(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Bob Doughty. And I'm Faith Lapidus with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today we tell about the nineteenth century artist Mary Cassatt. She was best known for her beautifully expressive paintings of women and children. Cassatt spent her life working to change traditional beliefs about art and a woman's role in society. Mary Cassatt was born in eighteen forty-four near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, Robert, was a wealthy investor. Her mother, Katherine, had a deep knowledge of books, art and the French language. When Mary was seven years old, her family moved to Europe for several years. Mister Cassatt wanted his children to experience European education and culture. The Cassatt family lived in Paris, France for about two years before moving to Heidelberg in modern day Germany. In eighteen fifty-five, Mary's brother Robbie died. Mister Cassatt decided it was time to return to the United States. But first, the family stopped once more in Paris.
It was an exciting time to be in that city. Mary and her family visited the Universal Exhibition. This event showed the success of French art and industry. Mary would have seen important works by the most famous French artists of the time. She might also have seen the works of a revolutionary painter, Gustave Courbet. Courbet's art was criticized for its realism. So, he was not permitted to show his work in the exhibit. Instead, he created his own exhibit space nearby. At an early age Mary saw the different movements within the French art world. She would one day be part of this world and would make her own rebellious art. During the nineteenth century in the United States, wealthy women usually did not have careers. Women generally learned how to care for a house. They might learn to play music, sew and paint. But Mary Cassatt was different. She believed that her training in art was much more than a fun activity. She saw art as her future. In eighteen sixty, at the age of seventeen, Mary began classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her father did not approve of her decision to become an artist. But Mary did not let this stop her.
Mary Cassatt worked very hard and was a good student. But she realized that to become a fully trained artist, she had to go to Europe to study. Travel was impossible during the four year American Civil War that began in eighteen sixty-one. So, it was not until eighteen sixty-six that she returned to Paris. For four years, Mary studied in Paris and other smaller towns in France. Because she was a woman, she could not study at the French Academy of Fine Arts in Paris. Instead, she created her own program of study. Cassatt worked hard copying the great paintings hanging in the Louvre museum. She also studied with different teachers. In eighteen sixty-eight, one of Mary Cassatt's paintings was accepted into the Paris Salon. This show was operated by the government-controlled French Academy of Fine Arts. Two years later, the Salon accepted another of her paintings. Her career as a successful artist had begun.
In eighteen seventy, Mary Cassatt returned home to Pennsylvania. But life at home was not easy. Her father was no longer willing to support Mary's artistic career. She tried showing her paintings in New York City, but no one bought them. She exhibited her art in Chicago, only to lose them all in the Great Chicago Fire of eighteen seventy-one. Luckily, a religious center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hired her to copy two famous religious paintings that hung in Parma, Italy. Mary Cassatt had found a way to return to her beloved Europe and be paid to work. In Parma, she soon began to receive wide critical praise for her art. Cassatt continued to have her works accepted in the Paris Salon. But she began to tire of the traditional values of the official art world. The Salon was very set in its ways. It rejected works that showed bright colors, unusual subjects, or any form of experimentation. Cassatt had to make a decision: Would she paint in a way that received public approval or in a way that she found interesting and exciting?
She found her answer in a group of rebellious painters known as the Impressionists. Mary Cassatt once said that she used to go to a Paris art seller's shop. She would flatten her nose against the window to take in all that she could of the art of Edgar Degas. She said his paintings changed her life. In eighteen seventy-seven, Edgar Degas came to her studio and asked her to join his group of artists who called themselves the Independents. This group later became known as the Impressionists. These artists included Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro. Degas and the other artists had decided that they would no longer follow the rules and restrictions of the Paris Salon. These artists refused to submit art to the Salon. Instead, they formed their own exhibition in eighteen seventy-four. Today, the works in this historical show are some of the most famous paintings in the world. But at the time, many people condemned their art. Degas and the Impressionists were interested in painting the effects of light, and how the human eye sees subjects. The Impressionists used bright colors, rough brush strokes and thick paint to show light and movement in its many forms. They also painted subjects of everyday life. Traditional artists generally painted imagined scenes from history or literature.
Mary Cassatt said this about Edgar Degas' invitation to join the Impressionists: "I accepted with joy. I hated conventional art. I began to live." Cassatt spent two years producing works to show in the Impressionists' next exhibit in eighteen seventy-nine. During this period, her parents moved to Paris. Finally, Robert Cassatt had accepted his daughter's skill, and praised her growing success. Paintings from this period include one of her mother reading a newspaper. It is called "Reading Le Figaro." Mary Cassatt's loose brush work skillfully captures the effect of the sunlight in the room. In "Woman and Child Driving" she masters the effect of outdoor light and draws attention to a child's glowing face. Her works show people in private moments. Her subjects act naturally, and are sometimes caught in movement. Mary Cassatt did not stay with the Impressionists for long. She chose freedom over being part of a set art movement. In the eighteen nineties Cassatt started to experiment with making prints. She was influenced by a series of prints from Japan. She repeated their simple but very modern forms in her own prints. They include "La Toilette," an image of a woman bathing.
