VOA慢速英语:Lena Horne, 1917-2010: A Star Who Broke Racial Barriers

短语讲解：

1. During this period, African-American actors were mostly limited to playing servants or African natives.

limit to (把…)限制在…, 局限于…
例句：Each customer is limited to four tickets.
每人限购四张票。

2. During this time, racial separation laws were in effect in the South.

in effect (法律或规则)在实施中; 有效
例句：The rule is still in effect.
本规则仍然有效。

3. Lena Horne later wrote that the movie producers did not make her into a servant, but they did not make her into anything else either.

make into把…转变为, 使成为
例句：Working in the kitchen made the boy into a good cook.
那个孩子在厨房里工作, 这使他成了很好的厨师。

4. She said she became a butterfly pinned down and singing away in Movieland.

pin down把…固定住; 迫使作出决定, 采取行动
例句：The map is pinned down to the table.
那张地图被钉在桌子上。
sing away连续唱
例句：The birds were singing away in the trees.
鸟儿在树上叫个不停。

5. These experiences led to Lena Horne’s work in the civil rights movement.

lead to导致, 引起
例句：An ordinary cold can soon lead to a fever.
一场普通的感冒很快便会引起高烧。

6. At the age of sixteen, Lena found work as a dancer at the famous Cotton Club in New York City.

work as任…职, 当…
例句：It must be a hard life, working as a nurse in a backward country.
在落后的国家当一名护士, 生活必定是艰苦的。

7. Lena Horne later said that she first became involved with Lennie Hayton because she thought he could be useful to her career.

involve with与(某人)有密切关系
例句：How long has Grace been involved with that red-haired boy?
格雷斯与那个红头发的小伙子来往多久了?

8. Lena Horne’s movie career slowed down in the nineteen fifties. But she continued recording and performing live and on television.

slow down (使)生产缓慢, (使)变得迟钝
例句：The increase of productions has now slowed down.
现在产品的增长速度已经慢了下来。

9. She also became increasingly involved in civil rights activities.

involve in使参与〔陷入, 牵扯到〕
例句：The vast masses there have become involved in the health campaign.
那里的广大群众都参加了卫生运动。

10. She took action so that she and her musicians would be permitted to stay in those hotels.

take action采取行动, 行动起来
例句：The police had to take firm action to deal with the riots.
警方不得不采取果断行动来对付骚乱。