(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Shirley Griffith. And I'm Ray Freeman with the VOA Special English program PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Every week we tell about someone important in the history of the United States.
This week we tell about Phillis Wheatley, the first black female poet in the United States.
The girl who became known as Phillis Wheatley was born about seventeen fifty-three in Senegal, Africa. She was kidnapped and brought to the New England colonies in North America on a ship that carried slaves. The ship's name was Phillis.
The girl was between seven and eight years old. She was weak and sickly. So her price was not very high. She was sold in a slave market in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, in August seventeen sixty-one. John Wheatley, an international businessman, bought her to serve his wife, Susannah.
Phillis came from a culture that was very different from that of the Wheatleys. She found the food, customs and beliefs to be new and strange. The other slaves in the house taught her many things about America.
Phillis quickly learned the rules of slavery. She learned that slaves could not beat drums because slave owners feared that secret messages were being passed to slaves on other farms. She learned that in Southern states it was a crime to teach a slave to read and write.
In Northern states in the seventeen hundreds, black slaves were treated better than they were in the Southern states. Restrictions against the education of slaves were not as severe as they were in the South. Many of the slaves in New England were even urged to learn to read, especially the Bible, the major book of the Christian religion. Many people thought that slaves should read the Bible so they could become better believers of the Christian religion.
In New England, blacks were free to meet with each other in groups. Many times male slaves were accepted as members of the community for special projects. These included gatherings to clean corn or to build a farm house. Female slaves cooked for the groups.
From her earliest days as a slave, Phillis was a happy, busy person. She liked to keep busy. She especially liked to do things with her hands. She quickly learned how to clean around the Wheatley house and how to do the dishes. But her mind seemed to move even faster than her hands. She wanted to do everything.
Phillis's new family had unusual beliefs for the times. John Wheatley and his wife were educated people. Susannah Wheatley believed that all human beings, including African slaves, could learn if given the chance. She believed that all people, of any skin color, should love and respect each other. She treated Phillis more as a daughter than as a slave. Mrs. Wheatley said, "You're my black child. You're my Phillis."
Susannah Wheatley soon recognized Phillis's intelligence and desire to learn. Mrs. Wheatley observed how Phillis loved books and the care she took with them. At times, Phillis would smell the pages of the books and hold them close to her.
One day, one of the slaves in the Wheatley home found Phillis writing on the wall of Mrs. Wheatley's room with a piece of coal. Phillis had been cleaning the dust from a book. She decided to copy the letters from the cover of the book. The slave brought Mrs. Wheatley to inspect the marks on the wall. But Susannah Wheatley did not get angry. Instead, she smiled.
Mrs. Wheatley gave Phillis a pencil and paper and a little table on which to write. She showed the writing on the wall to her daughter Mary. Mary was as surprised as her mother at how well Phillis had copied the letters. Mary told Phillis she would teach her to write -- on paper, not on walls.
Mary Wheatley began to teach Phillis to read and write English. She also taught Phillis the Christian religion. Phillis learned quickly. She learned the English alphabet in a few weeks. In a year and one-half after she arrived in America, Phillis could read English. And she could read and understand difficult parts of the Bible.
Phillis loved to learn new words. She enjoyed the new feelings that went with the sounds. She especially liked writing and creating new ways of saying things.
Mary taught Phillis about writings from other countries. America was a young nation. It had not yet produced writers and poets like older nations.
So Phillis studied the writings of European writers. She read the work of the Greek poet Homer, the English poets Keats and Pope, and the plays and poetry of Shakespeare. She read and re-read the Bible.
Phillis was about twelve years old when she began to write poetry. One of her earliest poems was about her religious faith. It questioned how a person could not believe in God:
"Thou who dost daily feel his hand, and rod
Darest thou deny the essence of a God!
If ther's no heav'n, ah! Whither wilt thou go. ... "
Phillis Wheatley's first major work was "An Elegiac Poem on the Death of the Celebrated Divine." It was published in seventeen seventy. Phillis wrote the long poem to honor a famous clergyman who had died.
Phillis wrote mostly about religion and morals. Many of her poems were created at the request of someone to honor a family member who had died. Her poems are representative of the times. They expressed common reactions to personal events such as deaths or marriages. Or they honored public events such as battles.
Phillis had an unusual life for a slave. Mr. Wheatley had stopped having Phillis do house cleaning jobs. She made sure Phillis had time to study and to visit the family friends. But Phillis was not permitted to make friends with other uneducated slaves. So she remained separate from both white and black worlds. While she was considered above the other black slaves, she was never considered an equal of white slave owners.
One time she was invited to dinner in the home of one of Mrs. Wheatley's relations. The servants said that it was the first time they ever carried food to a woman with skin their color. But Phillis usually sat at a table separate from the white people at a dinner party.
Phillis Wheatley became famous in Europe as well as in America. She travelled to London in seventeen seventy-three and gave poetry readings there. She was twenty years old. The writings of the young slave from Africa surprised everyone.