In "Maternal Caress," a few simple lines express the deep love of a mother for her child. Mary Cassatt sold many copies of her prints when she exhibited them in Paris. And, she would continue to explore the subject of mothers and children in her paintings. In "Baby Reaching for an Apple" Cassatt shows a mother gently holding her child as the baby looks with wonder at the fruit. "The Boating Party" shows a mother and child in a small boat. The diagonal angle of the painting is very bold and inventive. Cassatt held another successful exhibit in eighteen ninety-three. One critic said that no artist had painted "the poem of the family" with such feeling. Mary Cassatt had become one of the most successful artists of her time. Cassatt bought a house in the French countryside and used her success to help others. She advised young artists. She also helped wealthy American art collectors choose fine works of art by Impressionist painters. She believed it was important that Americans be able to study such fine art at home. Thanks to her efforts, many Impressionist paintings became part of American art collections. Cassatt also worked hard to support women's right to vote in the United States.
Mary Cassatt won many top awards, but she refused to accept most of them. She said she was an early member of an independent art movement and was against juries, medals and awards. Cassatt continued working and travelling into her late sixties. She later was forced to stop painting because of her failing eyesight. Mary Cassatt died in nineteen twenty-six at the age of eighty-two. She spent most of her life working to change traditional beliefs about art, artists and a woman's professional role in society. Today, her paintings are in the top museum collections in the world.
重点解析
1.revolutionary 革命性的
Do you know anything about the revolutionary movement?
你了解这场革命运动吗？
2.permit 允许
The guards permitted me to bring my camera and tape recorder.
守卫允许我带上相机和录音机。
3.rebellious 叛逆的
He grew older and more rebellious.
他长大了，也越发叛逆了。
4.care for 照顾
They hired a nurse to care for her.
他们雇了个护士来照顾她。
5.approve of 赞成
I quite approve of the idea of your plan.
我赞同你计划中的想法。
6.restriction 限制；约束
The relaxation of travel restrictions means they are free to travel and work.
旅游限制的放松意味着他们可以自由地出行和工作。
参考译文
我是鲍勃·道蒂。我是菲丝·拉伯蒂斯。这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。今天我们将讲述19世纪的艺术家玛丽·卡萨特。她以其富有表现力的女性和儿童画作而知名。卡萨特一生都致力于改变社会对艺术和女性角色的传统信仰。1844年玛丽·卡萨特在宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡附近出生。她的父亲罗伯特是一名富有的投资人。她的母亲卡瑟琳对书籍、艺术和法语颇有了解。玛丽7岁的时候，她们家搬到了欧洲。卡萨特先生希望自己的孩子们可以体验欧洲的教育和文化。卡萨特一家在法国巴黎生活了大概两年，之后又搬到了德国现在的海德尔堡。1855年，玛丽的哥哥罗比去世了。卡萨特先生决定是时候回到美国了。但是一家人首先又一次停留在了巴黎。
