20180505VoaLeb:
1)Horses, Hats and Roses: The Kentucky Derby is a Mix of Customs
2)Nobel Prize in Literature Will Not Be Awarded This Year
3) What it takes
4) American story: 'The Boarded Window' by Ambrose Bierce
1) ARTS & CULTURE
Horses, Hats and Roses: The Kentucky Derby is a Mix of Customs
May 04, 2018
A horse heads onto the track for a morning workout at Churchill Downs Friday, May 4, 2018, in Louisville, Ky. The 144th running of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The most famous horse races in America begin on May 5 with the running of the 144th Kentucky Derby. It is the first of a three part championship series. The other two races are the Preakness in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York.
Win all three races and your horse is named a Triple Crown champion. It does not happen often. Only 12 horses have won the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The first was Sir Barton in 1919. The most recent, almost 100 years later, was 2015 champion American Pharoah.
The Kentucky Derby, in the southern city of Louisville, is the youngest of the three races. It is arguably the most famous horse race in the world. It is often called the “most exciting two minutes in sports.”
Millions of dollars are wagered on the Derby. And great wealth can be gained from breeding Derby winners.
A few facts and history
Kentucky Derby competitors are three years old. They run for two kilometers around the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville. Derby runners can be male or female horses. Only males have ever won, so far.
The famous Triple Crown winner Secretariat finished the Kentucky Derby faster than any horse, before or after him. His time in the 1973 race was 1 minute, 59.4 seconds. Only one other competitor has run the Derby in under two minutes. That horse, Monarchos, won the race in 2001. But, he did not break Secretariat’s record.
Horse lovers, gamblers, the rich and the famous gather at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. It is as much a cultural celebration as it is a sporting event. And that celebration requires some preparation on the part of those attending.
Do not forget your hat
The Kentucky Derby is outside. The race can get very dirty, with the horses kicking up mud and dust as they speed around the track. But, observers are expected to look their best. Many men wear suits. Many women wear beautiful spring dresses.
However, the critical piece of clothing goes on top of your head.
Hats are almost a requirement at the Kentucky Derby. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors at the race. Women’s hat styles vary greatly. They can include flowers, feathers, ribbons, jewels and more. You might even see a hat or two larger than the heads they top.
‘Run for the Roses’
The owners of the winning horse receive more than $1 million. More importantly, people will pay a lot of money to breed their horses with a Kentucky Derby winner.
And the horse? It gets flowers. As soon as the race is over, a spread of red roses is hung over the winning animal’s neck. The tradition began in 1896. The red rose became the official Derby flower in 1904. And, about twenty years after that, the Kentucky Derby came to be known as the “Run for the Roses.”
Mint julep time
Kentucky is famous for making the alcohol called bourbon. And Kentucky bourbon is the base of a famous Derby drink: the mint julep. It is served in a metal container to keep it very cold. It contains bourbon, sugar, mint leaves and ice.
The Kentucky Derby’s official website says more than 120,000 mint juleps will be sold at Churchill Downs during the Derby weekend.
I’m Caty Weaver.
Caty Weaver wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
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Words in This Story
wager – v. to risk losing something (such as money) if your guess about what will happen is wrong
suit – n. a set of clothes that usually consists of a jacket and a skirt or pair of pants that are made out of the same material
breeding – v. to produce young animals, birds, etc.; to produce offspring by sexual reproduction
gambler – n. someone who plays a game in which you can win or lose money or possessions
feather – n. any one of the light growths that make up the outer covering of the body of a bird
ribbon – n. a narrow piece of cloth (such as silk) that is used to tie things or for decoration
(2)
ARTS & CULTURE
Nobel Prize in Literature Will Not Be Awarded This Year
May 04, 2018
In this photo dated Friday, April 17, 2015, a national library employee shows the gold Nobel Prize medal awarded to the late novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, in Bogota, Colombia. The Swedish Academy said Friday that the 2018 prize for literature will be given in 2019.
The Nobel Prize in literature will not be awarded this year, after accusations of wrongdoing against the Swedish Academy. The organization chooses the winner.
The Swedish Academy said Friday that the 2018 prize will be given in 2019. Members made the decision at a weekly meeting in Stockholm a day earlier. Anders Olsson, the Academy’s permanent secretary, said the group needed time to rebuild public trust before choosing the next laureate.
He said the academy made the decision, in his words, “out of respect for previous and future literature laureates, the Nobel Foundation and the general public.”
Nobel Prizes are awarded in science, medicine, literature and peacemaking. Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel provided money for their establishment after his death.
