20180421: 美国之音(voa)慢速英语 30分钟
美国之音(voa)慢速英语 30分钟
内容：
1_A Mole Among Trolls: Inside the Internet Research Agency
2_Exiled Artist Uses Art to Save Memories of Syria
3_ What It Takes - Thomas Keller
4_Paul's Case,' by Willa Cather, Part Two
<1>文本：
A Mole Among Trolls: Inside the Internet Research Agency
The Internet Research Agency was formerly based in this building on Savushkina Street in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Vitaly Bespalov had no idea what to expect when he arrived at a business center in St. Petersburg, Russia, to ask for a job.
Everything about the building seemed unusual to the 23-year-old reporter. There was a lot of security. The windows were darkened. Guards dressed like soldiers asked him where he lived. They examined his passport.
As he was talking with them, a woman entered the building. She appeared to be extremely angry.
Bespalov said, "She was yelling something about how she refused to be a part of this.”
He added, “Everything about the place was strange.”
The year was 2014. The place was the Internet Research Agency, a company which would hire Bespalov. The Internet Research Agency now faces criminal charges in the United States. The Justice Department has accused it of illegal interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Bespalov recently described his experiences working at the Internet Research Agency to VOA.
A mysterious and well-paying position
Bespalov had moved from his home in Siberia to St. Petersburg to work at a local news website. But he did not get the job. So, he began to search for writing or reporting positions.
One day he received a promising call. There was an opening for a writing job that paid double the usual amount.
“I had no idea who it was,” Bespalov said. “They just called and told me to show up tomorrow at this address - Savushkina 55. And I didn’t understand what the job was or what the company was, but I said, ‘Sure, why not?’”
Bespalov met there with a woman named Anna. He took a writing test and provided examples of his reporting. He described them as sympathetic pieces on Russia’s opposition movement.
“I still don’t understand why they took me,” he says, adding that his politics were clearly anti-government. “But Anna came back with a smile and said, ‘Well, we don’t cover the kind of stories you do, but you know how to write.’”
Investigating begins
But, Bespalov did have short discussions with other workers during breaks. He said most seemed not to care or think about what they were doing.
“I know people who’ve been there for three years and never thought once what it was all about. They were there for the money,” he says.
Bespalov said it was a highly structured operation with a newsroom on one floor, and bloggers and social media workers on another. There was also an images department.
Bespalov said the goal of all this was to complete what he called a “circle of lies.” The bloggers and social media operation supported state media news to push one central idea. Bespalov called that idea “Make Russia Great Again.”
So, he said, the internet and state media had united.
Bespalov said the effort was directed fully at the Russian people.
He said, “Even the fake Ukrainian sites weren’t there to change minds in Ukraine. The point was to remove Russians’ doubts about the war in Ukraine and about ourselves because we have a weak economy, because we have few political freedoms.”
He said the Internet Research Agency sought, in his words, “to create the appearance of a great country.
Time to go
Bespalov worked at the agency for three-and-a-half months to learn as much about the organization as he could. Then, he quit.
He published a report on his investigation in 2015. He said he did not use his own name as the writer because he worried for his safety. Later, he was threatened, he says, after others at the IRA began to suspect that the report was his work.
Other reports came out and the threats stopped.
“Everybody knew about it,” he says.
Bespalov says he has very little additional information about the Internet Research Agency. But, he said it had started looking for English-speakers around the time he quit.
Bespalov said his actions have been misrepresented in Russia and the United States.
He said people in the U.S. do not call him a reporter but a former troll. And in Russia he is considered a treasonous liar. He said his friends want him to stop talking because they fear he will be killed.
Now it appears the IRA worked to influence Russia's 2018 presidential campaign.
An internet user named “Kremlebot,” claiming to work for IRA’s Russian language group, posted that employees worked to raise voter numbers.
Facebook and Reddit social media sites have removed accounts each company identified as connected to the IRA.
The Russian government has denied any connection to or direct knowledge of the company.
I’m Susan Shand. And I’m Dorothy Gundy.
Charles Mayne reported this story for VOA News. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA. Caty Weaver was the editor.
________________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
address – n. the words and numbers that are used to describe the location of a building
fake – adj. not true or real
annexation – n. the act of taking control of a part of a country
reunification – n. to make something, such as a divided country whole again
fascist – adj. a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government
mole – n. a spy who works inside an organization and gives secret information to another organization or country
troll – n. a person who tries to cause problems on an Internet message board by posting messages that cause other people to argue, become angry,
doubt – n. to be uncertain about (something) : to believe that (something) may not be true or is unlikely
discourage – v. to tell or advise someone not to do something
<2> Exiled Artist Uses Art to Save Memories of Syria
Syrian-born artist Mohamad Hafez saves memories of his home country through dioramas. His models show life in Syria, both before and during the current conflict.
