Transcript

Voice 1 

Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.

Voice 2 

And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for

people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1 

A man stands on the top of Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He can see the whole city

spread out before him. He looks at white buildings surrounded by deep green hills and forests. He

can also see the beautiful Guanabara Bay, with white sand, blue ocean and islands. The view from

Corcovado Mountain is one of the most beautiful in all of Brazil. But the man standing on the

mountain is not just there to see the beauty of nature. He is also there to see something made by

humans - the statue of Cristo Redentor, or Christ the Redeemer. This amazing monument is one of

the Seven New Wonders of the World. More than five thousand people visit it every day. This statue

is a cultural and religious treasure for Brazil and for the whole world. Today's Spotlight is on the

Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio.

Voice 2 

In 1920, there was a group of Christians in Rio called Circulo Carioca. They proposed the idea for an

important religious monument. They wanted to build a large statue of Jesus Christ in the city. First of

all, the group wanted to celebrate one hundred years of independence from Portugal. They also

wanted Rio to have a symbol of the importance of the Christian religion in Brazil. Brazilian politicians

gave Circulo Carioca permission to build the monument. But private citizens paid for most of the

statue. People even went from house to house asking for money to pay for the statue! It was truly a

work of national pride.

Voice 1 

After the idea was approved, Circulo Carioca held a competition to design the statue. A man named

Heitor da Silva Costa won the competition. Da Silva Costa worked with a Brazilian artist named

Carlos Oswald and a European artist named Paul Landowski. It took a long time to design the final

plans, and even longer to build them. In total, it took ten years to finish the statue. The designers

wanted it to be an object of great wonder and beauty. But it also needed to be strong enough to

stand against time and weather. The designers wanted people to be able to see it from all points of

the city. They also wanted the statue to represent the Christian faith before the world.

Voice 2 

When Da Silva Costa designed the statue, he imagined the sun rising and setting on the top of

Corcovado Mountain. He wrote,

Voice 3 

"The statue of Jesus will be the first image to come from the darkness of night. It will receive the

touch of the sun, surrounding it with beautiful light. Then the sun's setting will build a crown of light

around its head that is fit for the Man-God."

Voice 1 

Da Silva Costa was a Christian. Christians call Jesus the Christ, or Messiah. Messiah means

"special chosen one." Christians also call Jesus the Redeemer of the world. A redeemer is a person

who saves. In the Hebrew language, Jesus’ name means "he who saves." So the statue's title

"Christ the Redeemer" means "the special chosen one who saves." Christians believe that Jesus is

the one who saves the whole world.

Voice 2 

At first, Da Silva Costa designed the statue to include Jesus holding his cross. The cross is an

important symbol for Jesus. Jesus chose to die on a cross. Christians believe that he became a

sacrifice – he took the punishment for all the wrong things in the world. Then, Christians believe that

he defeated death – he returned to life, and he is still alive. And he offers new life, and forgiveness to

all people.

Voice 1 

With the help of Carlos Oswald, Da Silva Costa redesigned the statue. In this design, there was no

cross. Instead, Jesus is standing in the shape of a cross. He stands with his arms spread wide open.

This is the design we see today. It represents all these elements of the Christian faith. But it also

shows something else. The stories of Jesus show that Jesus loved all people. He cared for all

people - rich and poor, from different cultures. The statue’s wide open arms represent this side of

Jesus. It looks like Jesus is embracing the city, and blessing it.

Voice 2 

Christ the Redeemer is not the world's tallest statue of Jesus. But it is the most famous. Millions of

people come to visit it every year. In 2007, the world's population voted on the new Seven Wonders

of the World. More than one hundred million people voted. Along with other famous structures, such

as the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal in India, Brazil's Christ the Redeemer became one of

the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Voice 1 

When Da Silva Costa designed the Christ statue, he imagined the light of the sun touching Jesus'

head. He may NOT have imagined lightning. However, for a tall statue on the top of a mountain,

lightning has always been a danger. And lightning has damaged the statue several times. Recently,

lightning storms have become even more intense. They present more danger to the statue than ever

before. Osmar Pinto works for the Brazilian Institute of Space Research. He told the BBC,

Voice 4

"In the past few years, there have been some cases of storms with more than one thousand lightning

bolts. This has not happened before."

Voice 2 

Because of the more intense storms, the Brazilian government has increased its efforts to protect

the statue. Officials have been working hard to design ways for the statue to survive lightning strikes.

Businessman Paolo Dal Pino is paying for some repairs to the statue. He told the BBC,

Voice 5 

"This monument has two million visitors a year - it is going to be three million people probably in

2014. A place like this, damaged, is something that cannot exist."

Voice 1 

Christ the Redeemer is important for the cultural and religious history of Brazil. But it is also

important for the millions of people from many countries who visit it.

Padre Omar is the rector, or priest, of the church at the base of the statue. He told the BBC,

Voice 6 

"It is a religious symbol, a cultural symbol, and a symbol of Brazil. Christ the Redeemer brings a

wonderful view of welcoming, open arms to all those who pass through the city of Rio de Janeiro."

Voice 2 

The writer of this program was Jen Hawkins. The producer was Michio Ozaki.  The voices you heard

were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by

Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet

at http://www.radioenglish.net This program is called, “The Statue of Christ the Redeemer."

Voice 1

 You can also leave your comments on our website. And find us on Facebook - just search for

Spotlight Radio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!