(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Shirley Griffith. And I'm Steve Ember with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we tell about James Baldwin, one of the most important American writers of the twentieth century. Critics praised him for honestly and bravely examining race relations and identity in the United States.
James Baldwin wrote more than twenty novels, reports and commentary, plays and poetry. He wrote most of them during the nineteen-fifties and sixties. Some critics say his first book, "Go Tell it on the Mountain," was his best effort at storytelling. The book is based on his early life.
James Baldwin was born in nineteen twenty-four in New York City. He grew up in a mostly black area of New York called Harlem. During the nineteen thirties, the United States was suffering an economic crisis called the Great Depression. Many African-Americans, including his family, were even poorer than white Americans.
James Baldwin was the oldest child in a family of nine. He never knew his biological father. When he was three years old, his mother married a factory worker. James grew up with a severe step-father. He writes about a similar difficult relationship between father and son in "Go Tell it on the Mountain".
Another similarity between the book and the writer's life is the importance of Christianity and the church. James's step-father was also a preacher in a small church in a business area of Harlem. Such religious centers that were former stores were called "storefront churches." They were common in African-American areas.
The boy in "Go Tell it on the Mountain" struggles between choosing to be like his father or doing something else with his life. The events happen on one day -- the boy's fourteenth birthday. In the end, he decides to do what his father wants. James Baldwin faced a similar struggle. He became a preacher in his step-father's church for three years.
But at age seventeen, he left the church. This struggle and his experience in the church greatly influenced his writing.
Critics and Baldwin himself have said the Christian holy book, The Bible, influenced his writing. Critics also said he writes the way African-American clergy speak in church. Baldwin uses similar words, sentence rhythms, and descriptions. Jazz and blues music traditions also influenced his writing. All these have made his writing more powerful and emotionally moving.
James Baldwin blamed Christianity for providing support to slavery. He also criticized some black Christians for using their religion as an excuse to accept oppression. But, Baldwin also praised Christianity for helping African-Americans join together to fight racism.
The book "Go Tell it on the Mountain" also describes how and why the boy's parents moved separately from the South to New York City. They were part of a great movement of southern blacks to the northern United States in the first half of the twentieth century. It was called the Great Migration.
African-Americans moved to escape southern laws on racial separation. Also, there was not enough farm work for everyone, while jobs in industries were increasing in the northern states. Baldwin explains this historical event in the personal stories of one family. His expert storytelling brings history to life.
James Baldwin said he had to write "Go Tell It on the Mountain" so that he could write everything else. He also said he realized at a very young age that he did not have very much as a black person in America. But he knew he had his brain. So he spent a lot of time in libraries reading. And he began to write for his school magazine. James Baldwin finished high school at about the same time that he realized that he did not want to continue as a church preacher. He left home and moved to an area of New York City called Greenwich Village. The area was popular with artists.
Baldwin got jobs that did not pay much. He was very poor. But he continued to write. He published reports in magazines such as the Partisan Review and the Nation. They were not very widely read. Baldwin communicated with Richard Wright, a well-known African-American writer. Wright helped Baldwin get financial help to travel to Europe to write. He went to Paris and London in nineteen forty-eight.
Baldwin lived in Paris and the south of France for the next six years. He also lived in Istanbul, Turkey. He wrote "Go Tell It On the Mountain," which was published in nineteen fifty-three. Critics in the United States announced the arrival of a great new voice in American writing. But the book did not become popular until much later.
In nineteen fifty-five, the essays and commentary Baldwin had written earlier were collected and published in a book. It is called "Notes of a Native Son." He wrote about social, political and cultural issues facing black people in America. He also told of his experience as a black man in Europe. Critics praised the book for clearly dealing with one of the most troubling issues of that time: racism.
Baldwin continued to write stories based on his experiences. "Giovanni's Room" was published in nineteen fifty-six. It is about a white American man in Paris who loves both an Italian man and an American woman. The book is about the struggle to accept one's sexuality. James Baldwin faced a similar struggle. His former religion condemned homosexuality, as did most of society. So it was difficult for Baldwin to accept himself.
He wrote about the same issue in his next book, "Another Country." This book is mainly based in New York City. It explores race, sex and identity among artists. Some critics said "Another Country" and "Giovanni's Room" were not very good books. But James Baldwin wrote openly and bravely about subjects that many people would not discuss in public in those days.
Critics praised Baldwin's books that directly examined true events more than they praised his fiction. His book, "The Fire Next Time," became one of the best-selling books of nineteen sixty-three. It was called a powerful and leading voice of the civil rights movement.
