(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English. The nineteen twenties were a time of economic progress for most Americans. During the administrations of President Warren Harding and President Calvin Coolidge, many companies grew larger, creating new jobs. Wages for most Americans increased. Many people began to have enough money to buy new kinds of products. The strong economy also created the right environment for many important changes in the day-to-day social life of Americans. The nineteen twenties are remembered now as an exciting time that historians call the "Roaring Twenties." This week in our series, Kay Gallant and Harry Monroe tell more about that period.
The nineteen twenties brought a feeling of freedom and independence to millions of Americans, especially young Americans. Young soldiers returned from the world war with new ideas. They had seen a different world in Europe. They had faced death and learned to enjoy the pleasures that each day offered. Many of these young soldiers were not willing to quietly accept the old traditions of their families and villages when they returned home. Instead, they wanted to try new ways of living. Many young Americans, both men and women, began to challenge some of the traditions of their parents and grandparents. For example, some young women began to experiment with new kinds of clothes. They no longer wore dresses that hid the shape of their bodies. Instead, they wore thinner dresses that uncovered part of their legs. Many young women began to smoke cigarettes, too. Cigarette production in the United States more than doubled in the ten years between nineteen eighteen and nineteen twenty-eight.
Many women also began to drink alcohol with men in public for the first time. And they listened together to a popular new kind of music: jazz. Young people danced the Fox Trot, the Charleston, and other new dances. They held one another tightly on the dance floor, instead of dancing far apart. It was a revolution in social values, at least among some Americans. People openly discussed subjects that their parents and grandparents had kept private. There were popular books and shows about unmarried mothers and about homosexuality. The growing film industry made films about all-night parties between unmarried men and women. And people discussed the new ideas about sex formed by Sigmund Freud and other new thinkers. An important force behind these changes was the growing independence of American women. In nineteen twenty, the nation passed the Nineteenth Amendment to the constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Of equal importance, many women took jobs during the war and continued working after the troops returned home. Also, new machines freed many of them from spending long hours of work in the home washing clothes, preparing food, and doing other jobs.
Education was another important force behind the social changes of the nineteen-twenties. More and more Americans were getting a good education. The number of students attending high school doubled between nineteen twenty and nineteen thirty. Many of the schools now offered new kinds of classes to prepare students for useful jobs. Attendance at colleges and universities also increased greatly. And colleges offered more classes in such useful subjects as teacher training, engineering, and business administration. Two inventions also helped cause the social changes. They were the automobile and the radio. The automobile gave millions of Americans the freedom to travel easily to new places. And the radio brought new ideas and experiences into their own homes.
Probably the most important force behind social change was the continuing economic growth of the nineteen twenties. Many people had extra money to spend on things other than food, housing, and other basic needs. They could experiment with new products and different ways of living. Of course, not all Americans were wearing strange new "flapper" clothes or dancing until early in the morning. Millions of Americans in small towns or rural areas continued to live simple, quiet lives. Life was still hard for many people including blacks, foreigners, and other minority groups. The many newspaper stories about independent women reporters and doctors also did not represent the real life of the average American woman. Women could vote. But three of every four women still worked at home. Most of the women working outside their homes were from minority groups or foreign countries. The films and radio stories about exciting parties and social events were just a dream for millions of Americans. But the dreams were strong. And many Americans -- rich and poor -- followed with great interest each new game, dance, and custom.
The wide interest in this kind of popular culture was unusually strong during the nineteen twenties. People became extremely interested in exciting court trials, disasters, film actors, and other subjects. For example, millions of Americans followed the sad story of Floyd Collins, a young man who became trapped while exploring underground. Newsmen reported to the nation as rescue teams searched to find him. Even the "New York Times" newspaper printed a large story on its front page when rescuers finally discovered the man's dead body. Another event that caught public attention was a murder trial in the eastern state of New Jersey in nineteen twenty-six. Newsmen wrote five million words about this case of a minister found dead with a woman member of his church. Again, the case itself was of little importance from a world news point of view. But it was exciting. And Americans were tired of reading about serious political issues after the bloody world war.
