美国名人歌手演员保罗·罗伯逊1.docx

美国名人歌手演员保罗罗伯逊1PaulRobeson,1898-1976:Singer,Actor,andCivilRightsActivistplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:14repeatByShelleyGollust2008-10-25VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogramPEOPLEINAMERICA.Today,wetellaboutPaulRobeson.Hewasasinger;actor;andcivilrightsactivist.Inthenineteenthirties,hewasoneofthebestknownandmostwidelyhonoredblackAmericans.LaterinhislifehewascondemnedforsupportingcommunismandtheSovietUnion.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:PaulRobesonPaulRobesonwasborninPrinceton,NewJerseyineighteenninety-eight.HisfatherwasaformerslavewhobecamethereligiousleaderofaProtestantchurch.Paulwasanexcellentstudentandathlete.RutgersUniversityinNewJerseygavehimmoneysohecouldstudythere.HeplayedfourdifferentsportswhileatRutgers.Healsowasthetopstudentinhisclass.MembersofhisclassbelievedPaulRobesonwouldbecometheleaderofblackpeopleinAmerica.VOICETWO:PaulRobesongraduatedfromRutgersinnineteennineteen.HeattendedlawschoolatColumbiaUniversityinNewYorkCity.HewasonlythethirdblackpersontoattendColumbiaLawSchool.Ontheweekends,heearnedmoneybyplayingprofessionalfootball.Healsoactedinplays.HemarriedEslandaCordozaGoodewhilehewasinlawschool.Afterhegraduatedinnineteentwenty-three,hegotajobwithagroupoflawyersinNewYork.However,heleftwhenheexperiencedunfairtreatmentbecausehewasblack.Hedecidednottoworkasalawyer.Instead,hewantedtousehisabilityintheaterandmusictosupportAfricanAmericanhistoryandculture.VOICEONE:Robesonbecameaprofessionalactor.HejoinedtheProvincetownPlayers,anactinggrouplinkedtoAmericanplaywrightEugeneO'Neill.RobesonwasthestarintwofamousproductionsbyEugeneO'Neillinthenineteentwenties.Theywere"AllGod'sChillunGotWings"and"TheEmperorJones."Criticspraisedhisperformances.Robesonbecamethemostrecognizedblackactorofhistime.VOICETWO:PaulRobesonasOthelloInLondon,heearnedinternationalpraiseforhisleadingpartinWilliamShakespeare'sgreattragicpla½"Othello."ThatwasinNineteenthirty.Thirteenyearslater;heplayed"Othello"onBroadwayinNewYork.Itwasverypopular.In"Othello,"RobesonplayedanAfricangeneralinancientVenice.Heismarriedtoayoungwhitewoman.Othellokillshiswifeafterbeingtrickedintobelievingthatshelovessomeoneelse.ThisishowPaulRobesonsoundedin"Othello."(SOUND:from"Othello")VOICEONE:PaulRobesonalsowasfamousforappearinginthepopularAmericanmusicalplay"ShowBoat."HeperformedtheplayinLondoninnineteentwenty-eightandonBroadwayfouryearslater.Heplayedariverboatworker.JeromeKernwrotethemusicfor"ShowBoat."PaulRobesonsangthesong"Ol,ManRiver."(MUSIC:"Ol,ManRiver")VOICETWO:PaulRobesonappearedinelevenmoviesinthenineteentwentiesandnineteenthirties.However,herealizedthathisactingwaslimitedbythesmallnumberofpartsforblackactors.HecriticizedtheAmericanmovieindustryfornotshowingthereallivesofblackpeopleinAmerica.Hestoppedmakingmoviesanddecidedtosingprofessionallyinstead.Robesonsangmanykindsofmusic.Hesangfolkmusicfrommanycountries.Hesangsongstosupportthelaborandsocialmovementsofhistime.Hesangsongsforpeaceandjustice.And,hesangAfricanAmericanspiritualmusic.Oneofhisfamoussongswasthisspiritual,"BalminGilead."(MUSICinBaIminGilead")VOICEONE:PaulRobesonwasrecognizedaroundtheworldforhisfightforcivilrightsforblackAmericans.SeparationofblackpeopleandwhitepeoplewaslegalintheUnitedStates.Blackpeopledidnothavethesamerightsaswhitepeople.Theywerenottreatedequally.Forexample,RobesoncouldnotbeservedinsomeeatingplacesintheUnitedStates.Violenceagainstblackpeoplewascommon.Angrymobsofwhitessometimeskilledblackpeople,especiallyinthesouthernUnitedStates.VOICETWO:Inthelatenineteenthirties,PaulRobesonbecameinvolvedinnationalandinternationalmovementsthatsoughtpeaceandbetterlaborconditions.HealsosupportedindependenceforAfricancoloniesfromtheirEuropeanrulers.Helearnedthelanguagesandfolksongsofothercultures.HesaidthesefolksongsexpressedthesamefeelingsthatwereinAfricanAmericanmusic.Helearnedtospeakzwriteandsinginmorethantwentylanguages.VOICEONE:RobesontraveledagreatdealinEuropeduringthenineteenthirties.HefoundthatblackpeopleweretreatedbetterinEuropethanintheUnitedStates.Hemetmembersofliberalpoliticalorganizations,socialistsandAfricannationalists.Healsometmanyworkingpeopleandpoorpeople.Formanyyears,heperformedinconcertsinmanycountries.ThesongshesangsupportedthestruggleforracialjusticeforblackAmericans,andforcivilrightsandeconomicjusticeforpeoplearoundtheworld.Herefusedtoperformatconcertswherethepeoplewereseparatedbyrace.Hesaid:"Theideaofmyconcertsistosuggestthatallmenarebrothersbecauseoftheirmusic."VOICETWO:Innineteenthirty-four,PaulRobesonmadethefirstofmanytripstotheSovietUnion.IntheSovietUnion,hesaid,hewastreatedasanequalofwhitesforthefirsttimeinhislife.HedeclaredhisfriendshipfortheSovietUnion.Andhespokeabouttheneedforpeacefulco-existencebetweentheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnion.ConservativegroupsintheUnitedStatesstronglyopposedhisfriendshipwiththeSovietUnionandhissupportforotherliberalissues.VOICEONE:PaulRobesonwenttoSpaininnineteenthirty-eightduringtheSpanishCivilWar.HesangforSpanishcivilians.AndhesangfortheLoyalistforcesfightingfortheSpanishrepublic.OneofthesongshesangwasthisSpanishLoyalistsongz"TheFourInsurgentGenerals."(MUSIC:"TheFourInsurgentGenerals")Inthenineteenforties,manypeopleintheUnitedStateswerestronglyopposedtoPaulRobeson'spoliticalbeliefs.Theysaidhewastooliberalorextreme.Nextweek,wewilltellyouabouthowoppositiontohispoliticalbeliefsaffectedthelastpartofhislife.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisPEOPLEINAMERICAprogramwaswrittenbyShelleyGollustandproducedbyLawanDavis.mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmber.JoinusagainwhenwefinishthestoryofPaulRobesoninSpecialEnglishontheVoiceofAmerica.