc9f8cd73b24db55d     
n.(干草)翻晒者,翻晒机
参考例句:
  • Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆?特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
  • Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆?泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网
2 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
3 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器
参考例句:
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
4 miserable g18yk     
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 verandas 1a565cfad0b95bd949f7ae808a04570a     
阳台,走廊( veranda的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Women in stiff bright-colored silks strolled about long verandas, squired by men in evening clothes. 噼噼啪啪香槟酒的瓶塞的声音此起彼伏。
  • They overflowed on verandas and many were sitting on benches in the dim lantern-hung yard. 他们有的拥到了走郎上,有的坐在挂着灯笼显得有点阴暗的院子里。
6 orphanage jJwxf     
n.孤儿院
参考例句:
  • They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
  • They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。
7 skilled 7iTzD3     
adj.(in)熟练的,有技能的;需要技能的
参考例句:
  • Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
  • She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟,足以翻译小说。
8 mister rnQzwB     
n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生
参考例句:
  • Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
  • He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。
9 applauding 9cb5b3c66f4cfd2ba5f4d09f7f0d5d4e     
v.鼓掌( applaud的现在分词 );称赞,赞许
参考例句:
  • A low and applauding murmur ran through the assembly. 会众中响起了一阵轻轻的赞美声。 来自辞典例句
  • The audience showed its approval by applauding. 观众鼓掌以示赞许。 来自辞典例句
10 slums 7a1209bb38ad736618b24dce42cde941     
n.贫民窟,贫民区( slum的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • These slums are an epitaph to the housing policy of the 1960s. 这些贫民窟是20世纪60年代住房政策的遗迹。
  • the poverty and squalor of the slums 贫民窟的贫穷和肮脏
11 learned m1oxn     
adj.有学问的,博学的;learn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
  • In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里,他被视为有学问的人。
12 mechanic 4CRxt     
n.技工,机(械)工,机修工
参考例句:
  • The mechanic made the necessary adjustments to the engine.机械师对发动机作了必要的调整。
  • He is a mechanic who buys and sells cars on the side.他是一个兼营买卖汽车的技工。
13 missing 3nTzx7     
adj.遗失的,缺少的,失踪的
参考例句:
  • Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具,看有无丢失。
  • All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了,就短他一个。
14 dying 1rGx0     
adj.垂死的,临终的
参考例句:
  • He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
  • She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子,那里有一个垂死的人。
15 jail F31xo     
n.监狱,看守所;vt.监禁,拘留
参考例句:
  • The castle had been used as a jail.这城堡曾用作监狱。
  • If she carries on shoplifting,she'll end up in jail.她如果还在店铺里偷东西,最终会被抓进监狱的。
16 capture xTny1     
vt.捕获,俘获;占领,夺得;n.抓住,捕获
参考例句:
  • The company is out to capture the European market.这家公司希望占据欧洲市场。
  • With the capture of the escaped tiger,everyone felt relieved.逃出来的老虎被捕获后,大家都松了一口气。
17 captured 2f77656f4c6180990cee5ce65bdefe74     
俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 ); 夺取; 夺得; 引起(注意、想像、兴趣)
参考例句:
  • Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
  • Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。
18 canvas oXGzz     
n.粗帆布,一块油画布
参考例句:
  • The times that people used canvas boat have become history.人们用帆船的时代已成为历史。
  • Smith painted an oil painting on the canvas.史密斯在画布上画了一幅油画。
19 goodness xfgxm     
n.善良,善行,美德
参考例句:
  • Would you have the goodness to turn off the radio?劳驾,请你把收音机关上好不好?
  • Thank goodness,we've found a cure for the disease.好了,这病有救了!
20 gorgeous 9fExl     
adj.华丽的,灿烂的,美丽的,宜人的,棒的
参考例句:
  • The gorgeous costume added to the brilliance of the dance.华丽的服装使舞蹈更加光彩夺目。
  • What a gorgeous day it is today!今天天气多好啊!
21 learning wpSzFe     
n.学问,学识,学习;动词learn的现在分词
参考例句:
  • When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时,常会从车上掉下来。
  • Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

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