The nineteen twenties also were a golden period for sports. People across the country bought newspapers to read of the latest golf victory by champion Bobby Jones. "Big Bill" Tilden became the most famous player in tennis. And millions of Americans listened to the boxing match in nineteen twenty-six between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney. In fact, five Americans reportedly became so excited while listening to the fight that they died of heart attacks. However, the greatest single sports hero of the period was the baseball player, Babe Ruth. Ruth was a large man who could hit a baseball farther than any other human being. He became as famous for his wild enjoyment of life as for his excellent playing on the baseball field. Babe Ruth loved to drink, to be with women, and to play with children.
The most famous popular event of the nineteen twenties was neither a court trial nor a sports game. It was the brave action of pilot Charles Lindbergh when he flew an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean without stopping. He was the first man in history to do this. Lindbergh flew his plane alone from New York to France in May, nineteen twenty-seven. His flight set off wild celebrations across the United States. Newspapers carried story after story about Lindbergh's success. President Coolidge and a large crowd greeted the young pilot when he returned to Washington. And New York congratulated Lindbergh with one of the largest parades in its history. Americans liked Lindbergh because he was brave, quiet, and handsome. He seemed to represent everything that was best about their country. The nineteen twenties was also a time of much excellent work in the more serious arts. We will take a look in our next program at American art, writing, and building during the exciting "roaring twenties".
重点解析
1.no longer 不再；再也
She no longer feared that they should misunderstand her.
她不再害怕他们会误解她了。
2.in public 公开地；在公共场合
I should be ashamed to show my face in public.
我不好意思抛头露面。
3.in fact 实际上；其实
In fact, those people have been promoted.
事实上，那些人已经升职了。
4.millions of 数百万；数以百万计
He helped energize and mobilize millions of people around the nation.
他帮助激励和动员了全国数百万人。
参考译文