This will be the first time since 1949 that the award has been delayed. Last year, Japanese-born British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro won the prize.
Sex-abuse hits the academy
The problems at the Swedish Academy began last fall. Jean-Claude Arnault, an important artist in Sweden, was accused of sexual abuse.
Arnault leads a cultural center for which the Academy provided financial support. He is also the husband of Academy member, poet Katarina Frostenson.
In November of 2016, a major Swedish newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, reported about 18 women who accused Arnault of sex abuse.
He has also been accused of violating Nobel secrecy rules. He reportedly released the identity of winners before official announcements at least seven times.
Arnault’s lawyer Bjorn Hurtig has denied the accusations. He told the Associated Press that his Arnault is the victim of “a witch hunt” and that the accusations “may only have the purpose of harming” him.
Needing time to rebuild
The academy later admitted in a report that “unacceptable behavior in the form of unwanted intimacy” took place among its members. However, its poor management of the behavior damaged the organization’s trustworthiness. It also led to the resignation of its first female leader, Sara Danius.
A debate about how to deal with the accusations divided the Academy’s 18 members, who are appointed to life terms. Later, seven members decided to leave or distance themselves from the group.
The Academy released a statement that said members would reexamine operating polices at this week’s meeting.
The Nobel Foundation quickly answered, saying it believes the academy will put all its efforts into rebuilding its trustworthiness.
Carl-Henrik Heldin, chairman of the Nobel Foundation Board, said in a statement that he also believes the Academy members realize their changes need to include “greater openness toward the outside world.”
Past Delays
The Nobel Prize has been suspended 49 times since the prizes began in 1901, usually the result of war.
Swedish Academy member Goran Malmqvist told Sweden’s TT news agency that the delay was “a really good decision.”
“We’re in a crisis and it will take time to rebuild it again,” he said. He added that the academy must be more open to the media, but at the same time not leak the name of the winner.
I’m Phil Dierking.
This story was originally reported by Jan M. Olsen for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.
How do you think the Nobel Academy can rebuild its reputation? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
previous - adj. existing or happening before the present time
novelist - n. a person who writes novels -- books that are usually about imaginary characters and events
intimacy - n. emotional warmth and closeness
management - n. the act or skill of controlling and making decisions about a business, department, sports team, etc.
witch hunt - n. the act of unfairly looking for and punishing people who are accused of having opinions that are believed to be dangerous or evil
3)
What It Takes - Maya Angelou, Part 1
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4) American story: 'The Boarded Window' by Ambrose Bierce
Our story today is called “The Boarded Window.” It was written by Ambrose Bierce. Here is Shep O’Neal with the story.
In 1830, only a few miles away from what is now the great city of Cincinnati, Ohio, lay a huge and almost endless forest.
The area had a few settlements established by people of the frontier. Many of them had already left the area for settlements further to the west. But among those remaining was a man who had been one of the first people to arrive there.
He lived alone in a house of logs surrounded on all sides by the great forest. He seemed a part of the darkness and silence of the forest, for no one had ever known him to smile or speak an unnecessary word. His simple needs were supplied by selling or trading the skins of wild animals in the town.
His little log house had a single door. Directly opposite was a window. The window was boarded up. No one could remember a time when it was not. And no one knew why it had been closed. It surely was not because of the man’s dislike of light and air. Sometimes, he could be seen lying in the sun on his doorstep. I imagine there are few people living today who ever knew the secret of that window. But I am one, as you shall see.
The man's name was said to be Murlock. He appeared to be seventy years old, but he was really fifty. Something other than years had been the cause of his aging.
His hair and long, full beard were white. His gray, lifeless eyes were sunken. His face was wrinkled. He was tall and thin with drooping shoulders—like someone with many problems.
I never saw him. These details I learned from my grandfather. He told me the man's story when I was a boy. He had known him when living nearby in that early day.
One day Murlock was found in his cabin, dead. It was not a time and place for medical examiners and newspapers. I suppose it was agreed that he had died from natural causes or I should have been told, and should remember.
I know only that the body was buried near the cabin, next to the burial place of his wife. She had died so many years before him that local tradition noted very little of her existence.
That closes the final part of this true story, except for the incident that followed many years later. With a fearless spirit I went to the place and got close enough to the ruined cabin to throw a stone against it. I ran away to avoid the ghost which every well-informed boy in the area knew haunted the spot.
But there is an earlier part to this story supplied by my grandfather.
When Murlock built his cabin he was young, strong and full of hope. He began the hard work of creating a farm. He kept a gun--a rifle—for hunting to support himself.
