Guitar from Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video will be sold at auction

Guitar from Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video will be sold at auction¹

Transcript²

The music video remains³ one of the most popular of all time. The iconic blue guitar that Kurt Cobain played in that video will be up for auction next month.

(SOUNDBITE OF NIRVANA'S "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT")

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

That's one of the most famous opening riffs in rock and roll history. And soon, you might be able to take home a piece of it for a price.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT")

KURT COBAIN: (Singing) With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here we are now, entertain us.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Nirvana's 1991 single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," became an anthem⁴ for Gen Xers. The music video remains one of the most popular of all time.

MARTIN NOLAN: That is a video that has been watched over 1 1/2 billion times.

INSKEEP: Martin Nolan is executive director of Julien's Auctions⁵, where, next month, they will host a sale of Cobain's memorabilia, including the iconic blue guitar played in that video.

FADEL: Nolan says the treasured piece of rock history is a left-handed 1969 Fender Mustang, and its auction comes at a time when many people are looking back fondly at the '90s.

NOLAN: There's a lot of money being spent on memorabilia today. People are nostalgic. They're looking for a memory - a legacy⁶ from their youth.

INSKEEP: Julien's Auctions has partnered with the Cobain family on sales for 20 years. A used paper plate that once held a piece of Cobain's pizza - and on which he'd written a set list for a show here in D.C. - went for $22,000 in 2019. Nolan says the guitar will go for a good deal more - anywhere from $600,000 to $800,000.

FADEL: Other items up for auction include Cobain's 1965 Dodge⁷ Dart⁸ and an illustration that Cobain drew of Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk. But if your pockets aren't quite deep enough, Nolan says they'll also be auctioning⁹ off NFTs of Cobain memorabilia, which he says appeal to younger generations.

NOLAN: Their mindset is different. They've grown up with iPhones. They've grown up with the technology that we didn't have, and so they're all about less clutter¹⁰ - like, less stuff. They're not that - really interested in owning stuff, but they're still curious.

INSKEEP: Might be better to have the guitar - if you can afford it - but Nolan says the enthusiasm for Cobain speaks to his enduring popularity.

NOLAN: You know, anything that represents Kurt Cobain - people want to own. And that's his legacy, and they want to keep his memory alive.

FADEL: The auction starts May 20, with a portion of the proceeds going to the mental health charity, Kicking The Stigma¹¹.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "COME AS YOU ARE")

COBAIN: (Singing) Memoria...

1 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

5 auctions   

n.拍卖，拍卖方式( auction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They picked up most of the furniture at auctions in country towns. 他们大部分的家具都是在乡村镇上的拍卖处买的。 来自辞典例句
• Our dealers didn't want these cars, so we had to dump them at auctions. 我们的承销商都不要这些车子，因此我们只好贱价拍卖。 来自辞典例句

6 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

7 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

8 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

9 auctioning   

v.拍卖( auction的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The Army is auctioning off a lot of old equipment. 军队正在把大量旧装备拍卖掉。 来自辞典例句
• So she's auctioning off a chance to go to an awards dinner? 那么她在拍卖与她共赴晚宴的机会了？ 来自电影对白

10 clutter   

n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱

参考例句：

• The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱，我们什么也找不到。
• We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。

11 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。