VOA慢速英語(yǔ):一些被遺忘的演講在YouTube上重回公眾視野

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The 1960s was a time of change in the United States and other places. These changes influenced opinions about social issues, and extended to politics and even science. Internet users can now “hear” thisperiod of history through the YouTube website. Visitors can listen to leadingAmericans and others who spoke 40 or more years ago at the University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles. Their recorded speeches were forgotten for years,until recently.

The University of California, Los Angeles, recorded hundreds of people who spoke at UCLA in the 1960s and early 1970s. Some speakers were from themotion picture industry in nearby Hollywood. Others included world leaders and even astronauts.

Actress Jane Fonda speaking at an anti-war rally at UCLA (File photo courtesy of UCLA)

Tim Groeling is chairman of the university’s Communications Department. Hesays the audio, or sound, recordings are from an important period in history.

“It’s the combination of this being, I think, dramatic figures speaking at whatwas really a dramatic time. I mean this is a time period where society is reallychanging.”

The recordings were left in storage areas and forgotten until recently, whenTim Groeling discovered an old tape player by chance.

“I was at a thrift store and saw an old reel-to-reel unit for 20 bucks ($20). That, I’m like, ‘I bet that fits with the tapes, and (for) 20 bucks (I) might as well give it a shot.”

He bought the tape player from the store. Then he asked a former student, Derek Bolin, to help make digital versions of the recordings.

“I felt very good about doing this because I felt like I was preserving a piece ofhistory.”

Derek Bolin made digital copies of the speeches recorded between 1962 and 1973. In this 1972 speech, actress Jane Fonda spoke at an anti-Vietnam Warprotest.

“At a time when there are about 400,000 people in prison in South Vietnam forspeaking out for peace, independence and democracy in South Vietnam, Ithink the least we can do is to close down our schools and universities.”

Another recording has the voice of Yitzhak Rabin. He spoke at the universitywhile he was the Israeli ambassador to the United States. He later becameprime minister and was murdered in 1995.

In 1968, Rabin spoke to UCLA students about the problems of easing tensionsbetween Israel and Arab nations.

“I’m not very optimistic about the prospects of achieving peace in the nearfuture for two main reasons. I don’t believe that Egypt or the ruler of Egyptwants peace, and he has got his own reasons that derives from his ambitionsto take over the Middle East, and Israel serves as a barrier between him,between Egypt and the other Arab countries. But more than that, he has founda great support in one of the super powers – in the Soviet Union.”

The speeches covered subjects other than world politics. The developer of thepolio vaccine, Jonas Salk, gave a speech at UCLA in 1972. He described thatperiod of time as important in the history of science.

“The world is going through very interesting changes now, and changes ofsuch nature that I believe that this is perhaps the most interesting time thatman has ever lived. And perhaps it’s more interesting than will ever be trueagain in the future.”

Tim Groeling says that without technology and the Internet, it would be difficultfor people to hear these men and women. Three hundred sixty-six of thespeeches given at UCLA are now available on the YouTube website.

I’m Christopher Cruise.

This report was based on a story from VOA reporter Elizabeth Lee in Los Angeles. George Grow wrote it for Learning English. The editor was Caty Weaver.

Words in this Story

change – n. the act or result of changing; amendment

website – n. a place on the World Wide Web that has information about a person or organization

sound – n. fast-moving waves of energy that affect the ear and result in hearing

student– n. someone who studies

Now it’s your turn to use these Words in this Story. In the comments section, write a sentence using one of these words and we will provide feedback on your use of vocabulary and grammar.