VOA慢速英語:編籃“高手”教非洲婦女編籃

Basket Maker Teaches Women in Africa

編織能手教非洲婦女編織

Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English. I’m Caty Weaver. Today on the show we meet a basket artist whose work was recently on display at the Smithsonian Craft Show.

歡迎來到來自美國之音的萬花筒欄目。我是Caty Weaver。今天我們的節(jié)目嘉賓是一位最近有作品參展Smithsonian工藝展的編織高手。

A major craft show in Washington, D.C. offers works by more than 120 artists. One artist admitted into the Smithsonian Craft Show also shares her skills with women overseas. Christopher Cruise tells us more.

在華盛頓的一場以工藝為主的展示會上有超過120名的能手提供了他們的作品。在Smithsonian工藝展上有一位能手還與國外婦女們分享了她的技術(shù)。Christopher Cruise向我們提供了更多的信息。

Jackie Abrams is a basket artist from Brattleboro, Vermont. She began in 1975 making traditional pieces for everyday use. But, today she makes modern baskets using non-traditional materials.

Jackie Abrams 是一位來自佛蒙特州伯瑞特波羅小鎮(zhèn)的編籃能手。她于1975年開始做一些可日常使用的傳統(tǒng)編織工藝品。但是現(xiàn)在，她通過非傳統(tǒng)工藝編織了時尚的編籃。

“One are [is] coiled baskets using a very traditional coil technique where it’s stitched…and for that I use recycled fabric. I also weave other baskets with a heavy cotton paper and wire to make a form…reminiscent of a woman’s form.”

“一種方法就是用一種傳統(tǒng)的編織技術(shù)來編織編籃。這里我用到了回收來的織物。我還用厚棉紙和金屬絲編織了一些別的籃子。。。以體現(xiàn)婦女塑造的特色。 ”

Ms. Abrams has a series of baskets called “Women Forms.” She says the baskets represent women, their shared stories and layers of experience. She says the inside and outside of the objects tell different stories. Ms. Abrams says the outside shows how a woman is shaped by society and experiences. She says the inside is representative of a woman’s inner strength.

Abrams小姐有一個叫做“婦女塑造”的編籃系列作品。她說這些編籃體現(xiàn)著婦女、她們的故事和社會底層的經(jīng)歷。她說這個編籃的里里外外有著不同的故事。Abrams小姐說編籃的表層展示了各階層?jì)D女所在的社會和自己的經(jīng)歷如何影響著她們。她說編籃的里層則代表了婦女們的內(nèi)心的力量。

Jackie Abrams is one of 123 artists presenting their work at the Smithsonian Craft Show.Artists compete for a place in the show. And judges at the show award the works they think are best. It is widely considered the most important juried craft show in the country.

Jackie Abrams是Smithsonian 工藝展上123位出席展示各自的作品的能手之一。能手們在展會上展示他們的參賽作品。而且評委們在展會上評出他們認(rèn)為最好的作品。該展會被普遍認(rèn)為是全國最具權(quán)威的評審工藝展。

This is Jackie Abrams’ fourth year as a presenter at the Smithsonian Craft Show. But there is another part of her career she considers just as important. In 2005 Ms. Abrams began working with women in Africa.

今年是Jackie Abrams參選Smithsonian工藝展的第四年。但她職業(yè)的另一部分對她來說同樣重要。2005年，Abrams小姐開始與非洲的婦女一起工作。

She started sharing her skills and knowledge in Ghana.

她開始在加納分享她的技術(shù)和知識。

“While I was there, there was so much trash all over the ground and so many plastic bags. And I’m a fiber person and I thought we can use these fibers, we can clean these bags and use them.”

“當(dāng)初來到這里的時候，垃圾和塑料袋遍布整個地面。我對纖維比較了解而且我想我們能用利用這些纖維，我們能清理這些塑料袋并利用它們”

And that is exactly what Jackie Abrams did. The artist taught Ghanaian women how to crochet using plastic bags they find on the ground. The women made wallets for carrying money and larger bags.

Jackie Abrams 確實(shí)做到了這些。編織的能手教會了加納的婦女們?nèi)绾稳ダ玫厣系乃芰洗鼇砭幙棖|西。婦女們利用這些塑料袋編織出錢夾和大袋子。

The women then sold the goods to help support their families.

婦女們?nèi)缓筚u掉這些東西以維持生計(jì)。

“I think these women now have some economic freedom from their husbands. It gives them a little power within their families. It gave them a sense of worth.”

“我認(rèn)為這些婦女現(xiàn)在從他們的丈夫那里獲得了一些經(jīng)濟(jì)自由。這也使她們增大(提高)了自己在家庭中的權(quán)力(地位)，而且感受到了一種自身價值。”

Jackie Abrams would like to go back to Africa one day to help more women increase their economic power.

Jackie Abrams 想要有一天回到非洲給更多的婦女提供幫助以提升她們的經(jīng)濟(jì)權(quán)。

She will also expand her series of basket sculptures and hopes to return to the Smithsonian Craft Show next year.

她也將擴(kuò)大她的編籃雕塑系列，而且希望明年還能參選Smithsonian工藝展。

I’m Christopher Cruise. And I’m Caty Weaver. Join us again next week for another American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.

我們是Christopher Cruise，Caty Weaver。下周繼續(xù)收聽我們的《美國之音常速英語之美國萬花筒》欄目吧!

（匡飛野翻譯，VOA翻譯小組校對。2014-4-29）