Hafez uses little pieces of metal, wood and stone to represent people and their communities. He also uses recorded voices and images of everyday life in Syria. He captured them with his camera before the fighting started in 2011.
Hafez told VOA, “I recorded everything I could get my hands on. People’s conversations in cafes, the calling for prayers in mosques, the bells of churches, theconversation of a taxi driver and voices of children playing in the courtyard of Umayyad Mosque.”
Mohamad Hafez said the recordings provide examples of everyday life. And, Hafez said he believes art helps rebuild the spirit of Syria’s past and present, and protect the beauty of his culture.
One year after the war began, he found the recordings and images he had made. The artist said that he felt, after their discovery, he had found a new purpose in life. He was meant to tell the story of his country and keep memories of it for the next generation of Syrians.
Hafez said that, as an artist, he is supposed to bring hope to his people to rebuild their homeland and live in peace.
“On this Earth, there is something worth living for,” he added.
Hafez now lives in exile in the American state of Connecticut. Since 2009, he has worked as an architect in the city of New Haven. Recently, he received special recognition from Yale University. He was named a 2018 Yale University Silliman College Fellow.
Hafez came to the United States on a student visa in 2003 and studied at Iowa State University. Once in the U.S., it took him several years to go back to his home in Syria.
Refugees
The war in Syria has caused millions of Syrians to flee their homes and seek safety within or outside the country.
Mohamad Hafez is an activist for refugees and their rights.
“You do not need to be a refugee to understand the memories and the feelings of them. We should understand that circumstances forced these people to leave their homes,” he said.
“We should treat them as real humans who share the same feelings as we do,” he added.
Hafez said he wants to represent the common quality that connects Syrian refugees with the rest of the world.
“I am trying to tell the stories of the refugees from all religions and backgrounds,” Hafez said.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates there are more than six million Syrian refugees living in neighboring countries. More than half of them are reported to be in Turkey.
I’m Caty Weaver.
VOA News reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
_________________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
diorama – n. a three-dimensional life-size or small-size model
conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people: the act of talking in an informal way
mosque – n. a building that is used for Muslim religious services
bell – n. a hollow usually cup-shaped metal object that makes a ringing sound when it is hit
church – n. a building that is used for Christian religious services
courtyard – n. an open space that is surrounded completely or partly by a building or group of buildings
circumstance – n. a condition or fact that affects a situation
<3> What It Takes - Thomas Keller
...
<4>Paul's Case,' by Willa Cather, Part Two
Today we complete the story "Paul's Case." It was written by Willa Cather. Donna de Sanctis adapted it for VOA Learning English. Here is Kay Gallant with the story.
Paul was a student with a lot of problems. He hated school. He didn't like living with his family on Cordelia Street in the industrial city of Pittsburgh.
Paul wanted to be surrounded by beautiful things. He loved his part-time job as an usher at the concert hall. He helped people find their seats before the concert. Then he could listen to the music and dream of exciting places.
Paul also spent a lot of time at the local theater. He knew many of the actors who worked there. He used to do little jobs for them. And they would let him see plays for free.
Paul had little time left for his studies. So he was always in trouble with his teachers. Finally, Paul's teachers complained again to his father. His father took him out of school and made him take a job in a large company. He would not let Paul go near the concert hall or the theater.
Paul did not like his job as a messenger boy. He began to plan his escape.
A few weeks later, Paul's boss, Mister Denny, gave Paul a large amount of money to take to the bank. He told Paul to hurry because it was Friday afternoon. He said the bank would close soon and would not open again until Monday. At the bank, Paul took the money out of his pocket. It was $5,000. Paul put the money back in his coat pocket. And he walked out of the bank.
He went to the train station and bought a one-way ticket for New York City. That afternoon Paul left Pittsburgh forever.
The train traveled slowly through a January snowstorm. The slow movement made Paul fall asleep. The train whistle blew just as the sun was coming up. Paul awoke, feeling dirty and uncomfortable. He quickly touched his coat pocket. The money was still there. It was not a dream. He really was on his way to New York City with $5,000 in his pocket.
Finally, the train pulled into Central Station. Paul walked quickly out of the station and went immediately to an expensive clothing store for men.
The salesman was very polite when he saw Paul's money. Paul bought two suits, several white silk shirts, some silk ties of different colors. Then he bought a black tuxedo suit for the theater, a warm winter coat, a red bathrobe, and the finest silk underclothes. He told the salesman he wanted to wear one of the new suits and the coat immediately. The salesman bowed and smiled.
Paul then took a taxi to another shop where he bought several pairs of leather shoes and boots. Next, he went to the famous jewelry store, Tiffany's, and bought a tie pin and some brushes with silver handles. His last stop was a luggage store where he had all his new clothes put into several expensive suitcases.
