美国名人 记者作家 雅各布·里斯.docx

美国名人记者，作家雅各布里斯JacobRiis:AReporterandWriterWhoWorkedtoMakeNewYorkCityaBetterPlaceforthePoorplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:34repeatByHerbertSutcliffe2006-7-22VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmRayFreemanwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.Everyweekatthistime,theVoiceofAmericatellsaboutsomeoneimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.ThisweekwetellaboutJacobRiis.Hewasawriterwhousedallhisenergytomaketheworldabetterplaceforpoorpeople.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Inthespringofeighteenseventy,ayoungmantraveledacrosstheAtlanticOceantoNewYorkCity.TheyoungmancamefromDenmark.HisnamewasJacobRiis.Hewasjusttwenty-oneyearsold.HisfirstyearsintheUnitedStatesweredifficult,likethoseofmostimmigrantsatthattime.Itwasdifficulttogetajob.JacobRiiswentfromplacetoplaceseekingwork.Hedidanykindofworkhecouldfind.Farming,coalmining,brick-making.Heeventriedtoearnmoneyasapeddler.Hewentfromhousetohousesellingthings.Manytimeshesleptwhereverhecould.Soonhewasbeginningtolosehope.HedecidedtoleaveNewYork.Hestartedtowalknorth.Afteratime,hearrivedintheBronx,thenorthernpartofNewYorkCity.Hisfeetburnedwithpain.Andhewashungry.VOICETWO:"Ihadnoteatenathingsincethedaybefore.Ihadnobreakfast,anddecidedtohaveaswimintheBronxRiver,instead.Butthatdidnothelp.IwasjustashungrywhenIcameoutofthewater."ThenIwalkedslowlytoFordhamCollege,whichwasnotfarfromwhereIwas.ThedoorstoFordhamCollegewereopen,andIwalkedin,fornoreason.Iwasjusttiredandhadnothingelsetodo."FordhamisaCatholiccollege.AndanoldmonkcametomeandaskedinakindvoiceifIwashungry.Istillrememberinmydreamsatnightthebeautifulfaceofthatoldmonk.Iwasterriblyhungry,andsaidIwas,althoughIdidnotmeantodoso.Ihadneverseenareallivemonkbefore.MyownreligiouseducationasaLutherandidnotteachmetolikeCatholicmonks."Iatethefoodthatwasbroughttome.ButIwastroubled.Iwasafraidthataftergivingmefood,thechurchmanwouldaskmetochangemyreligiousbeliefs.Isaidtomyself:'Iamnotgoingtodoit.'ButwhenIhadeaten,Iwasnotaskedtodoanything.IwasgivenmorefoodwhenIleft,andcontinuedonmyway.IwasangrywithmyselfforhavingsuchbadthoughtsabouttheCatholicchurchmenatFordhamCollege.Forthefirsttime,Ilearnedsomethingabouthowtolivewithpeopleofdifferentreligiousbeliefs."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:1.ater;JacobRiislearnedmoreaboutlikingpeople,eveniftheyaredifferent.Thistime,ithappenedwhilehewasworkingonarailroadwithmenwhodidroughworkandlookedrough.VOICETWO:"Ihadneverdonethatsortofwork,anditwasnottherightjobforme.Ididmybesttoworkliketheothermen.Butmychestfeltheavy,andmyheartpoundedinmybodyasifitweregoingtoexplode.TherewerenineteenIrishmeninthegroup.Theywerebig,roughfellows.Theyhadchosenmeastheonly'Dutchman'-astheycalledme-tomakethemlaugh.Theyweregoingtousemeaspartoftheirjokes."Butthentheysawthatthejobwasjusttoohardforme.Thismadethemfeeldifferentaboutme.Itshowedanothersidetothesefun-loving,big-heartedpeople.Theythoughtofmanywaystogetmeawayfromtheveryroughwork.Onewastogetmetobringwaterforthem.Theylikedstrongerthingstodrinkthanwater.Butnowtheysuddenlywantedwaterallthetime.Ihadtowalkalongwayforthewater.Butitstoppedmefromdoingtheworkthatwastoohardforme.Thesepeoplewereveryroughintheirways.Butbehindtheroughnesstheyweregoodmen."VOICEONE:Atlast,JacobRiisgotajobwritingforanewspaperinNewYorkCity.Thiswashischance.Hefinallyhadfoundaprofessionthatwouldleadtohislifework-makingtheworldabetterplaceforpoorpeople.Thenewspapersenthimtopoliceheadquartersforstories.Therehesawlifeatitsworst,especiallyinaverypoorpartofNewYorkwhichwasknownasMulberryBend.VOICETWO:"Itwasnoplaceformenandwomen.Andsurelynoplaceforlittlechildren.Itwasaterribleslumassuchplacesarecalled-wheretoomanyarecrowdedtogether,wherethehousesandstreetsaredirtyandfullofrats.Theplacebegantotroublemeasthetruthaboutitbecameclear.Otherswerenottroubled.TheyhadnowayoffindingouthowterriblethelivesofpeoplewereinMulberryBend.Butasanewspaperreporter,Icouldfindthetruth.SoIwentthroughthedarkdirtystreetsandhouses,andsawhowthepeoplesufferedinthisarea.AndIwrotemanystoriesaboutthelifethere."Ididgoodworkasapolicereporter,butwantedachange.Myeditorsaid,'no'.HeaskedmetogobacktoMulberryBendandstaythere.HesaidIwasfindingsomethingtherethatneededme."VOICEONE:ThewordsofJacobRiis'editorprovedtobeverytrue.Riisstartedapersonalwaragainstslumhouses,thesorthesawinMulberryBend.HelearnedtouseacameratoshowthepublicclearlywhattheMulberryBendslumwaslike.Thecameraintheeighteeneightieswasnothinglikeitistoday.ButRiisgothispictures.VOICETWO:"Imadegooduseofthemquickly.Wordscouldgetnoactiontochangethings.Butthepicturesdid.Whatthecamerashowedwassopowerfulthatthecity'shealthofficialsstartedtodosomething.AtlastIhadastrongpartnerinthefightagainstMulberryBend-mycamera.,(MUSIC)VOICEONE:JacobRiiscontinuedthefighttocleanuptheslumsformanyyears.Therewerenotmanypeopletohelphim.Itwasalonelyfight.ButhiscameraandfightingwordshelpedtogetalawpassedwhichwoulddestroytheMulberryBendslum.Finally,thegreatdaycame.Theslumhousingwasgone.Theareahadbecomeapark.VOICETWO:"Whentheyhadfixedthegroundsothegrasscouldgrow,Isawchildrendancingthereinthesunlight.Theyweregoingtohaveabetterlife,thankGod.Wehadgiventhemtheirlostchance.Ilookedatthesedancingchildrenandsawhowhappytheywere.Thisplacethathadbeenfullofcrimeandmurderbecamethemostorderlyinthecity."ThemurdersandcrimesdisappearedwhentheyletsunlightcomeintotheBend.Thesunlightthatshoneuponchildrenwhohad,atIastztherighttoplay.ThatwaswhattheMulberryBendParkmeant.SotheBendwent.AndIwasveryhappythatIhadhelpedtomakeitgo.',VOICEONE:ThatwasnotRiis'lastbattletomakelifecleanerandbetterformanypeople.Hehadgreatenergy.Andhisloveforpeoplewasasgreatashisenergy.HestartedacampaigntogetcleanwaterforthestateofNewYork.Heshowedthatwaterforthestatewasnothealthyforpeople.Stateofficialswereforcedtotakeactionsthatwouldcleanthewater.Healsoworkedtogetlawsagainstchildlabor,andmadesurethattheselawswereobeyed.Inthosedays,whenRiiswasafightingnewspaperreporter;lawsagainstchildlaborweresomethingnew.Peopledidnotobjecttomakingyoungchildrenworklonghours,inplacesthathadbadairandbadlight.ButintheUnitedStatestoday,childlaborisnotlegal.ItwasbecauseofmenlikeJacobRiisthatthisisso.Hewasalsosuccessfulingettingplaygroundsforchildren.Andhehelpedestablishcentersforeducationandfunforolderpeople.Hisbookz"HowtheOtherHalfLives/'waspublishedineighteenninety.Hebecamefamous.Thatbookandhisnewspaperreportsinfluencedmanypeople.TheodoreRoosevelt,wholaterbecamepresidentoftheUnitedStates,calledRiisthemostusefulcitizeninNewYorkCity.Riiscontinuedtowriteaboutconditionsthatwereinneedofmajorreform.Histwelvebooksincluding"ChildrenofthePoor"helpedimproveconditionsinthecity.Thebooksalsomadehimpopularasaspeakerinothercities.JacobRiis'sconcernforthepoorkepthimsobusywritingandspeakingaroundthecountrythatheruinedhishealth.Hediedinnineteenfourteen.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyHerbertSutcliffeandproducedbyLawanDavis.I'mRayFreeman.VOICEONE:AndmShirleyGriffith.ListenagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.