VOA慢速英语:编篮“高手”教非洲妇女编篮

Basket Maker Teaches Women in Africa

编织能手教非洲妇女编织

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.

欢迎来到来自美国之音的万花筒栏目。我是Caty Weaver。今天我们的节目嘉宾是一位最近有作品参展Smithsonian工艺展的编织高手。

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.

在华盛顿的一场以工艺为主的展示会上有超过120名的能手提供了他们的作品。在Smithsonian工艺展上有一位能手还与国外妇女们分享了她的技术。Christopher Cruise向我们提供了更多的信息。

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 是一位来自佛蒙特州伯瑞特波罗小镇的编篮能手。她于1975年开始做一些可日常使用的传统编织工艺品。但是现在，她通过非传统工艺编织了时尚的编篮。

“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.”

“一种方法就是用一种传统的编织技术来编织编篮。这里我用到了回收来的织物。我还用厚棉纸和金属丝编织了一些别的篮子。。。以体现妇女塑造的特色。 ”

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小姐有一个叫做“妇女塑造”的编篮系列作品。她说这些编篮体现着妇女、她们的故事和社会底层的经历。她说这个编篮的里里外外有着不同的故事。Abrams小姐说编篮的表层展示了各阶层妇女所在的社会和自己的经历如何影响着她们。她说编篮的里层则代表了妇女们的内心的力量。

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 工艺展上123位出席展示各自的作品的能手之一。能手们在展会上展示他们的参赛作品。而且评委们在展会上评出他们认为最好的作品。该展会被普遍认为是全国最具权威的评审工艺展。

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参选Smithsonian工艺展的第四年。但她职业的另一部分对她来说同样重要。2005年，Abrams小姐开始与非洲的妇女一起工作。

She started sharing her skills and knowledge in Ghana.

她开始在加纳分享她的技术和知识。

“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.”

“当初来到这里的时候，垃圾和塑料袋遍布整个地面。我对纤维比较了解而且我想我们能用利用这些纤维，我们能清理这些塑料袋并利用它们”

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 确实做到了这些。编织的能手教会了加纳的妇女们如何去利用地上的塑料袋来编织东西。妇女们利用这些塑料袋编织出钱夹和大袋子。

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

妇女们然后卖掉这些东西以维持生计。

“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.”

“我认为这些妇女现在从他们的丈夫那里获得了一些经济自由。这也使她们增大(提高)了自己在家庭中的权力(地位)，而且感受到了一种自身价值。”

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给更多的妇女提供帮助以提升她们的经济权。

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

她也将扩大她的编篮雕塑系列，而且希望明年还能参选Smithsonian工艺展。

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

我们是Christopher Cruise，Caty Weaver。下周继续收听我们的《美国之音常速英语之美国万花筒》栏目吧!

（匡飞野翻译，VOA翻译小组校对。2014-4-29）