VOA慢速英语2012 AMERICAN MOSAIC - Harry Styles of One Direction: ‘We Work So, So Hard and Play Hard As Well’
时间：2018-12-16 作者：英语课 分类：2012年VOA慢速英语(六)月
AMERICAN MOSAIC 1 - Harry 2 Styles of One Direction: ‘We Work So, So Hard and Play Hard As Well’
JUNE SIMMS: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.
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I’m June Simms. This week on our program, we talk to Harry Styles of the boy band One Direction and play some of the group’s music…
We also take a look at some of your comments…
But first, we visit a building project in Washington, DC, where volunteers are working to help homeless teens.
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Home for Homeless Teens
JUNE SIMMS: Sasha Bruce Youthwork helps poor and homeless children in Washington, D.C. The not-for-profit group recently received an unusual donation: an old, unlivable house. Sasha Bruce is repairing the building to make a safe home for homeless teenagers. Shirley Griffith has more.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Members of the American Institute of Architects are among the volunteers working at the house. The designers and builders are in Washington for the institute’s yearly meeting. But on this day, they are carrying pieces of wood, adding nails to the floors and putting window glass into window frames. A few others are outside the house, digging a garden.
One of the volunteers is Gwen Berlekamp from Ohio. She suggests the work being done will change more than just one house.
GWEN BERLEKAMP: “When you make improvements to communities, it has a ripple 3 effect. So other people, the neighbors will feel better about living here, the children have a better neighborhood to grow up in.”
Bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, living and dining areas begin to take shape in the two-level house. Nineteen-year-old Kevin Vines is excited by the speed at which the repairs are being made. He has been on the job for several months as part of the Sasha Bruce YouthBuild, a work and life skills program.
KEVIN VINES: “I’m getting carpentry, as of right now. That’s what I like to do. Hands on work.”
The young man left high school before finishing. He was unemployed 4 and facing legal problems when he entered the YouthBuild program. Marcus Brooks 5 is showing him and other young people how to build houses. The trainer is proud of the progress Kevin Vines has made.
MARCUS BROOKS: “Kevin has really shown a lot of leadership and is pretty good with his hands. I expect him to be a big shining star for this program.”
However, Marcus Brooks says it has not been easy.
MARCUS BROOKS: “We deal with the kids nobody else wants to deal with. When the kids come to us they have all types of issues, personal problems. We, kind of, show them love.”
Marcus Brooks says the project has helped to build character in the young people.
MARCUS BROOKS: “What I’m interested in is that they have a strong work ethic 6 because they can take that work ethic and become anything they want to be in life.”
Debby Shore is the director of Sasha Bruce Youthwork. She explains the importance of the YouthBuild kids working with volunteers from around the country.
DEBBY SHORE: “We are building relationships here that make such a difference for young people.”
Architect and volunteer Tom Schell is from Florida. He says being involved in the Youthwork project helps him better understand the difficulties faced by homeless Americans.
TOM SCHELL: “I know that at any given time any of the types of situations that they’re in could happen to my kids. It could happen to me. Look at our economy and the way things are going now. Everybody’s vulnerable and I think it is really important to be on the front end of giving.”
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Your Comments
JUNE SIMMS: Now Christopher Cruise takes a look at some of your comments about recent American Mosaic programs.
CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Several of you wrote about our report on a food aid program that school children and their parents help run. Food on the Fifteenth provides food to older, needy 7 people in parts of Maryland.
Palla wrote to say she loved the report. She said the program shows how people provide goodwill 8 and compassion 9 to others.
Ann agrees. She writes that she wants to be a part of Food on the Fifteenth: I can share my fortunate [life] with other people. And she says calls the program extremely wonderful for young students.
Several people also enjoyed singer Lionel Richie’s new style on his album “Tuskegee.” Honny Baggy 10 writes: Lionel changed his style from pop to country. It’s not a problem, we still enjoy his voice.
Another writer, RYO, describes Lionel Richie’s songs as dreamy.
Jean writes of a different music feature on American Mosaic. She liked Lucero, whose lead singer and songwriter visited us in the studio. Jean wrote lovely songs!!! I had a bad day, but when I heard the songs they seemed to tell me ‘girl, cheer up! Everything will be just fine.” It’s almost weekend. Let’s leave bad things far, far, far behind.
