美国音乐爱好者投票选出20世纪最佳歌曲

39 美国音乐爱好者投票选出20世纪最佳歌曲

DATE=5/21/01
TITLE=THIS IS AMERICA #1065 - Songs of the Century
BYLINE=Jerilyn Watson

VOICE ONE:
Music lovers¹ in the United States recently voted for the best songs of the Twentieth （1）Century. The （2）competition was designed to help school children learn about music.  I'm Shirley Griffith.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Sarah Long. We play some of the "Songs of the Century" on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
Two （3）organizations have （4）launched a program to improve music education in schools.  The Recording² Industry Association³ of America and the National （5）Endowment for the Arts began the project with a competition called "Songs of the Century." Hundreds of music lovers across the country voted for songs they liked best from the past 100 years.
Voters included elected officials, people in the music industry, teachers, students and members of the media. They chose from a list of more than 100 recordings⁴ of historical importance.  The voters chose 365 songs as "Songs of the Century."  Children in 10,000schools will hear the songs on school computers later this year.  They will also learn how music is written, （6）performed and produced.
VOICE TWO:
The "Songs of the Century" competition was divided into nine periods.  The first period was from Eighteen-Ninety to Nineteen-Twenty.  During these years many people came from other countries to live in the United States.   Some of the music of this time showed their love for their new country. 
For example, voters chose a recording of "America the Beautiful" sung by Louise Homer.  They also liked the happy musical beat of a piano piece written and played by Scott Joplin called "The （7）Entertainer."
Voters chose "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" sung by Billy Murray as the top song of this time.  It honors⁵ baseball, America's national sport.
VOICE ONE:
The Nineteen-Twenties were often called "The （8）Jazz Age."  African American artists wrote and performed a number of songs chosen among the best of this time.  Louis Armstrong performs "When the Saints⁶ Go Marching In."  It won the top number of votes for Jazz Age songs.
((TAPE CUT ONE:  "WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN"))
VOICE TWO:
The Nineteen-Thirties were years of deep economic （9）depression.  Many Americans had no jobs, no money and very little hope.  The top song of this period was also chosen best song of the century.  It is "Over the Rainbow" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg.  Judy Garland first sang the song in the movie "The Wizard of Oz" in Nineteen-Thirty-Nine. 
((TAPE CUT TWO:  "OVER THE RAINBOW")) 
VOICE ONE:
Music historians⁷ call the years from Nineteen-Forty to Nineteen-Fifty "The Swing Era⁸."  People loved to dance to swing music.  Voters chose music from World War Two on their list of best songs.  They chose the Andrews Sisters singing "Boogie Woogie Bugle⁹ Boy."  They also voted for "This Land Is Your Land." Folksinger and songwriter Woody Guthrie recorded this song in Nineteen-Forty-Seven.
 A song by Irving Berlin was chosen as the top song of this period. Here is Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas."
((TAPE CUT THREE: "WHITE CHRISTMAS"))   
VOICE TWO:
Americans liked （10）romantic love songs during the Nineteen-Fifties.  They also liked rock and roll music. This new music was becoming popular all over the world.  Bill Haley and His Comets perform the top choice of voters from this period. The song is called "Rock Around the Clock."
(TAPE CUT FOUR:  "ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK"))
VOICE ONE:
Some of the most popular songs of the Nineteen-Sixties were about social protest¹⁰ in the United States.  For example, Joan Baez recorded "We Shall Overcome."  （11）Demonstrators for civil rights for African Americans often sang this song.   Voters chose several recordings by the Beatles among the top songs of the Nineteen-Sixties. Otis Redding wrote the winning song from the Nineteen-Sixties. Here is Aretha Franklin singing "Respect."
((TAPE CUT FIVE:  "RESPECT"))
VOICE TWO:
The Nineteen-Seventies were best known for rock music.  Voters also liked a song sung by Barbra Streisand called "The Way We Were." And they liked Loretta Lynn singing "Coal Miner's Daughter."  
Don McLean wrote and sang the top song of the Nineteen-Seventies, "American （12）Pie."
((TAPE CUT SIX: "AMERICAN PIE"))
VOICE ONE:
Rock, country music and love songs all appeared on the list of best songs of the Nineteen-Eighties. For example, Joan Jett recorded  "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." Country singer Willie Nelson performed "On the Road Again."   
Tina Turner recorded the top song for the Nineteen-Eighties called "What's Love Got To Do with it?"
((TAPE CUT SEVEN:  "WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?"))
VOICE TWO:
People also chose several kinds of music for the Nineteen-Nineties.  They voted for a sad song by Elton John that honored¹¹ movie star Marilyn Monroe called "Candle in the Wind." They also liked the happy sound of "Livin' La Vida Loca" sung by Ricky Martin. The group (13) Nirvana performs the song voters liked best from the last ten years of the century.  It is called "Smells like Teen （14）Spirit."
((TAPE CUT EIGHT: "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT "))
VOICE ONE:
Early in the last century, people operated record players by turning a handle.  Now we listen to C-Ds or play music on computers.  As time passes, the children of today may hear music in new and different ways.  And some day, their children may choose the top songs of the Twenty-First Century.  
((THEME))
VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced by Cynthia Kirk.  Our studio engineer was Keith Holmes.  I'm Sarah Long.
VOICE ONE:
And I'm Shirley Griffith.  Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.

