VOA慢速英语2011--Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Names New Mem

STEVE EMBER: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.
FAITH LAPIDUS: And I'm Faith Lapidus. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame welcomed new members into its highly respected club last week. The ceremony took place March fourteenth at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. It was recorded for a television broadcast Sunday night. Today we take a look at the five performers inducted into the Hall of Fame and play some of their music.
(MUSIC)
STEVE EMBER: The shock rock band Alice Cooper is among the new members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band is as well known for its extraordinary stage performances as it is for its music. Alice Cooper’s extreme clothing, face make-up, fake blood and crazy behavior have entertained audiences for nearly fifty years. Lead singer Vincent Furnier’s snake was often part of the stage act. Alice Cooper concerts were like funny horror shows set to music.
Alice Cooper and his band performs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction¹ ceremony last week in New York
FAITH LAPIDUS: The five-member band began playing music together as high school students in Phoenix², Arizona. They took the name Alice Cooper in nineteen sixty-eight. Their nineteen seventy-two song “School’s Out” was their first major hit.
(MUSIC)
STEVE EMBER: Years later, lead singer Vincent Furnier had his name legally changed to Alice Cooper. He became an equally successful solo artist after the band broke up. “Welcome to My Nightmare” was his first solo album in nineteen seventy-five. “Only Women Bleed” was his first solo hit.
(MUSIC)
Alice Cooper gives his induction speech with a snake around his neck at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony last week in New York
FAITH LAPIDUS: Louisiana native Dr. John also gives unusual stage performances. He is popular for his carnival-like Mardi Gras costumes and performances. Many of them include ceremonies involving a special kind of magic or witchcraft³ known as voodoo. Dr. John began his music career in the nineteen fifties. He combines several different kinds of music, including blues⁴, pop, rock, folk and a special music of Louisiana called Zydeco.
(MUSIC “Mama Roux”/Dr. John)
STEVE EMBER: Dr. John was born Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. in nineteen forty-one. He learned to play piano and guitar as a child. He was a popular club musician by the time he was seventeen.
(MUSIC “Honey Dripper”/Dr. John)
Dr. John, right, is presented his trophy⁵ by John Legend at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
Dr. John’s first album, “Gris Gris,” was released in nineteen sixty-eight. Many critics say it is still his best. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it in the top third of its Five Hundred Greatest Albums of All Time.
FAITH LAPIDUS: Singer and songwriter Neil Diamond was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Diamond began his professional career in nineteen sixty writing songs for other artists.
Several years later he began singing his own music. He became well known for his adult style of pop music. Neil Diamond has sold more than one hundred twenty-five million records during his career. More than fifty of his songs have made it to Billboard’s Hot One Hundred Singles Chart. “Cracklin’ Rosie” became his first number one hit in nineteen seventy.
(MUSIC)
Inductee Neil Diamond accepts his trophy at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
STEVE EMBER: Tom Waits is a singer/songwriter whose voice sounds like a truck crossing over hundreds of stones. It has a deep, rough and dark quality. It is the perfect balance to the touching⁶ poetry of his songs. Tom Waits’ music touches on the private experiences many people have, like the sweetness that remains⁷ from a long-ago love.
(MUSIC “Martha”/Tom Waits)
STEVE EMBER: Tom Waits is a California native. He taught himself to play piano when he was a child. He started playing in a band in high school. Waits released his first album, “Closing Time,” in nineteen seventy-three. It was not immediately popular. But other musicians began to record their own versions of his songs.
Inductee Tom Waits performs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony March 14, 2011, in New York
FAITH LAPIDUS: Tom Waits kept working hard and putting out great music. But he also drank too much alcohol, smoked and travelled all the time for performances. He has said he was very sick in the middle nineteen seventies. But, in time, he quit drinking, got married, had three children and started an acting⁸ career. And he continues to write and sing beautiful songs.
(MUSIC “Innocent When You Dream”/Tom Waits)
STEVE EMBER: Darlene Love was the only woman inducted this year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The singer is most famous for a series of hit songs she recorded in the nineteen sixties with producer Phil Spector.
She began her career singing in a girl group called the Blossoms. Their first big hit was “He’s a Rebel” in nineteen sixty-two. The song was released under the name of another Phil Spector group called the Crystals. But Darlene Love sang lead vocals⁹ with the Blossoms singing background.
Darlene Love performs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
(MUSIC)
STEVE EMBER: Singer, songwriter and musician Leon Russell received this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Award for Recording¹⁰ Excellence¹¹. It honors great musicians who are not widely known to the public.
Leon Russell has spent more than fifty years in popular music.
(MUSIC “A Song for You”/Leon Russell)
FAITH LAPIDUS: Our program was written by June Simms and Caty Weaver¹² who was also the producer. I'm Faith Lapidus.
Inductee Leon Russell performs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony last week in New York
STEVE EMBER: And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

1 induction   

n.感应，感应现象

参考例句：

• His induction as a teacher was a turning point in his life.他就任教师工作是他一生的转折点。
• The magnetic signals are sensed by induction coils.磁信号由感应线圈所检测。

2 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

3 witchcraft   

n.魔法，巫术

参考例句：

• The woman practising witchcraft claimed that she could conjure up the spirits of the dead.那个女巫说她能用魔法召唤亡灵。
• All these things that you call witchcraft are capable of a natural explanation.被你们统统叫做巫术的那些东西都可以得到合情合理的解释。

4 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。

5 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

6 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

7 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。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 vocals   

（乐曲中的）歌唱部份，声乐部份( vocal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Also look out for soaring vocals on The Right Man. 另外，也可留意一下《意中人》中的那高亢的唱腔。
• Lazy bass line, lazier drums, lush violins, great piano and incomparable vocals. 懒惰的低音线，较懒惰的鼓，饮小提琴，棒的钢琴和无比的声音。

10 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。

11 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

12 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。