African-Americans and liberal white Americans increased demands and demonstrations for equal rights for black people and other minorities. Many activists went to the southern states to help more black people sign up to vote. Baldwin left Europe for some time to take part in this action.
"The Fire Next Time" is in the form of two letters. In the first, Baldwin tells a young family member about the problems he faced as a black man in America. Baldwin also tells him to be strong and fight for justice.
The second letter is to America. Baldwin warns that race relations are so bad that something terrible might happen if they do not improve. He urges white Americans to change for their own good because they cannot live without their black brothers.
The writer says love is the only way for America not to destroy itself. "The Fire Next Time" was an influential book. It made Baldwin even more famous. His picture appeared on the cover of Time magazine. "The Fire Next Time" remains one of his most widely read books.
James Baldwin wrote short stories, books and plays throughout the nineteen seventies and early eighties. He continued to explore issues of race, religion, sexual identity and history. These books include "The Amen Corner," "Tell me How Long the Train's Been Gone" and "If Beale Street Could Talk." His last book, "The Evidence of Things Not Seen," was published in nineteen eighty-five.
Baldwin lived both in the United States and France during this time. He taught in colleges, including the University of Massachusetts. He supported new African-American writers who later became famous, such as Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. James Baldwin was made a Commander of the French Legion of Honor in nineteen eighty-six. He also received many awards in the United States.
James Baldwin died at his home in southern France in nineteen eighty-seven. But his voice lives on in the books that young people still read in many American classrooms and around the world. Critics say his urgent warning that we must learn to accept one another's differences is still important today.
重点解析
1.In the end最终
In the end, we all decided to organize a concert for Easter.
最终，我们一致决定组织一场复活节音乐会。
2.bring to life使复苏
His novels bring to life the Victorian age.
他的小说把维多利亚时代的生活写活了。
3.deal with处理；应付
In dealing with suicidal youngsters, our aims should be clear.
在对待有自杀倾向的青少年时，我们的目标应当很明确。
4.based on基于
The selection process is based on rigorous tests of competence and experience.
选拔过程是基于对能力和经验的严格测试。
5.sign up签约；报名
He saw the song's potential, and persuaded the company to sign her up.
他看到了这首歌的潜力，就说服公司和她签约。
6.fight for为...而战
