VOA慢速英语 2008 0516b

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ - Members of the Group Young @ Heart Refuse to Act Their Age
Also: A listener in Yemen asks about the interactive² world on the Internet called Second Life. And hear a mixture of influences in the music of Marcus Miller³. Transcript⁴ of radio broadcast:
15 May 2008

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I’m Doug Johnson.

Today we hear music from Marcus Miller…

Answer a listener’s question about the popular Internet game, “Second Life…”

And, tell about a group of old people who refuse to act their age.

(MUSIC)

Young @ Heart

HOST:

You can never be too old to rock and roll. After all, the "world's greatest rock and roll band," the Rolling Stones, are all over sixty. But they are youngsters compared to another group of rock and rollers. Faith Lapidus explains.

FAITH LAPIDUS:
　

Members of the group Young @ Heart

A new movie called "Young@Heart" is about a group of more than twenty singers from Northhampton, Massachusetts. The singing group was formed more than twenty-five years ago at a center for old people. The singers have performed concerts around the world. The average age of the group is eighty years old.

The Young@Heart Chorus performs rock and roll songs made famous by artists including Bob Dylan, James Brown, Coldplay, Sonic Youth and the Clash. The leader of the group, Bob Cilman, is in his fifties. He directs the singers and teaches them new songs.

British filmmaker Stephen Walker followed the group for two months. He made a movie about the singers as they learned several new songs for a concert in their hometown. Some of the songs were difficult to learn. Older people do not know rock and roll songs as well as younger generations. And it is not always easy for people in their seventies, eighties and nineties to remember the words. But the movie shows that the singers try their hardest and have a good sense of humor.

Here is the Young@ Heart Chorus singing "I Wanna Be Sedated⁵" by the Ramones.

(MUSIC)

The members of Young@Heart are a lovable group of men and women with great spirit. Singing with the group is an important part of their lives. They have many medical problems and some struggle to attend rehearsals⁶ to learn the songs. Sadly, two of the members of the group died within a week while the movie was being filmed. But that did not stop the group from performing their concert.

The movie "Young@Heart" is very enjoyable. How many movies can make you smile, laugh and cry at the same time? One of the most emotional parts of the film is when the singers perform before a group of young men at a local jail. One of the young men says it was the best performance he'd ever seen in his life.

Second Life

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Yemen. Sameer Taher Mahdi asks about “Second Life” on the Internet.
　

A place in the world of Second Life

Second Life is an online imaginary world where a computer user can create a new self and experience a separate life. Second Life is similar to other popular "massively multiplayer online role-playing games." The company Linden Lab of San Francisco, California created Second Life in two thousand three.

To play Second Life a computer user signs up at the Second Life Web site. Then he or she creates an electronic image, or animated⁷ character, called an avatar. Some people try to make their avatar look as close to their real self as possible. Other people change their sex or become an imaginary creature as their Second Life avatar.

Once you have your avatar you become a “resident” of Second Life. In some ways the imaginary world is like the real world. There are streets and buildings and your avatar can move about them. Your avatar also can make friends with other Second Life avatars. Residents can go to school, own a business, even get married. But, there are also activities in Second Life that are impossible in the real world. For example, if you do not feel like walking to that park near your Second Life home, why not fly?

You can get your first Second Life account for free. But it costs money to get other accounts and to buy land. The virtual world has its own currency, the Linden dollar. You use these to buy virtual clothes, property, entertainment and many other things. You can earn Linden dollars by working at a job. That unreal money has a real life value. About two hundred fifty Linden dollars are worth one American dollar.

Second Life is popular among schools and businesses. Many universities have set up campuses on the Web site. Many kinds of stores can also be found there. And, entertainers sometimes perform live on Second Life with their Second Life avatars.

How many people do you think play Second Life? The Second Life Web site says more than four hundred sixty thousand residents logged on last week. It also says the total number of residents is more than thirteen million from more than one hundred countries.

Marcus Miller

(MUSIC: “Strum”)

HOST:

Marcus Miller is a bass⁸ guitar player, composer and producer. He has played on more than five hundred songs as a studio musician. For many years, he was known as “Bassist to the Stars.” Marcus Miller has also recorded many albums of his own. Mario Ritter tells us about the latest one.

MARIO RITTER:
　

Marcus Miller

Marcus Miller has written and produced songs for many major performers. They include the great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, singers Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey and rapper Jay-Z.

Miller has recorded nine albums on his own. His new album is called “Marcus.” He says he is carrying out an old jazz tradition of taking a song and mixing it with a different kind of music to show the song's other possibilities. Most of the songs on his new album combine jazz, rhythm and blues⁹, and a sound known as funk. The song “Blast” also has influences of the Middle East.

(MUSIC)

Several guest artists perform on Marcus Miller’s new album. They include spoken word artist Shihan the Poet, blues singer Keb’ Mo’, and Corinne Bailey Rae who sings the hit song, “Free.”

(MUSIC)

Marcus Miller’s skill as a musician extends beyond bass guitar. He plays several other instruments on his new album, including keyboards, drums, sitar and bass clarinet. We leave you with another song from the album “Marcus” by Marcus Miller. Here he plays bass clarinet on the classic song “When I Fall in Love.”

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

It was written by Lawan Davis, Shelley Gollust and Caty Weaver¹⁰, who was also our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

3 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

4 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。

5 sedated   

v.使昏昏入睡，使镇静( sedate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She's sedated,but she's probably scared out of her mind. 她很安静，但是她可能已经吓疯了。 来自电影对白
• Are you telling me the porn actually sedated you? 你是要告诉我，那毛片的确让你镇静下来吗？ 来自电影对白

6 rehearsals   

n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复

参考例句：

• The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。
• She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

8 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。

9 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

10 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。