During her visit in London, she was to have been presented to King George the third. But she received urgent news from America. Mrs. Wheatley was very sick and had asked that Phillis return to Boston. Phillis returned home quickly.
That meant she missed the publication in London of her book poems on various subjects, religious and moral. It contained thirty-eight of her poems. It was the first published book written by a black person in America. And it was only the second book written by an American woman.
Newspapers in London highly praised her poems. Her book sold very well there and later in America.
Phillis Wheatley had one more brief period of being famous. In seventeen seventy-five, she wrote a poem about George Washington. He had become commander of the Colonial forces in the American revolution. The poem was called "His Excellency General Washington." It called Washington "first in peace and honors." She sent her poem to him.
Some time later, she was invited to visit George Washington in his headquarters. It was an unusual visit between a black woman poet and a military commander.
Phillis took care of Susannah during her long final sickness. When Mrs. Wheatley died in March seventeen seventy-four, Phillis wrote that she had lost a friend and parent.
After Susannah's death, Phillis was freed by the Wheatley family. But her life became more difficult.
She married John Peters, a free black man. He failed in many business attempts. Their three children died at a very young age.
Phillis tried to publish another book of her poems. But now that she was free, she had lost her appeal as a slave poet. Phillis Wheatley died poor and alone in seventeen eighty-four. She was thirty-one years old.
重点解析
1.meet with 符合；遇见
Only those who have enough courage and determination can overcome the difficult they meet with.
只有那些有足够勇气和决心的人才能克服他们的所遇到的困难。
2.at the request of应…的邀请
The meeting was organized at the request of Russia.
这次会议是在俄罗斯请求下举办的。
3.as well as 也；和…一样
He gave me advice as well as some warnings.
他除了向我提建议也给了问我一些忠告。
4.be known as 被认为是；被称为
Earth is one of nine planets which revolve around the sun. This family of planets, with their moons, is known as the solar system.
地球是围绕太阳旋转的行星之一。这个行星家庭以及它们的卫星，就是我们所知道的太阳系。
5.make sure确保
Our assets walk out of the door each evening. We have to make sure that they come back the next morning.
我们的资产每个晚上都要走出我们的大门，我们必须确保他们第二天早上还能回来。
6.close to接近于；靠近
One of these landed on my trousers and allowed me to get really close to it with the camera.
马蝇中的一只落在我的裤子上，让我能把照相机凑到离它非常近的地方。
参考译文
我是雪莉·格里菲斯，我是雷·弗里曼，这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。每周我们都会讲述一位美国历史上重要人物的故事。
