名人轶事:Charles Schulz wrote the popular comic strip"Peanuts" f

（单词翻译）

Charles Schulz wrote the popular comic strip¹"Peanuts" for fifty years

Written by Jerilyn Watson
(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

I’m Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we

tell about Charles M. Schulz who wrote and drew the newspaper comic strip

"Peanuts” for half a century.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Millions of people around the world who loved the comic strip "Peanuts" were

sad when Charles Schulz died in February, two thousand. He was seventy-seven

years old. The artist who created Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy had retired²

a month earlier because of poor health. The last new daily “Peanuts”

appeared January third in two thousand six hundred newspapers in seventy-five

countries.

Charles Schulz drew "Peanuts" for fifty years. The comic strip first appeared

in seven American newspapers in nineteen fifty. At that time, the subjects

were all children and animals. They still are. People love these characters

because they demonstrate³ the failings and strengths of all human beings. For

example, Charlie Brown usually cannot get things right.  But he tries his

best. And he never stops trying. 

Charles Schulz   

VOICE TWO:

Charles Schulz would not permit anyone else to draw "Peanuts."  However, the

stories about Charlie Brown and his friends did not completely disappear when

their creator died. Newspapers are publishing earlier “Peanuts” comic

strips⁴, called “Classic Peanuts.”  Special programs based on stories about

the "Peanuts" group are still shown on television and performed as musical

plays.

VOICE ONE:

For example, the animated⁵ cartoon, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," has appeared

on television since nineteen sixty-five. In it, Charlie Brown has to choose a

Christmas tree for a special Christmas program. He gets a small ugly tree

because he feels sorry for it. But the other children laugh at it. They say

Charlie Brown has failed again to do something right. Then in preparing for

the show, one of the children tells about the true meaning of Christmas. The

other children decide that maybe they can make Charlie Brown’s tree look

beautiful.

Here is some jazz music by the Vince Guaraldi Trio from the television show,

"A Charlie Brown Christmas."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Other children often criticize⁶ Charlie Brown. He suffers many losses and

rejections⁸ -- just as people sometimes do in real life. His baseball team

always loses. He keeps trying to kick a football, but never succeeds. His

friend Lucy keeps pulling the ball away. But he continues to believe that some

day she will let him kick the ball.

VOICE ONE:

Charlie Brown has a dog named Snoopy who may be even more popular than

Charlie. Snoopy is a funny character. He sleeps on top of his dog house.

Snoopy is always trying to write the great American novel. But he cannot get

beyond the first line of his book. He writes: "It was a dark and stormy night"

again and again. Snoopy dreams of himself as a pilot searching for the Red

Baron⁹, a famous German fighter pilot in World War One.

VOICE TWO:
There are other memorable¹⁰ characters in the “Peanuts” comic strip. Lucy

mistrusts everyone. She often seems angry. Schroeder plays a small toy piano.

Every year he celebrates the birthday of composer Ludwig von Beethoven. Linus

always carries a blanket to feel secure¹¹. Peppermint¹² Patty is good at sports.

She likes Charlie Brown very much and is the only one who calls him “Chuck.”

Charles Schulz said he saw himself in some of his characters. He recognized

himself in Charlie Brown's continued failures. In Snoopy's humor¹³.  In Lucy's

moments of anger. And in the insecure feelings of Linus. Some of the

situations in "Peanuts" seem to have developed from Mister¹⁴ Schulz's own life

experiences. #p#副标题#e#
VOICE ONE:
In nineteen sixty-seven, the “Peanuts” characters starred in a musical play.

"You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" was first performed in New York City. It

later became the most produced musical in America. A new production opened on

Broadway in New York in nineteen ninety-nine. The actors in the Broadway

version¹⁵ of the musical sing a song called "Happiness."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Charles Schulz brought happiness to millions of people. He was born in

nineteen twenty-two in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father was a barber¹⁶ who cut

men’s hair. When Charles was five, his teacher told him: “Some day, Charles,

you are going to be an artist.”  But he sometimes had trouble with his school

work. In high school, he was poor at sports. He was afraid to ask a girl to go

out with him. His high school publication¹⁷ rejected some of his drawings he

hoped it would publish.

At age seventeen, Charles began studying art. He took a class by mail from a

Minnesota art school. This was the only art education he ever had.

VOICE ONE:
Then came World War Two. Mister Schulz served in the United States Army.

During this period he very much enjoyed a comic strip about soldiers called “

Willie and Joe.”  Cartoonist Bill Mauldin drew this strip. Charles Schulz had

Snoopy remember Bill Mauldin every year on the American holiday that honors¹⁹

former soldiers.

VOICE TWO:
After the war, Mister Schulz taught at an art school. He fell in love with

another employee. She was a young woman with red hair. However, this red-

haired woman married someone else. Mister Schulz said he thought she chose

another man because her mother believed Charles Schulz would never succeed in

life.

This woman's rejection⁷ must have been painful for Mister Schulz. Yet in later

years he developed the failed romance²⁰ into an interesting situation for

"Peanuts." The red-haired woman became the little red-haired girl Charlie

Brown likes so much. True to history, this girl does not care much for Charlie

Brown. But he never stops thinking she is wonderful.

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen forty-seven, a newspaper in Saint²¹ Paul, Minnesota, began

publishing a comic written and drawn²² by Charles Schulz. It was called “L’il

Folks.”  It showed a little boy with a round face named Charlie Brown.

The newspaper published the single drawing once each week. But it refused to

use it every day, as Mister Schulz had hoped. So he began creating a comic

strip of several drawings for a media company, United Feature Syndicate. It

sold the strip to newspapers around the country to be published every day. The

media company changed the name of the strip to "Peanuts."

VOICE TWO:

Over the years Mister Schulz drew about eighteen thousand comic strips. He did

it without any help. This is very unusual for a comic strip artist. Most have

people who help them draw the strips. Charles Shultz also wrote the stories

for the television and film productions of "Peanuts." There have been more

than fifty animated television shows based on “Peanuts.” Charles Shultz’s

comic strip created a whole industry. There are "Peanuts" toys, videos,

clothes and greeting cards.  A number of parks in the United States and in

Asia use "Peanuts" characters.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

In two thousand two, a new museum opened in Santa Rosa, California. It

celebrates the life and work of the creator of “Peanuts.” Charles Schulz

agreed to the idea of a museum before he died. It provides a place where

people can see the first drawings of all his comic strips and learn about his

work. The museum also shows works²³ by other artists that honor¹⁸ “Peanuts”.

VOICE TWO:

The museum was built very near the place where Charles Schulz wrote and drew

“Peanuts.”  One area of the museum re-creates the room where Charles Schulz

drew his cartoons. Another area shows things from his childhood and awards he

received. His wife Jean said she wanted the museum to show not only his work,

but also how he lived. Missus Schulz said she wants visitors to feel as if

they are taking part in his daily life.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced by Lawan Davis. I

’m Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for People in America in VOA

Special English.