THE YEAR THAT WAS 1996

Well, before we finish this, the first programme of the new year, there’s just time to say goodbye to the old. Catrin Rees looks back on the year that was 1996.

Oscar announcement “I’m pleased to announce that the films selected as the best picture nominees[1] are…”

1996 was the year when the 19th-century English novelist Jane Austen took the film world by storm. First there was the television adaptation of her novel Pride and Prejudice, then the film versions of both Sense and Sensibility and Emma. Sense and Sensibility was adapted for the screen by the actress Emma Thompson and nominated for seven Oscars.

Oscar announcement “And the Oscar for best screenplay[2] adaptation is awarded to Emma Thompson for Sense and Sensibility.”

Emma Thompson “Before I came, I went to visit Jane Austen’s grave to pay my respects, you know, and tell her about the grosses[3]. And, I don’t know how she would react to an evening like this but I do hope she knows how big she is in Uruguay.”

But as the film critic Derek Malcolm pointed out at the time – the Oscars shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

DM “Let’s not think that they are always a matter of quality. They are usually a matter of tremendous publicity, a great deal of pushing and shoving, rather like the American elections which are going on now. So let’s be a little bit cynical and say they don’t always mean the best.”

And it seems that in 1996 the American voters agreed with him.

US voter “Every year we seem to get worse. More and more muck, less and less issues, less and less reasons why to vote for people as opposed to why not to vote for the other guy. I’d like to see that change but I don’t see how it’s going to.”

But, despite the lowest voter turnout for a US presidential election in 72 years, Bill Clinton was returned to office.

Newsreader “It’s nine pm in the East. Headline of the hour and the night. President Bill Clinton has become the first Democratic President in 60 years, since the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to be re-elected to a full second term.”

“America, America.”

Clinton “When we roll up our sleeves and work together America always wins and, my fellow Americans, America is going to keep winning these next four years.”

“From Sea to Shining Sea.”

1996 saw another leader on the other side of the world doing rather less well.

“This is Radio Pakistan. The president has dissolved[4] the National Assembly[5] with immediate effect and dismissed[6] Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her government.”

Pakistani President Farooq Leghari said that he’d removed Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from office because of widespread corruption[7] and the collapse of law and order. But Ms Bhutto accused him of attacking democracy.

BB “I think I’ve done a very fine job as prime minister and I think only the people have the right to judge me. I don’t think anybody else has the right to judge me except my God and the people of Pakistan.”

In May, another world leader has been judged by his people. Binjamin Natanyahu became Prime Minister of Israel. The election was called after the assassination[8] of Yitzhak Rabin, one of the authors of the peace process. When Binjamin Natanyahu was elected, the peace process with the Palestinians slowed almost to a full stop.

In fact, in 1996, movements towards peace all around the world seemed to falter[9] and fail. In Bosnia, the elections promised under the Dayton Accord[10] in December 1995 did go ahead in 96, but the soldiers of the international peace force, IFOR[11], who were due to go home at the end of the year, now look set to stay very much longer, and very few of Bosnia’s war criminals have been brought to justice.

On the border of Rwanda and Zaire, conflict flared[12] again. Hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of refugees from Rwanda’s civil war in 1994 were forced to take to the road again amid reports of starvation and cholera[13].

Reporter “Columns of people with mattresses and cloth bundles on their heads reach as far as the eye can see on the road into Goma. Some are pushing bicycles loaded with what possessions they’ve managed to salvage, their children balanced on the handlebars or walking alongside.”

Refugee “We were frightened here in the camps in Zaire. We have nothing to eat, so it’s better to go back to Rwanda. I’d rather die in my homeland than die here as a refugee.”

In February, the British peace was shattered after 18 months of IRA ceasefire[14] when a massive bomb exploded in the city of London. Two people were killed in the blast and for the people of Northern Ireland in particular, it was the end of a dream of peace.

First Woman “It’s very sad. People are crying out for peace, and some idiots are going around doing that.”

Second Woman “I can’t believe these bombs are still going off and everything’s still happening. It’s sad.”

But the explosion which the most lives during the year was an accident.

“This is all India radio. About 345 passengers are feared killed in a mid-air collision[15] near Delhi airport.”

In India two passenger planes crashed in the worst mid-air collision in aviation history. All the signs suggested that the crash was caused by pilot error[16]. Three hundred and forty-nine people died.

Reporter “It really is a terrible scene. You look out for miles really, and all you can see is wreckage and smouldering[17] bits of flame and basically bodies. And, it really is a terrible scene.”

