VOA慢速英语 海洋精灵Mami Wata的多面性

　　The Ocean Spirit Mami Wata Takes Many Faces

　　海洋精灵Mami Wata的多面性

　　HOST:

　　Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

　　(MUSIC)

　　I'm Doug Johnson. This week we travel to Africa with the banjo player Bela Fleck. We hear music from his latest album, "Throw Down Your Heart," and discuss a movie about his trip to Africa.

　　But first, we go to the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., to see an exhibit about an ocean goddess.

　　(MUSIC)

　　HOST:

　　She is part woman and part fish. She carries snakes with her and brings good luck in the form of money. She is sensual, beautiful, and protective, yet sometimes dangerous. Her name is Mami Wata. Faith Lapidus tells us about her.

　　FAITH LAPIDUS:

　　Mami Wata is pidgin English for "Mother Water." Since the fifteenth century, the water spirit Mami Wata has taken many forms and names. She appears in different cultures throughout Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas. She is a very popular subject for artists.

　　The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., currently has a show that honors Mami Wata's many faces. The exhibit shows how cultural influences and spirituality change and grow throughout history.