注释：
（1） century[ 5sentFuri, -tFEri ]n.世纪, 百年
（2） competition[ kCmpi5tiFEn ]n.竞争, 竞赛
（3） organization[ 7C:^Enai5zeiFEn ]n.组织, 机构
（4） launch[ lC:ntF, lB:ntF ]n.下水, 汽艇v. 开办, 发动
（5） endowment[ in5daumEnt ]n.捐赠, 捐赠的基金(或财产)
（6） perform[ pE5fC:m ]v.履行, 执行v.完成任务
（7） entertainer[entE5teInE(r)]n.款待者, 表演娱乐节目的人
（8） Jazz [dVAz ] n.(20世纪产生于美国的一种舞曲性音乐)爵士乐, 喧闹
（9） depression[ di5preFEn ]n.沮丧, 消沉
（10） romantic[ rE5mAntik ] adj.传奇式的, 浪漫的
（11） demonstrator[ 5demEnstreitE ]n.论证者, 示威者adj.传奇式的, 浪漫的
（12） pie[ pai ]n.馅饼
（13） nirvana[ niE5vB:nE, nE:5v- ]n.涅盘, 天堂

1 lovers   

爱好者( lover的名词复数 )； 情人； 情夫； 情侣

参考例句：

• They were off-screen lovers. 他们是真实生活中的情侣。
• Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet 罗密欧和朱丽叶这一对莎士比亚笔下命运多舛的恋人

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 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

4 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

5 honors   

n.礼仪；荣典；礼节； 大学荣誉学位；大学优等成绩；尊敬( honor的名词复数 )；敬意；荣誉；光荣

参考例句：

• He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 saints   

圣人般的人（指特别善良、仁爱或有耐性的人）( saint的名词复数 )； 圣…（冠于人名、地名之前）； （因其生死言行而被基督教会追封的）圣人； 圣徒

参考例句：

• The children were all named after saints. 这些孩子都取了圣徒的名字。
• In 1461, the bishop of Saints, Louis de Rochechouart, saw only a plain wall. 1461年Saints主教，LouisdeRochechouart主教看到只剩一堵朴质的墙。

7 historians   

n.历史学家，史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
• Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。

8 era   

n.时代，年代，纪元，阶段

参考例句：

• We are living in the information era.我们生活在信息时代。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

9 bugle   

n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集

参考例句：

• When he heard the bugle call, he caught up his gun and dashed out.他一听到军号声就抓起枪冲了出去。
• As the bugle sounded we ran to the sports ground and fell in.军号一响，我们就跑到运动场集合站队。

10 protest   

v.反对，抗议；宣称；n.抗议；宣称

参考例句：

• I can't pass the matter by without a protest.我不能对此事视而不见，我要提出抗议。
• We translated his silence as a protest.我们把他的沉默解释为抗议。

11 honored   

adj.光荣的：荣幸的v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I hope to be honored with further orders. 如蒙惠顾，不胜荣幸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is a time-honored custom. 这是一个古老的习俗。 来自《简明英汉词典》