But not all the disasters of 1996 were man-made. In Iceland, a volcano[18] erupted beneath the largest glacier[19] in Europe, melting the ice cap and causing enormous floods. A thousand kilometers of land were flooded and roads and bridges washed away. Scientists prevented any loss of life by predicting the scale[20] of the flooding. But they did less well when it came to the study of other planets. 1996 was the year when scientists went to war over Mars. First one group of scientists announced the discovery of minute[21] fossilized[22] bacteria[23] in a meteorite[24] from Mars.

First scientist “We’re here today to tell a fascinating detective story and lay out compelling[25] clues[26] that lead us in the direction that we think life might have existed at some time on Mars.”

But it wasn’t long before another group of scientists disagreed.

Second scientist “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, but I think a lot more needs to be done before we can have firm confidence that this report is of life on Mars.”

Yet another group of scientists might have been able to settle the dispute. After a four year delay, Russia finally launched its space probe to Mars. It didn’t even leave the earth’s orbit – its booster[27] rockets failed and it crashed down somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

Scientists had better luck in 96, however, in another area. They finally proved just how tobacco causes the changes that trigger lung cancer in human cells. That finding was not much consolation[28] for people with cancer, but the finding of the American court was. 1996 was the year ex-smokers with lung cancer took the tobacco companies to court and won.

Winners and losers were, as ever, what it was all about at the Olympics. But in 1996 even this event of sporting brotherhood between nations was tarnished[29] by violence[30]. It rubbed the gilt[31] off what was otherwise a triumph[32] of American patriotism[33] and sporting prowess[34]. Of course, there were many winners from around the world, but one of the highlights was the moment when the American, Carl Lewis, became only the second man to have ever won an Olympic gold in the same event in four consecutive[35] Games.

Commentator “Is this going to be fold medal number nine for Carl Lewis, long jump gold number four. He won it in 84 in Los Angeles – eight meters fifty for Carl Lewis. Thirty-five years old, his Olympic career coming to an end and now surely he’s bowing out in the most fantastic fashion and don’t the crowd love it.”

Carl Lewis winning the long jump. One of the moments which will be remembered from the year that was 1996.

Catrin Rees looking back at last year. But now I’ll leave you with best wishes for this year, 1997. Until next time, from me, Stuart Richmond, and all of us here at Bush House, Goodbye.

The BBC English Magazine cassette is produced by Catrin Rees.

[1] Nomineesomeone who has been suggested for a prize, duty or honour

[2] Screenplayscript of a film

[3] Grosseshere, total amount of money obtained from ticket sales for a particular film

[4] Dissolvehere, formally end an organization or legal relationship

[5] National Assembly here, government council responsible for making laws in a country

[6] Dismisshere, tell someone to leave their job

[7] Corruptiondishonesty and illegal behavior, usually by people in power

[8] Assassinationpolitical murder

[9] Falterbecome weaker or slower

[10] Dayton Accord peace agreement between the warring sides in Bosnia, which was sponsored by the US and negotiated in the US city of Dayton, Ohio

[11] IFORInternational Fellowship of Reconciliation, an international faith based organization that strives for peace and non-violence

[12] Flarehere, start or become worse

[13] Choleraserious disease that affects your digestive organs

[14] Ceasefire agreement between two warring sides to stop fighting

[15] Collision crash between two vehicles, air craft, etc

[16] Error mistake

[17] Smouldering here, burning slowly

[18] Volcano mountain which hot melted rock, gas, steam and ash sometimes burst out of from inside the earth

[19] Glacier huge mass of ice which moves very slowly, often down a mountain valley

[20] Scalehere, extent

[21] Minute very small

[22] Fossiliseprocess by which the remains of animals or plants harden and leave an imprint, usually in rock, which is called a fossil

[23] Bacteria tiny organisms

[24] Meteorite peace of rock or metal that has landed on earth from outer space

[25] Compelling very convincing

[26] Clue something that helps you find the answer to a problem, mystery or puzzle

[27] Booster here, engine which is used to send a rocket into outer space

[28] Consolation of something which makes you feel better

[29] Tarnished damaged

[30] Violence here, a bomb which exploded in Centennial Park, where thousands of people had gathered during the Olympic games

[31] Gilt here, things that make something attractive

[32] Triumph great success or achievement

[33] Patriotism love for your country and loyalty towards it

[34] Prowess great ability to do something

[35] Consecutiveone after another

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 2558