It was a little before 1 o'clock in the afternoon when Paul arrived at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. The doorman opened the hotel's glass doors for Paul and the boy entered. The thick carpet under his feet had the colors of a thousand jewels. The lights sparkled from crystal chandeliers.
Paul told the hotel clerk he was from Washington, D.C. He said his mother and father were arriving in a few days from Europe. He explained he was going to wait for them at the hotel.
In his dreams Paul had planned this trip to New York a hundred times. He knew all about the Waldorf-Astoria, one of New York's most expensive hotels. As soon as he entered his rooms, he saw that everything was perfect -- except for one thing. He rang the bell and asked for fresh flowers to be sent quickly to his rooms.
When the flowers came, Paul put them in water and then he took a long, hot bath. He came out the bathroom, wearing the red silk bathrobe. Outside his windows, the snow was falling so fast that he could not see across the street. But inside, the air was warm and sweet. He lay down on the sofa in his sitting room.
It had all been so very simple, he thought. When they had shut him out of the theater and the concert hall, Paul knew he had to leave. But he was surprised that he had not been afraid to go. He could not remember a time when he had not been afraid of something. Even when he was a little boy. But now he felt free. He wasn't afraid anymore. He watched the snow until he fell asleep.
It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon when Paul woke up. He spent nearly an hour getting dressed. He looked at himself often in the mirror. His dark blue suit fit him so well that he did not seem too thin. The white silk shirt and the blue and lilac tie felt cool and smooth under his fingers. He was exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted to be.
Paul put on his new winter coat and went downstairs. He got into a taxi and told the driver to take him for a ride along Fifth Avenue. Paul stared at the expensive stores.
As the taxi stopped for a red light Paul noticed a flower shop. Through the window, he could see all kinds of flowers. Paul thought the violets, roses, and lilies of the valley looked even more lovely because they were blooming in the middle of winter.
Paul began to feel hungry so he asked the taxi driver to take him back to the hotel. As he entered the dining room, the music of the hotel orchestra floated up to greet him. He sat at a table near a window. The fresh flowers, the white tablecloth, and the colored wine glasses pleased Paul's eyes. The soft music, the low voices of the people around him and the soft popping of champagne corks whispered into Paul's ears.
This is what everyone wants, he thought. He could not believe he had ever lived in Pittsburgh on Cordelia Street! That belonged to another time and place. Paul lifted the crystal glass of champagne and drank the cold, precious, bubbling wine. He belonged here.
Later that evening, Paul put on his black tuxedoand went to the opera. He felt perfectly at ease. He had only to look at his tuxedo to know he belonged with all the other beautiful people in the opera house. He didn't talk to anyone. But his eyes recorded everything.
Paul's golden days went by without a shadow. He made each one as perfect as he could. On the eighth day after his arrival in New York, he found a report in the newspaper about his crime. It said that his father had paid the company the $5,000 that Paul had stolen. It said Paul had been seen in a New York hotel. And it said Paul's father was in New York. He was looking for Paul to bring him back to Pittsburgh.
Paul's knees became weak. He sat down in a chair and put his head in his hands. The dream was ended. He had to go back to Cordelia Street. Back to the yellow-papered bedroom, the smell of cooked cabbage, the daily ride to work on the crowded street cars.
Paul poured himself a glass of champagne and drank it quickly. He poured another glass and drank that one, too.
Paul had a taxi take him out of the city and into the country. The taxi left him near some railroad tracks. Paul suddenly remembered all the flowers he had seen in a shop window his first night in New York. He realized that by now every one of those flowers was dead. They had had only one splendid moment to challenge winter.
A train whistle broke into Paul's thoughts. He watched as the train grew bigger and bigger. As it came closer, Paul's body shook. His lips wore a frightened smile. Paul looked nervously around as if someone might be watching him.
When the right moment came, Paul jumped. And as he jumped, he realized his great mistake. The blue of the ocean and the yellow of the desert flashed through his brain. He had not seen them yet! There was so much he had not seen!
Paul felt something hit his chest. He felt his body fly through the air far and fast. Then everything turned black and Paul dropped back into the great design of things.
You have just heard the American story "Paul's Case." It was written by Willa Cather.
Donna de Sanctis adapted it for VOA Learning English. Your storyteller was Kay Gallant. Now it's your turn. What do you think of "Paul's Case?" Could this kind of tragedy be prevented? What advice would you give to Paul, or to his father and teachers? Write to us in the Comments section and on our Facebook page.
Words in This Story
txedo - n. a formal black suit for a man, worn with a white shirt and a black bow tie
chandelier - n. a large, decorated light that hangs from a ceiling and has branches for holding many light bulbs or candles
precious - adj. greatly loved, valued, or important
splendid - adj. very impressive and beautiful
challenge - v. to test the ability, skill, or strength of
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