英语听力—环球英语 1302 Michael Jackson

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　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Joshua Leo.

 

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　　And I'm Christy VanArragon. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

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　　Do you recognize this voice? People around the world have heard this singer. This is the music of international celebrity² Michael Jackson. He was a star. But people do not just know Jackson for his music. He is also famous for the struggles and problems of his personal life. When he died in 2009, his story dominated news around the world. Today's Spotlight is on Michael Jackson.

 

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　　Michael Jackson was born in 1958, in Gary Indiana, in the United States. He was the eighth of ten children. His father, Joe, worked in a steel mill. But this was not the work Joe wanted to do. He was also a musician. And he hoped that music could change their life.

 

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　　The Jackson children had musical skill too. And Joe was determined³ to develop that skill. Joe formed a musical group with five of the boys. They were called "The Jackson Five". Soon they became very popular.

 

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　　Joe was their manager and trainer. He planned their music and their performances. He helped them to practice. He gave them strong discipline, to develop their skills. They practiced often, and they learned to do what he said. This was one of the reasons people liked the group. The boys were excellent singers and dancers.

 

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　　It was during this time that the family became very famous. They began recording⁴ music with Motown Records in 1968. Radio stations played their songs. Many people bought their records. They even had their own television show! And Michael was the most popular. People were amazed by his skill at such a young age. He was just ten years old.

 

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　　All of this was especially amazing because the Jacksons are black. In the nineteen sixties and seventies, there were some popular black musicians. But the Jacksons were one of the first musical groups that were equally popular with black and white Americans.

 

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　　What many people did not know is that this success came with a great cost. Only the Jackson children know all the details, but it is clear that Joe hurt his children. Later, as an adult, Michael talked about this abuse. He said that Joe threatened the children when they practiced. He beat them if they made mistakes. He hurt them emotionally and physically⁵. As an adult, Michael explained that he was afraid of his father. As a child, he had felt alone with this pain.

 

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　　But even though the family struggled at home, they grew more and more successful. They changed recording studios, to CBS Records. They wanted to have more control over their music. At CBS Records, they started writing their own songs. And it was here that Michael started recording music by himself, without his brothers. In 1979, he recorded his first solo record, "Off the Wall". This record is still one of the best selling records in the world. He was just twenty-one years old. It included the song, "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough."

 

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　　But it was Jackson's next album that made him an international star. It has sold over one hundred million copies - the highest selling album in the world! It won many awards. People everywhere in the world heard the songs. This was the album "Thriller⁶".

 

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　　But people did not only hear the songs. They also WATCHED them. Thriller came out in 1982. This was soon after a new television channel started in the United States - MTV. The channel was just for music videos - films that played with a song. However, at first, MTV did not play music videos from black musicians. MTV has never stated why they did not play these videos. Today, many sources agree that racism⁷ was probably the reason - the channel did not believe that black musicians would bring a large audience. This was not true. There were many popular black musicians at the time. Finally, in 1984, they began to play Jackson's video for the song Billy Jean. With the success of that video, they began to play videos from many other black musicians too.

 

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　　Jackson's most famous video was for the song "Thriller". Groups of people still perform the dance for this song today!

 

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　　Jackson continued to release new and interesting music through the eighties and nineties. His albums continued to be very popular. But people did not just know Michael Jackson because of his music. Newspapers and television followed his private life closely. They told increasingly strange stories.

 

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　　For example, Jackson's appearance changed a lot as he grew older. In the nineteen eighties and nineties, Jackson's skin became lighter⁸ and lighter. Many people believed that this was because he was bleaching⁹ his skin - using chemicals to make it lighter. Jackson and his doctors stated that this was because of health and skin problems - vitiligo and lupus. Jackson also used heavy makeup¹⁰ on his face, and this made his skin appear lighter too. But his skin was not the only thing that changed. After several injuries, Jackson had operations on his nose. He continued to have similar plastic surgeries on his face. Because of these operations, his appearance continued to change. Friends and doctors later said that he had mental problems, including an addiction¹¹ to pain medicine.

 

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　　More seriously, in 1993 and 2003, Jackson faced accusations¹² of sexual abuse of children. He often invited children to his home - and he made his home fun for children. This may be because of his own unhappy childhood. However, some of the children later said that Jackson had abused them sexually. Jackson was tried in court on these charges in 2005, but the jury found him innocent.

 

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　　As a result of the trial, Jackson lost most of his money. He moved away from the United States. He was planning a new album and concert tour in 2009. It would have been his first tour in more than ten years. But Jackson died very suddenly in June 2009. Around the world, people mourned his death in memorials and ceremonies.

 

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　　Michael Jackson was truly an international star. People everywhere knew him and his music. But that was both a blessing¹³ and a curse. Jackson shared his amazing, inspiring, joyful¹⁴ music with the world. But growing up as a star left him with deep mental wounds. It is important to remember both things - his amazing music and dance, and the sad results of a public life.

 

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　　The writer of today's program was Christy VanArragon. The producer was Joshua Leo. The voices you heard were from the United States. Visit our website and leave a comment at http://www.radio.english.net This .program is called "Michael Jackson."

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 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。

5 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

6 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

7 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

8 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

9 bleaching   

漂白法，漂白

参考例句：

• Moderately weathered rock showed more intense bleaching and fissuring in the feldspars. 中等风化岩石则是指长石有更为强烈的变白现象和裂纹现象。
• Bleaching effects are very strong and show on air photos. 退色效应非常强烈，并且反映在航空象片上。

10 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

11 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

12 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

13 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

14 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。