时间:2019-02-03 作者:英语课 分类:VOA常速英语2007年(十一月)


英语课
By Tetiana Vorozhko
Norfolk, Virginia
08 November 2007
 


Twenty years ago the original performers of Cirque du Soleil were street performers in Quebec Canada walking on stilts 1, juggling 2, and playing music. From these humble 3 beginnings their circus has grown to be one of the largest and most famous in the world. VOA's Tetiana Vorozhko recently attended Cirque du Soleil's show called "Saltimbanco" and spoke 4 to some of the show's stars. Jim Bertel has the story.


They spin and sail around their poles seemingly defying gravity with their intricately choreographed 5 routines. These performers are part of the nearly one thousand artists performing with Cirque du Soleil in more than a dozen simultaneous shows around the world. Unlike traditional circuses, each unique show is a synthesis of international circus styles built around its own central theme and storyline.


Victoria Zherdeva is an acrobatic gymnast from Ukraine who grew up dreaming of performing with Cirque du Soleil. Four years ago Zherdeva and her husband videotaped their routine and sent it to the troupe 6. She says, "We lost our hope. All of a sudden, we received the offer. First, we didn't believe it and thought it didn't mean anything."


Carmen Ruest ("Rue") was one of the original street performers who helped start Cirque du Soleil. She is now the artistic 7 director of "Saltimbanco" and explains how the circus develops new talent. "We take other disciplines that they got with their sports, their skills, we take that and we adapt with artistic training," she said.


Taisiya and Ruslana Bazaliy are 21-year-old twin sisters from Ukraine who have been performing with the circus since they were 14.


The fearless performers enjoy performing their breath-taking stunts 8 in front of a live audience.


Both say, "We are not afraid. Viewers, yes, they are scared. It is fun for us to hear when they scream 'oh,' 'ah.'


The Cirque du Soleil shows continue to pack venues around the world, inspiring young performers to dream of becoming tomorrow's stars




n.(支撑建筑物高出地面或水面的)桩子,支柱( stilt的名词复数 );高跷
  • a circus performer on stilts 马戏团里踩高跷的演员
  • The bamboo huts here are all built on stilts. 这里的竹楼都是架空的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低
  • In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
  • Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
v.设计舞蹈动作( choreograph的过去式和过去分词 )
  • There was some carefully choreographed flag-waving as the President drove by. 总统的车经过时,人们按精心编排的动作挥舞着旗帜。
  • Achim had choreographed the dance in Act II himself. 阿希姆自己设计了第2幕的舞蹈动作。 来自辞典例句
n.剧团,戏班;杂技团;马戏团
  • The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。
  • The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 );(广告中)引人注目的花招;愚蠢行为;危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长],抑制,妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )
  • He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
  • The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》
学英语单词
260
across-the-board tax cut
actual-size
actuarial gains and losses
adonitoxologenin
air cushioning craft
Alfisol
anaglyptograph
automatic partion of letters
Barbarossa
basil balms
behindthe-scenes
cast thickness effect test
charmfest
cherrypick
chiseller
chrono-interferometer
cocorico
cold nosing
collection period
common trimmed size
complement titration
computer aided product design
computer-company
controller transfer function
cpdt
cross the t's and dot the i's
cystolutein
dinnery
double inlet ventricle
duty periods
ecosystem-based
elevator trimmer
eomatist
excess cash
flockmasters
forensic science
front-end security filter
FTTC
general engineering tool
geodetic reference spheroid
glossodynia exfoliative
grain nozzle
hanilat
heterokaryotype
horizontal diriving control
hydrogen storage
hyperchromia
impedance matching reactor
interbank agreement
kakum
laicising
layout design
machine-codes
made a mull of
Manitouwadge
Maryland Estate
medial femora-patellar ligament
menometabola
mesothermal deposit
MPEC
multiply byte instruction
Multocid
NADEP
neuromuscular disease
nihilation
non-perforating wound of sclera
normocytes
not the ghost of an idea
partial conserved axial current
Perflavon
phosphate-conversion coating
Poisson ratio
put in circulation
Quercus stellata
radio frequency acceleration
reaction intermediate
reconnaissance sonar
rectification mechanism
rectifier operation
relevant control
roentgen diagnosis
Rosedene
sales for account
sample fractiles
sensitive infrared telescope
sivanesania rubi
solution dyed
sound-ranging altimeter
speak by the book
speckle shearing interferometry
squuncke
stone the crows!
sump reservoir
Sutter's Mill
taffy apple
take pity on someone
terrain treatment
turbine outlet parameter
undared
unsymmetrical alkene
yield up