时间:2019-01-07 作者:英语课 分类:This is America


英语课

By Jerilyn Watson
THIS IS AMERICA -May 13, 2002: Sondheim Celebration


VOICE ONE:


The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C currently is honoring the work of one
of America’s finest composers. The first of six popular musical shows written by Stephen Sondheim opened at
the center last week. I’m Sarah Long.



VOICE TWO:



And I’m Shirley Griffith. The music of Stephen Sondheim is our report today on the
VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
((MUSIC BRIDGE)
)
VOICE ONE:



Americans love the music of Stephen Sondheim. Many theater critics say he re-invented
American musical plays. This is because his plays are different from traditional musicals. His plays are often
about serious subjects. They have more interesting and unusual characters. And they are about complex
emotions.


The Kennedy Center is presenting six of his most popular musical shows starring famous Broadway musical
performers. The Sondheim Celebration will continue through August twenty-fifth.


VOICE TWO:


Stephen Sondheim was born in nineteen-thirty in New York City. He was the son of clothing manufacturers. His
parents ended their marriage when he was ten years old. His mother took Stephen to live in Bucks 1 County,
Pennsylvania. They lived near Oscar Hammerstein, who wrote the words to many of the greatest musical plays
on Broadway in New York. He helped Stephen develop his musical abilities.


VOICE ONE:


While still a young man, Stephen Sondheim wrote the words to the songs Leonard Bernstein composed for the
musical “West Side Story.

It opened on Broadway in Nineteen-Sixty. It is considered one of the finest works
of American musical theater.


Sondheim also wrote the words to the songs in another very successful show,
“Gypsy.

These productions helped launch Mister Sondheim in the musical
theater. Since the early Nineteen -Sixties, he has written the words and music to
more than one-hundred songs. He has written or helped write about twenty musical
shows. They have won many awards for the best musicals on Broadway.


VOICE TWO:


With Leonard Bernstein,
1978
Now, we tell about the six musicals being performed in the Sondheim Celebration in Washington this summer.
One of these is “Sweeney Todd: The Demon 2 Barber of Fleet Street.

It was created by Sondheim and
Broadway producer Hal Prince. It is the story of a man who was unfairly sent to prison in London. The show tells
about how he punishes his enemies for this injustice 3. It is funny as well as frightening. Angela Lansbury and Len
Cariou sing “A Little Priest.


((CUT TWO: "A Little Priest"))


VOICE ONE:



The team of Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince also wrote “Merrily We Roll Along.

This story is about three successful people who once were friends. Here, Maria Friedman
urges an old friend to remember their warm feelings for one another. She sings “Old
Friends: Who’s Like Us?


((CUT THREE: "Old Friends: Who’s Like Us?))


VOICE TWO:


Another Sondheim show being performed in Washington is “Sunday in the Park with
George.

The play is based on a famous nineteenth century painting by French artist George Seurat. Mister
Sondheim said he wrote the musical to prove that creating art is difficult. Mandy Patinkin, as George, thinks
about doing something new. Bernadette Peters, as his girlfriend, urges him to do so. They sing “Move On.


((CUT FOUR: "Move On")
)
VOICE ONE:
People at the Kennedy Center also will see “A Little Night Music.

This musical is based on a movie by



Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. It is about love, foolishness and old age. Jean Simmons sings one of Stephen
Sondheim’s most famous and beautiful songs, “Send in the Clowns.

((CUT FIVE: "Send in the Clowns")
)



VOICE TWO:
The Kennedy Center also is presenting the Sondheim musical show, “Passion.

It takes place in Italy during
the eighteen-sixties. In this story, a young soldier must choose between a beautiful lover and a dying woman. The
show is more emotionally complex than other Broadway musicals. Here, Jere Shea and Marin Mazzie describe
their feelings for one another in “Happiness.



((CUT SIX: "Happiness")
)
VOICE ONE:
The Sondheim show “Company”
tells about an unmarried man named Robert. Robert sings about the woman



he could love. This woman is perfect. She has all the qualities of five of his women friends who are married.
Dean Jones sings “Someone is Waiting.

((CUT SEVEN: "Someone Is Waiting")
)



VOICE TWO:
Thousands of people have bought tickets to the Sondheim Celebration. Some are travelling from other cities to
see one or more of the shows. As one critic said, “Stephen Sondheim is the father of the modern musical
theater.



((THEME)
)
VOICE ONE:
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced by Caty Weaver 4. Our studio engineer was Darryl



Smith. I’m Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Shirley Griffith. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on the VOA



Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.




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n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 );钱;(英国十九世纪初的)花花公子;(用于某些表达方式)责任v.(马等)猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 );抵制;猛然震荡;马等尥起后蹄跳跃
  • They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
  • They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.魔鬼,恶魔
  • The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。
  • He has been possessed by the demon of disease for years.他多年来病魔缠身。
n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利
  • They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
  • All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。
n.织布工;编织者
  • She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快,而且布的质量很好。
  • The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。
学英语单词
acid type electrode
acoustoelectric effects
ahead and stern
analog signal processing
anta
aseismic joint
ash formation
axiotron
Barth Karl
brandmaker
brunne
buggy
carrying rope
chipata (fort jameson)
Chroman alloys
cicatricial epithelium
classroom game
closeouts
collapsed loess
conformity of document
contiguous curve tangent
coral leaching
cowgrass
cupel tongue
damage theory
damaged on end
delta-oxidation
deparia lancea
detroit rivers
dose rates
e-library
Ebal
ecological hazard
entropy of formation
Ess.
eurosterlings
evilty
existing information system
exploration and development fund
foot itch
four-on-four
Ghawr, Wādī al
handling operation cost
haulage rope
health console
Hyalellidae
hydrodenitrification
hypocala andamana
inertial fusion
international chamber of shipping
jankers
Jegher's syndrome
kiruv
kolbert
Kummell's points
La Cinchona
layer, board
Lentiira
leucinodes apicalis
ligno
maximum hook load
Mbakaou
mode condition
multi-fuel diesel
multiple system of Trapezium type
mutiplier
Nakuran
nationalist
newocme
observation producing department/section
oral information
overland downlook radar (odr)
pack ices
percentage lithofacies map
persulphide
prefrontal lobotomy
Recordak
rotary drum scaler
safety range
Salmonella glostrup
semi-collapsed balloon spinning
shallow-focus earthquake
shit birds
sixth chord
spsg
standard compliant
stevens p.
stop a flag
taarab
take its course
terminal cap
tidings
troitsk
Vashlovanis Nakrdzali
vinegarishnesses
vistamycin(ribostamycin)
waterproofing course
Welney
whitewatergate
work practices
zoarcess