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美国国家公共电台 NPR Politics In Zimbabwe Has A New Soundtrack

时间:2018-07-30 02:38:42

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(单词翻译)

Politics In Zimbabwe Has A New Soundtrack

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Music and politics have always been intertwined, whether the song is "Yankee Doodle" or "A Change Is Gonna Come." This week, I've been reporting on a political transformation1 in Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe was forced from office in November. He had ruled as an autocrat2 for decades. On July 30, Zimbabwe will have an election, perhaps the first free and fair one in decades. So this is a rare moment of openness and free expression, and politics in Zimbabwe has a soundtrack, too.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ZIMBABWE")

BOB MARLEY: (Singing) Natty3 dread4 it in a...

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS #1: (Singing) Zimbabwe.

MARLEY: (Singing) Set it up in...

SHAPIRO: Back when the country was still known as Rhodesia, black nationalists here fought a bloody5 war to overthrow6 white minority rule. And in 1980, Zimbabwe became an independent country where every adult citizen could cast a ballot7. In the song "Zimbabwe" Bob Marley sang, every man got a right to decide his own destiny.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ZIMBABWE")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS #1: (Singing) We going to fight.

MARLEY: (Singing) We's going to fight.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS #1: (Singing) We going to fight.

MARLEY: (Singing) Fight for our rights.

SHAPIRO: Zimbabwean artist Thomas Mapfumo sang about the fight for independence. The title of this song translates to "Mothers Send Your Children To War."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TUMIRA VANA KUHONDO")

THOMAS MAPFUMO: (Singing in foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS #2: (Singing in foreign language).

SHAPIRO: And a Zimbabwean psychedelic rock band called Wells Fargo had a big hit with this song, "Watch Out!"

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WATCH OUT!")

WELLS FARGO: (Singing) Watch out. Big storm is coming. There's thunder and lightning. You better hold on.

EBBA CHITAMBO: We started being politically conscience, and we tried to change our music to go with the times, like, motivate the people.

(SOUNDBITE OF WELLS FARGO SONG, "WATCH OUT!")

SHAPIRO: Today, Ebba Chitambo is 66 years old. When he was in his 20s and his country was at war, he fought with music. Ebba was the co-founder and drummer of Wells Fargo.

(SOUNDBITE OF WELLS FARGO SONG, "WATCH OUT!")

SHAPIRO: He says guerilla independence fighters he used to listen to this song in the bush. It made the band famous and also got them in a lot of trouble.

CHITAMBO: The first version we recorded was banned from radio.

SHAPIRO: Really?

CHITAMBO: Yeah. But the people liked it 'cause we used to play it live. And we had to sit down and change the lyrics8 to, like, soften9 them up a bit but still with the same meaning.

SHAPIRO: What were the words to "Watch Out!" before you changed them and after?

CHITAMBO: The chorus was straight and direct. Watch out; freedom is coming. So police came to one of our gigs and knocked us around. We had to change to, watch out; big storm is coming.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WATCH OUT!")

WELLS FARGO: (Singing) Watch out. Big storm is coming. There's thunder and lightning. You better...

SHAPIRO: Big storm was enough to keep the police away...

CHITAMBO: Yes, it was very, very...

SHAPIRO: (Laughter) ...Even if everybody knew that the big storm was freedom.

CHITAMBO: Yeah.

(LAUGHTER)

SHAPIRO: And so if you perform today, what will you sing?

CHITAMBO: Big storm is coming.

SHAPIRO: He hasn't sung freedom in so long. He just got used to it the other way. The joy of a free Zimbabwe faded when the new president, Robert Mugabe, cracked down on his opponents. The musicians who had sung songs of freedom realize that they were living under a different kind of oppression.

CHITAMBO: (Unintelligible).

SHAPIRO: When I met Ebba Chitambo a few weeks ago in the city of Bulawayo, his new band was getting ready to play a Friday night gig at a hotel bar. This group is called Friends Band. They're not famous like Wells Fargo. They mostly play covers. And most of the other musicians are about 40 years younger than Ebba. They've only ever known a Zimbabwe that was ruled by Robert Mugabe. The 27-year-old singer Zinzile Majola says when Mugabe left, it felt like a window opening.

