Gatekeeper hopes music can save lives

貴州貴陽市北師大貴陽附中 羅躍梅

難詞掃障

1.blast v.發出刺耳的高音；轟鳴

2.morbid adj.病態的；不正常的

3.outrage n.憤怒；憤慨

4.engulf v.包圍；吞沒；淹沒

5.turmoil n.混亂；騷亂；焦慮

6.foreboding adj.（對不祥之事）預感的

7.moss n.苔蘚

8.gnarled adj.多節瘤的；扭曲的

題材文章詞數社會生活276 難度 ★★★體裁建議用時新聞報道5′

From his hut on the edge of Japan's“Suicide Forest”， Kyochi WatanabeblastsJohn Lennon's Imagine into the night—hoping that music can lift people from their despair before it's too late.The 60-year-old musician has devoted himself to an eight-year battle to get rid of the vast forest'smorbidreputation by reaching out to those who come to end their lives.

The forest， known as Aokigahara， made global headlines last year when YouTube star Logan Paul filmed an incident of his online series there，showing a suicide victim at the site.

The short video gave rise tooutrageand extremely angry Watanabe，who was born nearby and has spent most of his life in and around the forest.He believes music is a way to reach peopleengulfedin innerturmoil，and describes seeing people turn around and leave the forest when they hear the blasting tunes.

Aokigahara's long history dates back to the middle of the ninth century，when Mount Fuji erupted and lava covered wide areas that have since transformed into a 30 square-kilometre forest.

It is aforebodingplace，thickly planted with tall trees that block out the sun，and carpeted withmossandgnarledroots.That led in the 1970s to it being increasingly represented in popular novels，movies and television dramas as the fictional setting for suicides.The association eventually became strong enough that suicidal people began travelling to the forest to die.

Watanabe knows he faces an uphill struggle，but says he is committed to his campaign.“Because I was born here， I have to protect this place，” he says. “I'm a gatekeeper.I feel it's like my duty.”

Reading Check

1.Why does Watanabe blast John Lennon's Imagine into the night？

A.To create a comfortable atmosphere.

B.To save people from making suicide.

C.To relax people with strong pressure.

D.To be in memory of the great musician.

2.What does the underlined word “association” mean in paragraph 5？

A.The connection between different people.

B.A single organization for a particular purpose.

C.The fact of being involved with someone or something.

D.A feeling or thought that relates to someone or something.

3.Which of the following can best describe the characteristic of Watanabe？

A.Determined. B.Responsible. C.Enthusiastic. D.Optimistic.

Language Study

Complete the following sentences according to the text.

1.Kyochi Watanabe blasts John Lennon's Imagine into the night—________（hope） that music can lift people from their despair before it's too late.

2.The short video _______（引起）outrage and extremely angry Watanabe，who was born nearby and has spent most of his life in and around the forest.

3.The 60-year-old musician has _______（獻身于）an eight-year battle to _______（擺脫）the vast forest's morbid reputation by reaching out to those who come to end their lives.

4.Aokigahara's long history _______（追溯到）the middle of the ninth century， ________Mount Fuji erupted and lava covered wide areas...

5.Watanabe knows he faces an uphill struggle，but says he _______（致力于）his campaign.

Cultural Background

約翰·列儂

約翰·溫斯頓·列儂（John Winston Lennon，1940年10月9日—1980年12月8日）， 出生于英國利物浦，英國搖滾樂隊“披頭士”成員，是一位搖滾音樂家、詩人、社會活動家。1952年9月，列儂在進入Quarry Bank初級中學之后開始喜歡上音樂；1955年初列儂在學校里組織了一個搖滾樂隊 “the Quarrymen”（采石工人）；1960年，列儂組建了“披頭士”并開始在各地的俱樂部演出。1965年，約翰·列儂獲英國女王頒發的大英帝國勛章，1970年披頭士樂隊解散后，列儂發行《約翰·列儂/塑膠小野樂隊》與《想象》等專輯，也創作了《給和平一個機會》《想象》等歌曲，列儂同樣也參與了許多社會活動，用音樂來呼喚和平，參與了反越戰活動。1980年12月8日 晚上10點49分，約翰·列儂在紐約自己的寓所前被一名據稱患有精神病的美國狂熱男性歌迷馬克·查普曼槍殺，年僅40歲。1994年，約翰·列儂入選搖滾名人堂，2004年約翰·列儂入選《滾石》雜志評出的“歷史上最偉大的50位流行音樂家”。

參考譯文

日本“自殺森林”守林人希望音樂可以挽救生命

從他位于日本的“自殺森林”邊上的小屋，渡邊京地放著約翰·列儂的《想象》，歌聲響徹夜空。他希望音樂可以在一切都變得太晚之前，讓絕望中的人重新振作起來。這位60歲音樂家的戰斗，到現在已經持續八年了。他用音樂向那些來到這里了此一生的人伸出援手，試圖驅散籠罩在這片廣袤森林上空的死亡陰霾。

這片名叫青木原樹海的地方，因為去年油管紅人羅根·保羅在此拍攝的一集系列視頻而登上了國際頭條。在這里，視頻拍下了一名輕生者的遺體。

這條視頻引起了人們的憤慨，更激怒了在森林附近土生土長的渡邊。他相信音樂能夠觸動那些陷入內心掙扎的人，并講述了親眼所見的情景：人們在嘹亮的歌聲中，轉身離開森林。

青木原樹海古老的歷史，可以追溯到9世紀的中期。當時富士山爆發，熔巖覆蓋了大面積的地區，這些地方后來變成了一片30平方公里的森林。

這個地方給人一種不祥的預感。茂密而高大的樹木遮住了太陽，地面上則青苔滿布，盤根錯節。如此景象，讓它在20世紀70年代的暢銷小說和影視劇的情節中，愈發被描繪成自殺的場景。這種聯想的強化，最終導致輕生者開始來到這片森林結束生命。

渡邊知道，他面臨一場艱苦的斗爭，但他表示將全力投入行動。“我生在這里，所以我必須保護這片土地，”他說，“作為一名守林人，我覺得這是我的責任。”