时间:2019-01-02 作者:英语课 分类:其他文化


英语课

Good evening, I don't know if it made the stir outside the United States that it'd made here, but last Monday night, the big headline in the evening papers and on the telly was one that the poor fellows who write headlines must have felt awfully 1 grateful for.

In a tiny radio studio in the center of New York, Alistair Cooke begins his weekly "Letter from America" in a voice that has enchanted 2 millions of people on five different continents. At first glance, he looks like a favorite uncle from out of town, white-haired, elegant, superbly cosmopolitan 3. He exudes 4 an air of civility and trust, the man you can believe in, depend on. In nearly forty years as a writer, journalist, and lecturer, Alistair Cooke has carved out his own special place in broadcasting history.

"During the end of the war, I was doing for BBC weekly 50-minute talk, which was geared entirely 5 to the war effort of course, called American Commentary. When the war was over, the man, who was in charge in New York BBC, in Lindsay Wellington, who'd become a great friend of mine, he got back to England, and he found, not the jubilant mood he'd expected, because Harry 6 Truman cut off land lease and there was less food, less clothes than there'd been during war. So 45/46 was a bad winter. He said, "You know, people are so fed up with the war. They want something else. Now Let's set up a talk of your own, a weekly talk, not on po(he intends to say "politics") on anything, on all the things that you've talked to me about, about America, about children history of ice cream, and the chemistry of the New England fall, and so on."
I said: "Fine."

So they set it up for 13 weeks. And at that time Britain was very strapped 7 for a convertible 8 currency. I don't believe you could take out more than 10 pounds. So they said: "If it goes very well, we'll put it on for another 13 weeks." So it had response. And at the end of that time, they put it on for another. And they said: "But don't get excited or swelled 9 head. That will be the end. 26 weeks is, is the end." So I think they forgot something.

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【背景资料】

Alistair Cooke

很难有一个广播节目持续播出半个世纪之久,更难有一位广播节目主持人主持一个节目可以跨越半个世纪之久而不换人。英国BBC World Service 及Radio 4的资深节目主持人库克先生(Alistair Cooke)就是这样一位备受尊崇的广播人。

库克不幸在2004年3月底告别人世,享年95。他在3月初,才刚刚因为健康因素在医生的要求下宣布退休。

英国首相布莱尔称赞他是"一位伟大的广播人,让人怀念",并且表示他是库克"美国来鸿"(Letter from America)节目的忠实听众。BBC代理总经理马克‧拜福说,库克是20世纪杰出的评论家,也是BBC有史以来,最伟大的广播人之一。美国纽约时报称他的观点代表"英国人心目中的美国"。

库克1908出生在英国曼彻斯特近郊的萨福(Salford),年轻时见到一次世界大战驻防当地的美国大兵,受到他们友善和外向个性的吸引,奠定他未来和美国的一段大半生不解之缘。

在剑桥读书时,他开始撰写戏剧评论,随后取得共和基金奖学金,赴美进修,先后在耶鲁和哈佛大学研读戏剧和美国英语历史有关的课程。在这个过程中,他有机会担任家乡曼彻斯特卫报的美国特派员,头一次走进媒体的世界。1934年他进入BBC担任电影评论员,并且回到英国工作。在这同时,他也开始为美国国家广播公司(NBC)制播一个每周一次的节目"伦敦来信"(London Letter),前后长达26年。这个节目也等于是为他未来的"美国来鸿"节目铺路,让库克真正扮演了大西洋两岸这两个国家相互了解的双向角色。

1937年,他返回美国,并且在1941年入美国籍,落脚纽约。也开始在美国的电视上主持节目。他所主持的文化节目"文化列车"(Omnibus)、"大师剧场"(Masterpiece Theater),是美国电视观众耳熟能详的节目,也是在商业挂帅的美国电视环境中,令人耳目一新的奇花异果。难怪美国媒体说,库克可以算是美国人最敬重的英国人之一


"美国来鸿"走过58个年头

库克所制作主持的脍炙人口的每周节目"美国来鸿"于2004年1月20日结束它第2869集的播出。从1946年开播的这个专门介绍美国的节目,总共走过58个年头,见证2个世纪。这个节目向全球五十多个国家播放,据BBC估计,收听库克节目的全球听众多达二千二百万人。

1946年,库克在他最初提给BBC的节目企划案中写到:"它将是一封每周写给英国人在火炉旁展读的私人信件,我会试图就美国生活中的主要话题,提出评论,其中包括华府政策的真实背景和重要美国人物的介绍等。所要强调的总是美国生活的源头活水,而不是头条新闻,那些只是泡沫而已!" 当时,英国陷入经济低潮,库克心想,这个节目如果可以按照计划播完试验性的13集就算不错了,没想到播完13集之后,又延长13集,之后,又13集……,他当然想像不到,这个节目将会播到下一个世纪。

"美国来鸿"几乎见証了美国二次大战以来,所有发生的重要大事,包括肯尼迪总统遇刺乃至911攻击事件。这个节目的一位忠实听友说,"库克以他对美国背景的广泛理解,检视美国所发生的事件,因此,对于住在美国境外的人而言,这个节目为他们带来的是智慧的增长。举例来说,库克会将1997年11月,中共国家主席江泽民的访问美国时宴会上的愉悦气氛,拿来与雅尔达会议最后一夜的气氛相比;他在讲1997年10月美国纽约股市狂泻时,会清楚地交代1929年美国股市崩盘的来龙去脉。" "当其他的媒体忙着抄作犯罪、审判、丑闻、最敢讲话的第一夫人时,库克会告诉你,谁才是这个世纪这类人等的最顶尖人物;他总是会告诉你一段奇闻轶事!"



adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
adj.世界性的,全世界的,四海为家的,全球的
  • New York is a highly cosmopolitan city.纽约是一个高度世界性的城市。
  • She has a very cosmopolitan outlook on life.她有四海一家的人生观。
v.缓慢流出,渗出,分泌出( exude的第三人称单数 );流露出对(某物)的神态或感情
  • The plant exudes a sticky fluid. 这种植物分泌出一种黏液。
  • She exudes sexual magnetism. 她洋溢着女性的魅力。
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
adj.用皮带捆住的,用皮带装饰的;身无分文的;缺钱;手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词);用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带
  • Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
adj.可改变的,可交换,同意义的;n.有活动摺篷的汽车
  • The convertible sofa means that the apartment can sleep four.有了这张折叠沙发,公寓里可以睡下4个人。
  • That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了。
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情)
  • The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染,他的手肿了起来。
  • After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后,河水猛涨。
标签: alistair 库克
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