Finally, we received a lot of messages about our story on the winners of the Goldman environmental prize. Theresa praised the honorees: I salute 11 your bravery. Hopefully everyone will show the same kind of concern to our environment.
Yoshi noted 12 the hard work they do: to be activists 13 is more difficult and greater than to just be critics.
Neo also praised the activists but warned them not to be satisfied with the prize: keep going on in your way to give a hand to stabilize 14 our planet.
Thanks you for all of your comments and keep them coming.
Also visit our relationship blog. You can provide advice to others while improving your written English.
If you want to ask our audience for advice, write to mosaic@voanews.com. Type "relationship" in the subject line. We won't publish your name but please include your age, sex and country.
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One Direction’s Harry Styles
JUNE SIMMS: One Direction is a hot, new boy band that got its start on the television show “X-Factor.” In less than two years, the group has a very popular first album and two hit singles. And, all the shows on its American concert tour are sold-out.
The five members of One Direction are from England and Ireland. But the boys are extremely popular in America, too. In March, One Direction performed for the “Today” show television program on the streets of New York. About fifteen thousand people showed up to watch, a “Today” show record.
Recently, VOA’s Larry London spoke 15 to lead singer Harry Styles at a stop on the One Direction concert series in America.
LARRY LONDON: How has all of this stuff affected 16 you? In the last year? You guys are now reviving boy bands and the British invasion again. So how’s that hitting you?”
HARRY STYLES: “I think for us where just normal lads, so, we’re normal teenage guys so for all this to be happening is absolutely crazy. And we’re having so much fun. We work so, so hard, so we play hard as well.”
JUNE SIMMS: One Direction’s first single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” was a number one hit in Britain and Ireland. It went to number four on Billboard’s singles chart after its release in America.
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Larry London asked Harry Styles about some of the comments music critics have made about One Direction.
LARRY LONDON: “Now, how does the comparison to the Beatles affect you? Because I know Sir Paul McCartney recently said something in an interview to be careful about those comparisons.”
HARRY STYLES: “You know a lot of people aim to be stuff like the next Beatles. And I think, if you base your career on trying to achieve someone else’s goals, that’s kind of the wrong way to do it. So, it’s incredibly flattering. I’m a massive fan of the Beatles. I listened to them growing up. So to have that comparison is huge, but, at the same time, we kind of find it a bit ridiculous because the Beatles are such an icon 17.”
JUNE SIMMS: One Direction’s album is called “Up All Night.” Singer Kelly Clarkson helped write this song, “Tell Me A Lie.”
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One Direction is currently working on a second album. Larry London asked about that project.
LARRY LONDON: “Now the second album is that going to be like the first album, ‘Up All Night’?”
HARRY STYLES: Yeah I think it’s important that we don’t try too many new things too soon. I think that sound is very us so I think it’s gonna' be the same kind of vibe as the first album. Just, I think, the music will grow up as we grow up. So it will kind of evolve a little bit.”
JUNE SIMMS: Harry Styles said the band has experienced all kinds of new things with all the travelling and fame. But he said one of the most exciting events was selling out the band’s concert at Madison Square Garden.
HARRY STYLES: “It’s such a prestigious 18 venue 19. To be playing there is a great honor.”
JUNE SIMMS: We leave you with One Direction performing “Gotta' Be You” from the album “Up All Night.”
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JUNE SIMMS: I’m June Simms. This program was written and produced by Caty Weaver 20. Rosanne Skirble provided additional reporting.
Join us again next week for music and more on AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.
- The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
- The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。
- 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。
- The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
- The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。
- There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
- The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。
- Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- They instilled the work ethic into their children.他们在孩子们的心中注入了职业道德的理念。
- The connotation of education ethic is rooted in human nature's mobility.教育伦理的内涵根源于人本性的变动性。
- Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
- They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。
- His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
- We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。
- He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
- Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。
- My T-shirt went all baggy in the wash.我的T恤越洗越大了。
- Baggy pants are meant to be stylish,not offensive.松松垮垮的裤子意味着时髦，而不是无礼。
- Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
- The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
- His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
- Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
- His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。
- 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。
- She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
- His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
- They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
- Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。
- The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
- You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。