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语之建国史话节目。对大多数美国人而言，20世纪20年代是经济发展的时期。在沃伦·哈丁总统和卡尔文·柯立芝总统执政期间，许多公司规模扩大，创造了新的就业机会。大多数美国人的工资增加了，许多人开始有足够的钱购买新产品。强劲的经济也为美国人日常社会生活中的许多重要变化，创造了良好的环境。人们记忆中的19世纪20年代，是历史学家称之为“兴旺的20年代”的一段激动人心的时刻。在本周的系列节目中，凯·格兰特和哈里·门罗将讲述更多有关该时期的故事。
20世纪20年代给数百万美国人，特别是年轻美国人带来了自由和独立的感觉。年轻的士兵们带着新的想法从世界大战中归来，他们在欧洲看到了一个不同的世界。他们面对死亡，学会享受每天的快乐时光。许多年轻士兵回国后，不愿接受家庭和村庄中沿袭的旧有传统。相反，他们想尝试新的生活方式。许多年轻的美国人，无论男女，都开始挑战他们父母和祖父母的一些传统。例如，一些年轻女性开始尝试穿着新式服装。她们不再穿掩藏体型的衣服，而是穿着较薄的裙子，露出部分腿部。许多年轻女性也开始吸烟。从1918年到1928年的十年间，美国的香烟产量翻了一番之多。
许多女性也第一次在公共场合和男性一起喝酒，他们一起听一种流行的新型音乐：爵士乐。年轻人跳狐步舞、查尔斯顿舞和其他新舞蹈。他们在舞池里紧紧地抱住对方，而不是隔得很远。这是一场社会价值观的革命，至少在一些美国人中是这样。人们公开讨论父母和祖父母保密的话题。有很多关于未婚母亲和同性恋的流行书籍和节目。不断增长的电影业制作了关于未婚男女通宵聚会的电影。人们讨论了弗洛伊德和其他新思想家关于性的新观点。这些变化背后的一个重要驱动力是美国女性的日益独立。在1920年，美国通过了宪法第十九修正案，赋予女性选举权。同样重要的是，许多妇女在战争期间就业，在部队返回后仍然继续工作。而且，新式机器使许多女性从长时间在家里洗衣服、准备饭菜和做其他工作中解脱出来。
教育是20世纪20年代社会变革背后的另一股重要力量。越来越多的美国人接受了良好的教育。在1920年到1930年间，上高中的学生人数翻了一番。现在，许多学校都开设了新课程，为学生就业做好准备。大学的入学率也大大增加。各个学院开设了更多实用性课程，如教师培训、工程和工商管理。两项发明也促成了社会变革，即汽车和收音机。汽车给了数百万美国人前往新地方旅行的自由，而收音机也给他们的家庭带来了新的想法和体验。
社会变革背后最重要的力量，可能是20世纪20年代持续的经济增长。许多人有剩余的钱来购买除食物、住房和其他基本需求以外的东西。他们可以尝试新产品，以及不同的生活方式。当然，不是所有的美国人都穿着奇怪的“新潮女郎”的衣服或通宵跳舞。数百万居住在小城镇或农村地区的美国人，继续过着简朴、安静的生活。对于包括黑人，外国人和其他少数群体在内的许多人来说，生活仍然很艰难。关于独立女记者和医生的许多新闻报道，也并未代表普通美国女性的真实生活。女性可以投票，但四分之三的女性仍然在家工作。大多数在外工作的女性来自少数群体或是外国人。关于激动人心的聚会和社交活动的电影和广播故事，对数百万美国人来说只是一个梦想。但这种梦想是强烈的。许多美国人，无论贫富，对每一种新的游戏、舞蹈和习俗都怀有极大的兴趣。
20世纪20年代，人们对这种流行文化的广泛兴趣异常强烈。人们对激动人心的法庭审判、灾难、电影演员和其他主题极度着迷。例如，数百万美国人关注弗洛伊德·柯林斯的悲惨故事。这个年轻人在地下探险时被困。救援队搜寻他时，新闻记者向全国进行报道。当救援人员终于发现这名男子的尸体时，连《纽约时报》也在头版刊登出一份长篇报道。另一个引起公众关注的事件，是1926年在新泽西州东部进行的谋杀案审判。记者就此事撰写了长达五百万字的报道，记录了一位牧师和一位女教友死亡的案件。从国际新闻的角度来看，此案本身同样并不重要，但它令人感到兴奋。血腥的世界大战之后，美国人厌倦了阅读有关严肃的政治问题的文章。
20世纪20年代，也是体育运动的黄金时期。全国各地的人们都购买报纸，阅读冠军鲍比·琼斯新近在高尔夫球赛中取得的胜利。“大比尔”蒂尔登，成为网球界最著名的运动员。数以百万计的美国人，收听了杰克·登普西和吉内·滕尼在1926进行的拳击比赛。据报道，五名美国人在收听拳击比赛时异常兴奋，因心脏病发作而去世。然而，这个时期最伟大的体坛英雄是棒球运动员贝比·鲁斯。鲁斯是个大个子，可以把棒球打得比别人远。他以狂野的生活和在棒球场上的出色表现而闻名。贝比·鲁斯喜欢喝酒，喜欢和女人厮混，也喜欢和孩子们玩耍。
20世纪20年代备受关注的事件，既不是法庭审判也不是体育比赛。而是飞行员查尔斯·林德伯格驾驶飞机，不着陆飞越大西洋的英勇行为。他是历史上完成如此勇敢壮举的第一人。1927年5月，林德伯格独自驾驶飞机从纽约飞往法国。他的飞行在全美国掀起了疯狂的庆祝活动。各大报刊接连讲述林德伯格的成功故事。当他返回华盛顿时，柯立芝总统和众多民众向这位年轻的飞行员致意。纽约为祝贺林德伯格，举行了有史以来规模最大的游行。美国人喜欢林德伯格，因为他勇敢、安静、英俊，他似乎代表了美国最美好的一切事物。20世纪20年代也是在更严肃的艺术领域中，涌现出很多优秀作品的时代。我们将在下期节目中，探讨激动人心的“兴旺20年代”中的美国艺术、写作和建筑。
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