美国国家公共电台 NPR A Funeral Fit For A 'Queen'

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

A weeklong tribute for the Queen of Soul came to a close in Detroit yesterday. Thousands turned out for Aretha Franklin's funeral at Greater Grace Temple to celebrate a superstar and her musical legacy¹. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports from Detroit.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WALK IN THE LIGHT")

ARETHA FRANKLIN ORCHESTRA: (Singing) Walk in the light. Walk in the light.

CHERYL CORLEY, BYLINE²: This was a celebration, a daylong tribute full of stories about Aretha Franklin's impact. There was politics and humor but, most of all, music.

ARETHA FRANKLIN ORCHESTRA: (Singing) Of mercy shine bright. Shine on.

CORLEY: There was a who's who with big names in music, sports and politics - The Clark Sisters, Ariana Grande, former basketball star Isiah Thomas and former President Bill Clinton. The missing voice was Aretha Franklin's. The Reverend Al Sharpton.

AL SHARPTON: She was bathed in the black church. And she took the black church downtown and made folks that didn't know what the Holy Ghost was shout in the middle of a concert.

CORLEY: All throughout the week, fans came from around the country to pay their respects to the Grammy Award-winning megastar as Franklin lay in repose³. At the funeral, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said for more than half a century, Aretha's family had a huge impact on the city. Franklin's father was a prominent minister who organized one of the largest civil rights marches in Detroit. And then came Aretha.

MIKE DUGGAN: Each time she soared, it felt like the people of Detroit soared with her because she never lost her connection.

CORLEY: And the mayor brought the crowd to its feet when he said a popular park would be renamed for Franklin. There was a sense of history in the room as speakers recognized the woman with the legendary⁴ voice for a life full of singing and activism - like the time she traveled with singer Harry⁵ Belafonte to raise money for Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. Reverend JoAnn Watson, a close friend, says Franklin was especially devoted⁶ and generous to her hometown.

JOANN WATSON: She would ride the streets of Detroit, taking note of people who have special needs, quietly dispensing⁷ donations.

CORLEY: There were lots of bittersweet moments like that. Ushers⁸ roamed the aisles⁹ with boxes of tissues. Franklin's reach was worldwide. She sang for presidents, to former ones. Barack Obama and George Bush sent letters. And the crowd laughed when President Clinton played Aretha Franklin's song "Think" on his cellphone. For Franklin's family, the loss is much more intimate. Granddaughter Victorie Franklin said when she was young, she didn't recognize the fame of a woman others consider music royalty¹⁰. But that changed.

VICTORIE FRANKLIN: And when I would go to her shows and watch her sing, it would be the best feeling in the world. Nothing sounded better to me than the way my grandma sings. Her voice made you feel something. You felt every word, every note, every emotion in the songs she sang. Her voice peace.

CORLEY: One of the most poignant¹¹ moments came from singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson. He met Aretha Franklin when he was 8 years old. He said he wasn't expecting to say goodbye.

SMOKEY ROBINSON: (Singing) I'll miss you, my buddy¹². I'll miss you, my friend. I know that my love for you will never end, will never end.

CORLEY: Aretha Franklin had a voice that stirred the soul and changed popular music forever. In a nod to her hit song Freeway of Love, pink Cadillacs led the procession to Woodlawn Cemetery¹³, where she is now buried. Cheryl Corley, NPR News, Detroit.

1 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。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 repose   

v.(使)休息；n.安息

参考例句：

• Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
• Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

4 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

5 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

6 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

7 dispensing   

v.分配( dispense的现在分词 )；施与；配（药）

参考例句：

• A dispensing optician supplies glasses, but doesn't test your eyes. 配镜师为你提供眼镜，但不检查眼睛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The firm has been dispensing ointments. 本公司配制药膏。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 ushers   

n.引座员( usher的名词复数 )；招待员；门房；助理教员v.引，领，陪同( usher的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Seats clicked, ushers bowed while he looked blandly on. 座位发出啪啦啪啦的声响，领座员朝客人们鞠躬，而他在一边温和殷勤地看着。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• The minister then offers a brief prayer of dedication, and the ushers return to their seats. 于是牧师又做了一个简短的奉献的祈祷，各招待员也各自回座位。 来自辞典例句

9 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

10 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

11 poignant   

adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

12 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

13 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。