欢乐美语:The Heart of Country Music 乡村音乐胜地

INTRODUCTION TO ACT I

Today on TUNING¹ IN THE U.S.A., Richard Stewart and his friend Andreas Pappas are in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is the center of the country-music industry. Outside a famous country-music theater, they meet a musician. Jim Conaway is his name, and he gives them a very interesting invitation.

Act I

Andreas: [He speaks while riding in the car.] I think you turn here, Richard. Yeah, there it is.

Richard: Yes. That’s it. The Grand Ole Opry. It’s a very famous theater in Nashville. Almost all great country-and-western musicians play concerts here sometime.

Andreas: I think there’s a recording² studio here, too.

Richard: Really? They record songs here? I didn’t know that. I thought it was just for live concerts. Shall we take a look?

[Richard and Andreas get out of the car. They stand outside The Grand Old Opera.]

Andreas: Do they give tours to the public?

Richard: I think so.

Andreas: What time do you think the tours start?

Richard: I’m not sure, It’s ten o’clock now. We can ask this fellow sitting with the guitar here. [To the man with the guitar] Excuse me. Can we ask you something?

Jim: Go right ahead.

Richard: Do they let people tour The Grand Ole Opry?

Jim: They sure do. But the building is still closed. It’ll be open in just a few minutes. And the tours start around eleven o’clock, I think.

Andreas: Do you work here?

Jim: Sometimes.

Andreas: Maybe you can answer a question, then.

Jim: I’ll try.

Andreas: We know about the theater inside. But is there a recording studio here, too?

Jim: There sure is. I make a lot of my records here.

Richard: Really? You’re a professional musician?

Jim: Yep. I’m Jim Conaway. I don’t believe I got your names.

Richard: Richard Stewart, from New York.

Andreas: Andreas Pappas, from Greece.

Jim: Greece! You are a long way from home. What brings you to The Grand Ole Opry?

Andreas: I’m just traveling, to learn about the U.S.A.

Richard: And I’m taking photographs all around the country. For a book about Americans.

Jim: Well, this is a good place to learn about Americans.

Andreas: Why is that?

Jim: Well… how should I say this? A good country song can give you a clear picture of an American’s heart, Country music is all about showing feelings, simply and honestly.

Richard: Andreas is very interested in American music. He has a radio show back home in Greece. It’s called….

Andreas: Music from Around the World.

Jim: Maybe you’ll play one of my records sometime.

Andreas: I’d like to.

Jim: I’ll tell you what. I’ve got a record to make in a few minutes. You seem interested. Why don’t you come in and watch us work?

Andreas: Really?

Richard: We’d love to, Mr. Conaway.

Jim: Call me Jim.

INTRODUCTION TO ACT II

This time on TUNING IN THE U.S.A., Richard Stewart and Andreas Pappas are in Nashville, Tennessee, visiting a famous theater called The Grand Ole Opry. It’s a place for country music concerts. Many musicians also come there to use its fine recording studio. One country musician, Jim Conaway, is recording there today. And Richard and Andreas are in luck because Jim is taking them into the recording studio to hear the making of a song.

ACT II

Jim: Here’s the recording studio. I record a lot of my songs here.

[The door to the recording studio opens. A woman enters.]

Jim: Good morning, Louise.

Louise: Oh, hi, Jim. How’re you doing?

Jim: Just fine, thanks. What are you working on?

Louise: I’m working on yesterday’s tape.

Jim: I brought some friends to watch the session³ today.

Louise: Hi, fellas.

Jim: This Richard. He’s a photographer from New York.

Richard: Nice to meet you.

Jim: And this is Andreas. He’s here all the way from Greece.

Andreas: Hello.

Louise: Welcome to Nashville.

Richard: Are you a recording engineer, Louise?

Louise: That’s right. I’m the engineer. I set up and work the equipment-you know, the tape recorders and the microphones⁴.

Jim: She dose⁵ more than that. She’s wonderful with this equipment. I always work with Louise. With other engineers, you can play a song one way, and the record can sound totally different. But with Louise, the record will be just like hearing me play.

Lo: Why don’t you show’em, Jim? Sing a line.

Ji: Ok. [He sings.] Sometimes I lie awake at night.

Lo: Now it sounds this way on the tape. [She plays the tape.]

Ji: That’s me, all right.

An: But you add a lot of other instruments to it.

Ji: That’s right. That’s called multitrack recording-different instruments on different tracks. Let them hear the other tracks, Louise.

Lo: Ok. Here are the drums. And here, comes the bass⁶ guitar.

Ji: You hear that? It’s a big sound now. I couldn’t make that alone.

Ri: This technology is fantastic! You can add all kinds of interesting sound.

An: And I’ll bet⁷ the big sound helps to sell your songs.

Jim: That’s right, boys. But it’s still me, simple and direct. That’s the beauty of the music.

1 tuning   

n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

3 session   

n.会议，开庭期，市盘，学期；adj.短期的

参考例句：

• This matter will go over until the next session.这件事将留待下次会议讨论。
• Congress is now in session.国会现在正在开会。

4 microphones   

n.扩音器，麦克风( microphone的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They descended from the plane into a forest of microphones and cameras. 他们从飞机上走下来，迎接他们的是数不清的麦克风和照相机。 来自辞典例句
• The music was amplified with microphones. 音乐声通过麦克风被放大。 来自辞典例句

5 dose   

n.(药的)剂量，一服；v.给(药)；(给…)服药

参考例句：

• In the accident,the workers received a heavy dose of radiation.在那次事故中，工人受到大剂量的辐射。
• He gave me a dose of medicine for my cold.他给我开了一剂治感冒的药。

6 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

7 bet   

v.打赌，以(与)...打赌；n.赌注，赌金；打赌

参考例句：

• I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说，你解决不了这个难题。
• I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。