ZINZILE MAJOLA: Actually gave us, you know, more confidence that at least maybe things will change from now on, you know, from the way they were, they used to be.

SHAPIRO: Bassist David Mabhena is the youngest in the band. He's 23. This is the first election he will ever vote in.

DAVID MABHENA: I feel like it's not my time to make a change by going and voting.

SHAPIRO: Ebba, when you hear these young people in their 20s talk, does it remind you of how you felt?

CHITAMBO: It does. It does a lot. And listening to the ideas and all that reminds me of days way back in time.

SHAPIRO: When we gathered the band around the microphones, the younger ones had some questions for Ebba. And I got the impression they hadn't really asked him about his past before.

MABHENA: So the advice - what advice would you give to us? Should we take the things that are happening around and then record songs so that it will touch the people's hearts?

CHITAMBO: Yeah, it's the reality we're dealing10 with...

MABHENA: OK.

CHITAMBO: ...Unless if you want write, kiss me; kiss me, baby; what; what, which I know you don't want.

MABHENA: OK.

CHITAMBO: (Laughter).

SHAPIRO: What would you write a song about if you were going to write about what's happening now?

MABHENA: Believing for a better Zimbabwe after the elections. I'm 23 years old now. But when I grew up, I had people promising11 us that things would change. But things could go from bad to worse. So a song I'll write about is a song believing that change is near, and there is hope.

(LAUGHTER, CROSSTALK)

SHAPIRO: Soon it was time for Friends Band to get ready for their set at the pub in the Cresta Churchill Hotel. The crowd trickled12 in. People ordered beers. Soon everyone was dancing.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SHAPIRO: And after about five songs, the singer handed over lead vocal13 duties to the white-haired drummer in the back.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SHAPIRO: With a big grin, the man who has sung his way through two transformations14 in Zimbabwe sang these lyrics.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WATCH OUT!")

CHITAMBO: (Singing) Watch out. Freedom is coming. There's thunder and lightning.

SHAPIRO: Watch out. Freedom's coming.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WATCH OUT!")

CHITAMBO: (Singing) You better hold on.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 transformation SnFwO     
n.变化;改造;转变
参考例句:
  • Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
  • He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。
2 autocrat 7uMzo     
n.独裁者;专横的人
参考例句:
  • He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家,也是个狡黠的独裁者。
  • The nobles tried to limit the powers of the autocrat without success.贵族企图限制专制君主的权力,但没有成功。
3 natty YF1xY     
adj.整洁的,漂亮的
参考例句:
  • Cliff was a natty dresser.克利夫是讲究衣着整洁美观的人。
  • Please keep this office natty and use the binaries provided.请保持办公室整洁,使用所提供的垃圾箱。
4 dread Ekpz8     
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧
参考例句:
  • We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
  • Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。
5 bloody kWHza     
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染
参考例句:
  • He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
  • He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。
6 overthrow PKDxo     
v.推翻,打倒,颠覆;n.推翻,瓦解,颠覆
参考例句:
  • After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后,这个国家处于混乱中。
  • The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。
7 ballot jujzB     
n.(不记名)投票,投票总数,投票权;vi.投票
参考例句:
  • The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
  • The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。
8 lyrics ko5zoz     
n.歌词
参考例句:
  • music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
  • The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。
9 soften 6w0wk     
v.(使)变柔软;(使)变柔和
参考例句:
  • Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
  • This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。
10 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法,待人态度
参考例句:
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
11 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的,有前途的
参考例句:
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
12 trickled 636e70f14e72db3fe208736cb0b4e651     
v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 );淌;使)慢慢走;缓慢移动
参考例句:
  • Blood trickled down his face. 血从他脸上一滴滴流下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The tears trickled down her cheeks. 热泪一滴滴从她脸颊上滚下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 vocal vhOwA     
adj.直言不讳的;嗓音的;n.[pl.]声乐节目
参考例句:
  • The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
  • Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。
14 transformations dfc3424f78998e0e9ce8980c12f60650     
n.变化( transformation的名词复数 );转换;转换;变换
参考例句:
  • Energy transformations go on constantly, all about us. 在我们周围,能量始终在不停地转换着。 来自辞典例句
  • On the average, such transformations balance out. 平均起来,这种转化可以互相抵消。 来自辞典例句

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