在这座城市的日子令人兴奋。玛丽和家人去了世界博览会。这次展览会展现了法国艺术和工业的成功。玛丽看到了那个时代法国著名艺术家的重要作品。她还能看到改革派画家居斯塔夫·库尔贝的作品。库尔贝的艺术因其现实主义而受到批评因此展览会上不允许展出他的作品。而他在附近创办了自己的展览。小时候，玛丽目睹了法国艺术界的不同运动。她将来也会成为艺术界的一份子，并创作自己的叛逆性艺术。美国19世纪期间，富有的女士都没有自己的事业。女性通常只学习如何照顾家庭。她们或许还学习音乐、缝纫和绘画。但是玛丽·卡萨特却不同。她认为她在艺术方面的训练不仅仅是一项娱乐活动。她将艺术视为自己的未来。1860年，17岁的玛丽时候开始在宾夕法尼亚艺术学院学习。她的父亲并不赞成她成为艺术家的决定，但是玛丽没有停止她的脚步。
玛丽·卡萨特非常努力也是一名好学生。但是她意识到要成为一名训练有素的艺术家，她需要去欧洲学习。1861年的美国内战已经开始，这四年内要出国是不可能的事情。因此，直到1866年她才返回巴黎。那四年里，玛丽在巴黎和法国其他几个小镇学习。因为她是一位女性，她无法在巴黎的法国美术学院学习。而她创立了自己的学习项目。卡萨特努力模仿卢浮宫中的伟大画作。她还向不同老师学习。1868年，玛丽·卡萨特的一幅画入选巴黎沙龙。这场展览由政府机构法国美术学院操办。两年后，巴黎沙龙接受了玛丽的另一幅作品。她作为一位成功艺术家的事业就此拉开序幕。1870年，玛丽·卡萨特回到宾夕法尼亚。但是家中的生活并不容易。她的父亲再也不愿支持玛丽的艺术生涯。她试着在纽约展出自己的画作，但是没人买。她在芝加哥展出自己的画作，但全部毁在了1871年的芝加哥大火中。
幸运的是，宾夕法尼亚匹兹堡的一家宗教中心雇她仿画挂在意大利帕尔马的两幅著名宗教画作。玛丽·卡萨特找到了一条重返欧洲的方法，并开始有偿工作。在帕尔马，她很快便受到了广泛的好评。卡萨特继续让她的画作得到巴黎沙龙的认可。但她开始疲于那些正统艺术界的传统价值。巴黎沙龙很固执。它拒绝那些展出那些明亮色彩、不同物体或是任何实验型形式的作品。卡萨特需要做出选择：是以公众接受的方式画画还是以她认为有趣又刺激的方式作画？她在一群被称为印象主义画家的叛逆画家群体中找到了答案。
玛丽·卡萨特曾说她曾去过一家巴黎艺术卖家的商店。她会贴着橱窗欣赏可以看见的所有埃德加·德加的作品。她说他的画作改变了她的一生。1877年，埃德加·德加来到她的工作室，邀请她加入他的艺术家团队，他们称自己是独立派。之后这个团体变成了众所周知的印象派画家。这群艺术家包括克劳德·莫奈、奥古斯特·雷诺阿以及卡米耶·毕沙罗。德加和其他艺术家认为他们将不再遵循巴黎沙龙的规则和限制。这些艺术家拒绝将向巴黎沙龙屈服。相反，他们在1874年创立了自己的展览会。如今，此次历史性展览中的画作是世界最著名画作中的一些。但那时，很多人谴责了他们的艺术。德加和印象派画家对绘制光线效果以及人类眼睛看见实物的方式很感兴趣。印象派画家以多种形式利用明亮的光线、粗糙的画笔描边以及厚漆展现灯光和移动。
他们还画日常生活中的物体。传统艺术家通常是画那些想象出来的历史和文学场景。玛丽·卡萨特谈到埃德加·德加邀请她加入印象派画家：“我接受这份喜悦。我憎恨传统画。我开始活着。”卡萨特花了两年时间为1879年印象派画家的下一次展览创作。在那期间，她的父母搬到了巴黎。最终，罗伯特·卡萨特接受了他女儿的画技并赞扬了她的成功。那段时期她的作品中包括一幅她的母亲在读报的场景—《Reading Le Figaro》。玛丽·卡萨特散漫的画法巧妙地抓住了房间内的阳光效果。在《Woman and Child Driving》这幅画中，她掌握了室外光线的效果并将注意力引到了孩子明艳的脸颊上。她的作品展现的是在私人时光的人们。她的参照物表现真实，有时画的就是一瞬间的抓拍。
玛丽·卡萨特没有和印象派画家呆多久。她选择自由而非成为固定艺术运动的一部分。19世纪90年代，她开始尝试版画。来自日本的一系列版画给她留下了深刻印象。她在自己的版画中尝试了他们的简单却非常现代的艺术形式。其中就包括一幅女士沐浴图《La Toilette》。在《Maternal Caress》这幅画中，一些简单的线条就展现了一位母亲对孩子深深的爱。在巴黎展出的时候，玛丽·卡萨特卖出了很多她的版画。并且她将继续在画作中探索母亲和孩子的这个主题。在《Baby Reaching for an Apple》这幅画中，卡萨特展现了一位母亲温柔地抱着她的孩子，那个宝宝惊奇地看着那颗水果。《The Boating Party》这幅画展现了在小船的母亲和孩子。这幅画的倾斜角度非常大胆且别出心裁。
卡萨特在1893年举办了另一场非常成功的展览。一名评论家称没有一位艺术家将“家庭的诗篇”画出了这种感觉。玛丽·卡萨特成为了她那个时期最成功的艺术家之一。卡萨特在法国乡下买了一幢房子并利用她的成功帮助其他人，为年轻的艺术家提供建议。她还帮助富有的美国艺术收藏家挑选印象派画家的艺术作品。她认为重要的是美国人可以在本国研究这种艺术。感谢她的努力，很多印象派画作成为了美国艺术收藏的一部分。卡萨特还努力支持美国女性选举权。玛丽·卡萨特获得了很多顶级奖项，但大多数奖项都被她拒绝了。她表示她是独立艺术运动的早期成员，反对评委会、奖牌和奖项。卡萨特继续工作旅行直到60多岁。之后由于视力衰退，她被迫停止作画。玛丽·卡萨特在1926年去世，享年82岁。她一生大部分时间都致力于改变社会对艺术、艺术家和女性职业角色的传统信仰。如今她的作品是世界顶级博物馆收藏系列
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