I hope they continue to fight for equal justice after I'm gone
我希望我走了以后他们能继续为司法公正而战。
参考译文
我是雪莉·格里菲斯，我是史蒂夫·恩贝尔，这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。今天我们讲述20世纪最重要的美国作家之一詹姆斯·鲍德温的故事。评论家称赞他诚实而勇敢地研究了美国的种族关系和身份。
詹姆斯·鲍德温创作了超过20本小说、报告、评论、戏剧和诗集。大多数作品创作于20世纪五六十年代。一些评论家称他的首本作品《去山上说》是他讲故事最好的作品。这本书是基于他的早期生活。
詹姆斯·鲍德温于1924年出生于纽约市。他在纽约一个叫哈莱姆的黑人聚居区长大。二十世纪三十年代，美国遭受了一场被称为“大萧条”的经济危机。许多非洲裔美国人，包括他的家人，甚至比美国白人还穷。
詹姆斯·鲍德温是九口之家里最大的孩子。他从不认识自己的生父。鲍德温三岁的时候，他的母亲嫁给了一名工厂工人。詹姆斯伴着一名严厉的继父长大。他在《去山上说》中描写了父子间类似的艰难关系。
这本书和作者生活的另一个相似之处是基督教和教会的重要性。詹姆斯的继父也是哈莱姆商业区的一个小教堂的一个牧师。这些以前是店铺的宗教中心被称为“临街教堂”。它们在非裔美国人的区域很常见。
《去山上说》中的男孩在像他父亲一样生活和做些其他事情之间挣扎。这些事情发生在一天-男孩的14岁生日。后来，他决定做他父亲想做的事情。詹姆斯·鲍德温面临着相似的挣扎。他在继父的教堂里做了三年的牧师。
但是在17岁的时候，他离开了教堂。这次挣扎和他在教堂的经历极大地影响了他的写作。
评论家和鲍德温本人都说过，基督教的圣经影响了他的写作。评论家也表示他用非裔美国牧师在教堂演讲的方式写作。鲍德温用相似的语言、句子节奏和描述。传统爵士和布鲁斯音乐也影响了他的写作。所有这些都使他的作品更加有力量和感人。
詹姆斯·鲍德温责备了基督教支持奴隶制。他也批判了一些黑人基督徒把宗教用作接受压迫的借口。但是鲍德温也称赞基督教帮助非裔美国人一起对抗种族歧视。
《去山上说》这本书还描述了小男孩的父母是如何以及为何从南方分别搬到纽约。他们是20世纪上半叶美国南部黑人向北部迁移运动的一部分。这次运动被称为大迁移。
非裔美国人搬走是为了逃脱南方的种族隔离法律。而且，南方没有足够的农活给每个人，而北方工业的岗位在增加。鲍德温用一个家庭的个人故事来解释这个历史事件。他擅长讲故事，使历史栩栩如生。
詹姆斯·鲍德温说，他必须写作《去山上说》，这样他才能写作别的东西。他也说，他在很小时就意识到，作为一个美国黑人，他没有拥有很多东西。但是他知道他有脑子。所以他花了大量时间在图书馆阅读。他开始为自己学校的杂志写作。詹姆斯·鲍德温高中毕业的同时，意识到自己不想继续当教堂牧师。他离开家搬到了纽约的一个叫格林威治村的地方。这个地方很受艺术家的欢迎。
鲍德温工作的薪水不高。他很贫穷。但是他继续写作。他在《党派评论》和《国家》等杂志上发表报告。它们没有被广泛阅读。鲍德温和知名的非裔美国作家理查德·赖特进行了交流。赖特帮助鲍德温获得经济资助，前往欧洲写作。
他在1948年去了巴黎和伦敦。鲍德温在接下来的六年里生活在巴黎和法国南部。他也曾居住在土耳其的伊斯坦布尔。她写作了《去山上说》，该书出版于1953年。美国的评论家们宣布了美国文学中一个伟大的新声音的到来。但是这本书直到很久以后才开始流行。
1955年，鲍德温早期写作的文章和评论被收集并出版成书。该书名为《土生子札记》。他在书中写了关于美国黑人面临的社会、政治和文化问题。他也讲到了自己作为一个黑人在欧洲的经历。评论家称赞这本书清楚地处理了当时最棘手的问题之一：种族主义。
鲍德温继续写作基于自己经历的故事。《乔凡尼的房间》出版于1956年。它讲述了在巴黎的一位美国白人爱上了一个意大利男人和一个美国女人的故事。这本书讲述了一个人如何挣扎着接受自己的性取向。詹姆斯·鲍德温也面临着相似的挣扎。他以前的宗教谴责同性恋，社会上的大多数人也一样。所以鲍德温难以接受自己。
他在自己的下一本书《另外一个国度》中写到了同样的问题。这本书主要以纽约市为背景。它探索了艺术家中的种族、性别和身份。一些评论家称，《另外一个国度》和《乔凡尼的房间》并不是好书。但詹姆斯·鲍德温在写作中坦率而勇敢地谈到了当时许多人不会公开讨论的话题。
评论家对于鲍德温直接研究真实事件的称赞要多于他的虚构。他的书《下一次的火》成为1963年最畅销的书之一。此书被称为民权运动强有力的领导声音。非裔美国人和自由派白人增加了对黑人和其他少数族裔平等权利的要求和示威活动。
很多活动家去南方的州帮助黑人登记参加投票。鲍德温离开了欧洲一段时间来参加这次活动。
《下一次的火》是以两封信的形式写作的。在第一封信中，鲍德温讲述了一位黑人家庭成员在美国面临的问题。鲍德温告诉他要坚强，为正义而战。
第二封信是写给美国的。鲍德温警告说，种族关系太差了，如果他们不改善的话，一些可怕的事情就会发生。他敦促美国白人为了自己的利益而做出改变，因为没有他们的黑人兄弟他们就没法生存下去。
鲍德温称，爱是美国人唯一不会毁灭自己的方式。《下一次的火》是一本有影响力的书。它使鲍德温更加有名。他的照片出现在时代杂志的封面上。《下一次的火》仍是他最被广泛阅读的书之一。
詹姆斯·鲍德温在20世纪70年代和80年代早期写了很多短篇小说、书籍和戏剧。他继续探讨种族、宗教、性别认同和历史等问题。这些书包括《阿门角》、《告诉我火车开走多久了》和《如果比尔街会说话》。他的最后一本书《未见之物的证据》于1985年出版。
在此期间，鲍德温住在美国和法国。他在大学任教，包括马萨诸塞大学。他支持了后来成名的非裔美国作家，比如托尼·莫里森和马娅·安杰卢。1986年，詹姆斯·鲍德温被任命为法国荣誉军团司令。他也获得了美国的很多奖项。
詹姆斯·鲍德温于1987年死于他在法国南部的家中。但他的声音仍然存在书籍中，许多美国教室和世界各地的年轻人仍在阅读。他警示我们一定要学会接受彼此的差异，评论家称这在当今仍然重要。
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