He had married a young woman, in all ways worthy of his honest love and loyalty. She shared the dangers of life with a willing spirit and a light heart. There is no known record of her name or details about her. They loved each other and were happy.
One day Murlock returned from hunting in a deep part of the forest. He found his wife sick with fever and confusion. There was no doctor or neighbor within miles. She was in no condition to be left alone while he went to find help. So Murlock tried to take care of his wife and return her to good health. But at the end of the third day she fell into unconsciousness and died.
From what we know about a man like Murlock, we may try to imagine some of the details of the story told by my grandfather.
When he was sure she was dead, Murlock had sense enough to remember that the dead must be prepared for burial. He made a mistake now and again while performing this special duty. He did certain things wrong. And others which he did correctly were done over and over again.
He was surprised that he did not cry — surprised and a little ashamed. Surely it is unkind not to cry for the dead.
"Tomorrow," he said out loud, "I shall have to make the coffin and dig the grave; and then I shall miss her, when she is no longer in sight. But now -- she is dead, of course, but it is all right — it must be all right, somehow. Things cannot be as bad as they seem."
He stood over the body of his wife in the disappearing light. He fixed the hair and made finishing touches to the rest. He did all of this without thinking but with care. And still through his mind ran a feeling that all was right -- that he should have her again as before, and everything would be explained.
Murlock had no experience in deep sadness. His heart could not contain it all. His imagination could not understand it. He did not know he was so hard struck. That knowledge would come later and never leave.
Deep sadness is an artist of powers that affects people in different ways. To one it comes like the stroke of an arrow, shocking all the emotions to a sharper life. To another, it comes as the blow of a crushing strike. We may believe Murlock to have been affected that way.
Soon after he had finished his work he sank into a chair by the side of the table upon which the body lay. He noted how white his wife's face looked in the deepening darkness. He laid his arms upon the table's edge and dropped his face into them, tearless and very sleepy.
At that moment a long, screaming sound came in through the open window. It was like the cry of a lost child in the far deep of the darkening forest! But the man did not move. He heard that unearthly cry upon his failing sense, again and nearer than before. Maybe it was a wild animal or maybe it was a dream. For Murlock was asleep.
Some hours later, he awoke, lifted his head from his arms and listened closely. He knew not why. There in the black darkness by the side of the body, he remembered everything without a shock. He strained his eyes to see -- he knew not what.
His senses were all alert. His breath was suspended. His blood was still as if to assist the silence. Who — what had awakened him and where was it!
Suddenly the table shook under his arms. At the same time he heard, or imagined he heard, a light, soft step and then another. The sounds were as bare feet walking upon the floor!
He was afraid beyond the power to cry out or move. He waited—waited there in the darkness through what seemed like centuries of such fear. Fear as one may know, but yet live to tell. He tried but failed to speak the dead woman's name. He tried but failed to stretch his hand across the table to learn if she was there. His throat was powerless. His arms and hands were like lead.
Then something most frightful happened. It seemed as if a heavy body was thrown against the table with a force that pushed against his chest. At the same time he heard and felt the fall of something upon the floor. It was so violent a crash that the whole house shook. A fight followed and a confusion of sounds impossible to describe.
Murlock had risen to his feet. Extreme fear had caused him to lose control of his senses. He threw his hands upon the table. Nothing was there!
There is a point at which fear may turn to insanity; and insanity incites to action. With no definite plan and acting like a madman, Murlock ran quickly to the wall. He seized his loaded rifle and without aim fired it.
The flash from the rifle lit the room with a clear brightness. He saw a huge fierce panther dragging the dead woman toward the window. The wild animal's teeth were fixed on her throat! Then there was darkness blacker than before, and silence.
When he returned to consciousness the sun was high and the forest was filled with the sounds of singing birds. The body lay near the window, where the animal had left it when frightened away by the light and sound of the rifle.
The clothing was ruined. The long hair was in disorder. The arms and legs lay in a careless way. And a pool of blood flowed from the horribly torn throat. The ribbon he had used to tie the wrists was broken. The hands were tightly closed.
And between the teeth was a piece of the animal's ear.
“The Boarded Window” was written by Ambrose Bierce. It was adapted by Lawan Davis who was also the producer. The storyteller was Shep O’Neal.
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Words in This Story
frontier – n. a border between two countries
doorstep – n. a step or series of steps leading up to one of the doors that is used to enter or leave a building
lifeless – adj. Having no life
rifle – n. A gun that has a long barrel and that is held against your shoulder when you shoot it
unconscious – adj. not awake especially because of an injury, drug, etc.