这周我们讲述菲莉斯·惠特利的故事，她是美国历史上第一位黑人女诗人。
这个被称为菲利斯·惠特利的女孩大约于1753年出生在非洲的塞内加尔。她被绑架了，然后在一个运送奴隶的船只上被带到北美洲的新英格兰殖民地，那艘船的名字叫做菲利斯号。
这个女孩当时大概有7、8岁。她虚弱多病，所以她的价格不是很高。1761年8月，她被卖到了马萨诸塞州波士顿的一个奴隶市场。约翰·惠特利是个国际商人，他买了菲利斯来侍奉自己的妻子苏珊娜。
菲利斯来自一个和惠特利非常不一样的文化。她发现那里的食物、习惯和信仰很新奇。这家里的其他奴隶教给她很多关于美洲的事情。
菲利斯很快就学会了奴隶制的规则。她学到了奴隶们不能击鼓，因为奴隶主们担心他们会给其它农场的奴隶传递消息。她了解到，在南方各州，教奴隶阅读和写字是一项犯罪活动。
在18世纪的北方各州，黑奴受到的待遇比南方各州要好。对奴隶们接受教育的限制并不像南方那么严重。在新英格兰，很多奴隶都被要求学习阅读，尤其是阅读基督教主要的作品《圣经》。很多人认为奴隶们应该阅读《圣经》，这样他们就会成为基督教更好的信徒。
在新英格兰，黑奴可以以小组方式和其他黑奴见面。很多时候，男性黑奴都被接受为社区特别项目的成员。这些活动包括清洁玉米或建造农舍。女性黑奴则为大家做饭。
菲利斯在作为黑奴的早期日子里，是一个开心而又忙碌的人。她喜欢忙碌。她特别喜欢用自己的双手做一些事情。她很快就学会如何打扫惠特利家的房子和如何洗碗。但是她的头脑似乎比她的双手更灵活。她想做任何事情。
菲利斯的家庭在当时有着不同寻常的信仰。约翰·惠特利和他的妻子都是受过教育的人。苏珊娜·惠特利认为所有的人类，包括非洲黑奴，如果有机会都可以学习。她认为所有的人类，不管皮肤颜色是怎么样的，都应该关爱和尊重彼此。她对待菲利斯更像是一个女儿，而不是一个奴隶。惠特利夫人说，“你是我的黑皮肤的孩子，你是我们家的菲利斯”。
苏珊娜·惠特利很快就发现菲利斯的智力和学习的欲望。惠特利夫人观察到菲利斯很热爱书籍，很爱护它们。有时候，菲利斯会闻书的味道，把它们抱的很近。
一天，惠特利家的一个奴隶发现菲利斯拿着一块煤在惠特利夫人房间的墙上写字。菲利斯一直在清理一本书上的灰尘。她决定从这本书的封面上抄下这些信。奴隶带惠特利夫人来检查墙上的记号。但苏珊娜·惠特利并没有生气。相反，她笑了。
惠特利夫人给菲利斯一支铅笔、一张纸和一张小桌子，让他在上面写字。她把写在墙上的字拿给女儿玛丽看。玛丽和她母亲一样，对菲利斯抄写得那么好的字体感到惊讶。玛丽告诉菲利斯她将教她在纸上写字，而不是在墙上。
玛丽·惠特利开始教菲利斯阅读和写作英语。她也教菲利斯基督教的事情。菲利斯学得很快。在短短几周内她就学会了英语字母表。菲利斯在到达美国的一年半后，就能阅读英文了。而且，他可以阅读和理解《圣经》中较难的部分。
菲利斯喜欢学习新的词汇。她喜欢伴随着这种声音而来的新感觉。她特别喜欢写作和创作新的表达事物的方式。
玛丽教她其他国家的作品。美国还是一个年轻的国家。不像其他有悠久历史的国家，美国还没有诞生一些作家和诗人。
所以菲利斯学习了欧洲作家的作品。她阅读了希腊诗人荷马、英国诗人济慈和蒲伯的作品。还有莎士比亚的戏剧和诗作。她也反复地阅读圣经。
菲利斯开始写诗的时候大概12岁了。她最早的一首诗是关于她的宗教信仰的。它质问一个人怎么会不信仰上帝：
“那些不能每天感受到他的双手和权杖的人，
你们敢否认上帝的本质吗！
如果没有天堂，啊！你们会去到哪里...”
菲莉斯·惠特莉的第一个主要作品是《一首关于这位著名的神之死的挽歌》。”它发表于1770年。菲利斯写这首长诗是为了纪念一位已逝的有名的牧师。
菲利斯写了很多关于宗教和道德的作品。她很多的诗都是应某个为纪念一个已逝的家庭成员的人的请求而创作的。她的诗具有时代的代表性。这些诗表达了对个人大事的常见的反应，比如死亡或是婚姻。或者纪念像战争这样的公共事件。
菲利斯作为一个奴隶过着不同寻常的生活。惠特利夫人不让菲利斯做家庭清洁工作了。她给菲利斯足够的时间去学习和拜访家人的朋友。但是她不允许菲利斯和其他没有受过教育的奴隶交朋友。所以她与白人和黑人的世界都保持着距离。虽然人们认为她比其他黑人奴隶更优越，但人们从来没有认为她与白人奴隶主是平等的。
有一次，她被邀请到惠特利夫人的一个亲戚家吃饭。仆人们说，这是他们第一次给和他们肤色相同的女人送食物。但在晚宴上，菲利斯通常不会喝白人坐在一张桌子旁。
菲利斯·惠特利在欧洲和美国都变得很出名。1773年，她去了伦敦，在那里做诗歌朗诵。当时她20岁。这个来自非洲的年轻的黑人震惊了所有人。
她在伦敦参观的时候，本有幸能被国王乔治三世会见。但是，她收到了来自美国的紧急消息。惠特利夫人病很重，她让菲利斯返回波士顿。菲利斯就很快回家了。
这意味着她错过了她在伦敦出版的关于宗教和道德等各种主题的诗集的事情。这个诗集包含了她创作的38首诗。这是首次出版的由美国黑人创作的书籍。而且它仅仅是第二本由美国女性举行创作的作品。
伦敦的报纸高度赞扬了菲利斯的作品。她的书在伦敦销量很好，后来在美国也是一样。
菲利斯·惠特利还有一段更短暂的成名期。1775年，她创作了一首关于乔治·华盛顿的诗。那时，华盛顿已成为美国独立战争中殖民地军队的指挥官。这首诗名为《华盛顿将军阁下》。它称华盛顿是“和平与荣誉第一”。菲利斯把她的诗寄给了华盛顿。
一段时间后，她被邀请去乔治·华盛顿的总部拜访他。那是一次不同寻常的拜访，它发生在一个黑人女性和一个军事指挥官之间。
菲利斯在苏珊娜临终前长时间的病危时期一直照顾着她。
当惠特利夫人于1774年3月去世时，菲利斯写道，她失去了一位朋友和母亲。苏珊娜死后，惠特利一家让菲利斯成为了自由人。但是，她的生活变得更加艰难了。
她嫁给了一个叫约翰·皮特斯的自由黑人。他在多次商业尝试中都失败了。他们的三个孩子在很小的时候就过世了。
菲利斯想出版另外一本自己的诗集。但是现在她已是自由身，她失去了作为奴隶诗人的吸引力。菲利斯·惠特利于1784年在贫困和孤独中死去。年仅31岁。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
