2006年VOA标准英语-Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman

Washington
18 June 2006
 
  
  
Since the release of his first album in 1968, singer and songwriter Randy Newman has been known for writing wry¹, and sometimes raw, songs about everyday life. Newman's musical journey has taken him from writing pop hits like "I Love L.A.," and "Short People," to Academy Award nominations² for his scores for movies including "Toy Story", "Seabiscuit" and "Ragtime," and an Oscar win for the song "If I Didn't Have You," from "Monsters, Inc."

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Tim O'Brien's bluegrass-folk version of "Sail Away" kicks off the new Randy Newman tribute CD of the same name. Taking on the catalog of an artist as prolific³ as Randy Newman is a daunting⁴ task, which could explain why producer Steve Fishell decided⁵ to concentrate on songs that Newman wrote during the 1970s. But just because the songs on this CD are older, don't think they aren't relevant to today. A prime example is "Louisiana 1927," sung by guitar virtuoso⁶ Sonny Landreth. The song was written in 1974, about a devastating⁷ 1927 flood of Louisiana's lowlands. But "Louisiana 1927" has been mentioned so many times in the aftermath of last year's Hurricane Katrina that it has become an anthem⁸ for some survivors⁹.

Randy Newman was born into a musical family in Los Angeles, California, and was raised around the film industry. But the mark of a great songwriter is the ability to make fiction sound like fact. And the mark of a great singer is the ability to make someone else's words sound like your own life story, as Del McCoury does with Newman's "Birmingham," a tale of a life Newman never lived in the American south.

Musicians who have long been fans of Randy Newman, and have recorded his songs include Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Costello and Bonnie Raitt. If you're not familiar with his work, "Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman" is a fine place to start discovering one of America's finest writers.

Other performers on the new compilation¹⁰ include Allison Moorer, Steve Earle, Sam Bush, and Bela Fleck¹¹, who contributes a solo banjo version of "Burn On."

1 wry   

adj.讽刺的；扭曲的

参考例句：

• He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸，打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。
• Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马，噘了噘嘴。

2 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

3 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

4 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 virtuoso   

n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手

参考例句：

• He was gaining a reputation as a remarkable virtuoso.作为一位技艺非凡的大师，他声誉日隆。
• His father was a virtuoso horn player who belonged to the court orchestra.他的父亲是宫廷乐队中一个技巧精湛的圆号演奏家。

7 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

8 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

9 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

10 compilation   

n.编译，编辑

参考例句：

• One of the first steps taken was the compilation of a report.首先采取的步骤之一是写一份报告。
• The compilation of such diagrams,is of lasting value for astronomy.绘制这样的图对天文学有永恒的价值。

11 fleck   

n.斑点，微粒 vt.使有斑点，使成斑驳

参考例句：

• The garlic moss has no the yellow fleck and other virus. 蒜苔无黄斑点及其它病毒。
• His coat is blue with a grey fleck.他的上衣是蓝色的，上面带有灰色的斑点。