时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2010年(八)月


英语课

The first English-language novel published by an Arab-American author marks its 100th anniversary


Mohamed Elshinnawi | Washington, DC 20 August 2010




 

Photo: Courtesy Project Khalid

Khalil Gibran, author of 'The Prophet,' and another significant Arab-American literary figure, provided illustrations for 'The Book of Khalid.'


The first English-language novel ever published by an Arab-American author is about to mark its 100th anniversary.


 


"The Book of Khalid," the story of two Arab boys who immigrate 1 to New York City in pursuit of the American dream, explores author Ameen Rihani's hopes for harmony between the two cultures.


Nearly a century later, it's a theme that continues to resonate.


Still relevant


"The Book of Khalid" was published in 1911, but the issues it explores are still timely, says May Rihani, an Arab American poet and the author's niece.




Courtesy Project Khalid

Arab-American author Ameen Rihani in 1916




"The whole book is about how the migrants see this new world and how an Arab — in particular — interacts with the culture of the U.S., with the daily life, with materialism 2 and spirituality, how those two cultures interface 3 and how those two cultures — meaning the Arab culture and the American culture — can be useful to each other and how we can learn from each other."


May Rihani says Khalid, the Lebanese immigrant and title character of the novel, turns his immersive experience in New York and American culture into a plea for political and economic progress in the Arab world.


In the novel, Khalid wonders whether the freedom he's found in America — symbolized 4 by New York's famed Statue of Liberty — might inspire a similar birth of freedom across the Arab world.


"Is it possible that the future will witness a Statue of Liberty next to the Pyramids?" the character asks.




Courtesy Project Khalid

'The Book of Khalid' by Ameen Rihani




New meaning in post 9/11 world


The century-old tale of a young Arab's cross-cultural dream of freedom has great relevance 5 in today's post-9/11 world.


A group of scholars and public figures plans to mark the 100th anniversary of the book with Project Khalid, a series of events meant to share Rihani's vision of U.S.-Arab dialogue with a wider American audience.


Todd Fine, Project Khalid's director, believes the novel would be especially interesting to American students, providing a unique view of Arab culture, history and the experience of Arab migrants.


One of the major objectives in the coming year will be to introduce a new edition of Rihani's novel to U.S. high school and college curricula, just one of a series of efforts planned to acquaint more Americans with "The Book of Khalid."


"Additionally, we are planning an event at the Library of Congress in March, 2011, to give the official celebration of the novel and to be a forum 6 for experts and scholars to commemorate 7 it," says Fine. "We are also planning a website and some media outreach that will demonstrate to the entire country the importance of the 100th anniversary of the first Arab-American novel."


According to Fine, the Khalid Project is assembling a group of American scholars, teachers and librarians to conduct a public workshop on Rihani's work.


Bridge of understanding


One of those experts is Nathan Funk, an assistant professor of peace and conflict studies at Waterloo University in Canada and the author of "Ameen Rihani: Bridging East and West."


"Here is a person who was a product of two cultures and who found much of value in both and who felt that his humanity was completed by participating in both, even though they seem at times to have some different value priorities and differences in world view," says Funk. "He actively 8 worked within himself to get a view of the world that was large enough to include the strength of both cultures, to find places where they met and could create a basis for a fuller way of being human."


Funk says author Ameen Rihani also anticipated in the political commentary running through "The Book of Khalid," that America and the Arab world would need skilled cultural ambassadors to bridge the gulf 9 between them and to prevent dangerous misunderstandings.


He believes that, at this critical time in U.S.-Arab relations, the title character in Ameen Rihani's 1911 novel might serve the role of cultural ambassador very ably.



1 immigrate
v.(从外国)移来,移居入境
  • 10,000 people are expected to immigrate in the next two years.接下来的两年里预计有10,000人会移民至此。
  • Only few plants can immigrate to the island.只有很少的植物能够移植到这座岛上。
2 materialism
n.[哲]唯物主义,唯物论;物质至上
  • Idealism is opposite to materialism.唯心论和唯物论是对立的。
  • Crass materialism causes people to forget spiritual values.极端唯物主义使人忘掉精神价值。
3 interface
n.接合部位,分界面;v.(使)互相联系
  • My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
  • This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了,适用范围广。
4 symbolized
v.象征,作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 )
  • For Tigress, Joy symbolized the best a woman could expect from life. 在她看,小福子就足代表女人所应有的享受。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
  • A car symbolized distinction and achievement, and he was proud. 汽车象征着荣誉和成功,所以他很自豪。 来自辞典例句
5 relevance
n.中肯,适当,关联,相关性
  • Politicians' private lives have no relevance to their public roles.政治家的私生活与他们的公众角色不相关。
  • Her ideas have lost all relevance to the modern world.她的想法与现代社会完全脱节。
6 forum
n.论坛,讨论会
  • They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
  • The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
7 commemorate
vt.纪念,庆祝
  • This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
  • We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。
8 actively
adv.积极地,勤奋地
  • During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
  • We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。
9 gulf
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
学英语单词
abrasiometer
accuracy of forecasting techniques
Adcon-I
anadara taiwanica
bachelor apartments
balanced value
Baushar
be in duty bound to do
bellyaching
benzyl neocaprate
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botulin
canalicyoplasty
cascom
character generation option
chopping device
consumer profiling
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cyclically balanced budget
delve into sth
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down for lining
drugg
dutch-speaking
eigenspectra
eight-liter
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eprolin-S
expect to departure
extended low-surface brightness source
f.f
Fay-wei
fixing powder
forgat
Franklin Mts.
gyrene
Habit-formation
ignition point
inquests
internal block brake
Ishinomaki
Kapachira Falls
Kefenrod
kemppi
lithotriptor
longitudinal median plane
Makushino
mal de raquette
malt vinegar
material surface
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neurofibromas
neuron nucleus
non-negative characteristic form
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nucleus fastigii
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periglacial
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plumbous nitrate
Podophyllum hexandrum
prosopopoeia
pseudo-indole
quadrate (bone)
re-arrive
reciprocal coefficient
resonant-cavity maser
rice scoop
roof bar
rubbing off
scolithus
self-align type
self-parodying
simal
sixthform
sizzle reel
source neutron
spanandry
spirocheticidal
ST_technology_internet-terminology-and-abbreviations
Super Technirama
supernity
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tabular calculation
taibi
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tectosilicates
temporary ramp
tighthead
trpes
tuberculum
vapour check
venae conjunctivales anteriores et posteriores
VG-BWS
vinyl tile
writing-pad
yarmuk
yoldia similis