2007年VOA标准英语-Jason Michael Carroll Among Country Newcomers t

By Mary Morningstar
Washington
18 March 2007

Many new artists are sharing the popularity charts with America's veteran performers. VOA's Mary Morningstar tells us about a few that could become the next big thing in Country music.

 
Jason Michael Carroll addresses child abuse in his first single "Alyssa Lies." The Top 5 hit struck a chord with radio programmers and Country fans alike. The song propelled the debut¹ of the 28-year-old singer's brand new album, Waitin' In The Country, to Number One.

As a child, Jason's talents were stifled² by his father, a fundamentalist preacher, who didn't allow secular³ music to be played in their home. In 2004, Jason's mother encouraged him to enter a local singing competition. The following year, he was performing steadily⁴ in Nashville nightclubs. That led to an offer from RCA Records, which reports that the Top 10 entry of Waitin' In the Country on the Billboard⁵ 200 gives him the highest pop chart debut by a new male Country artist since Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992.

 
 
Like Jason Michael Carroll, newcomer Kellie Pickler dealt with a very emotional subject in her new hit, "I Wonder." Kellie co-wrote the song about her estranged⁶ mother, who left Kellie when she was only two years-old. The 20-year-old singer came to international attention as a finalist on last year's "American Idol⁷" competition. Kellie placed sixth, which was good enough to secure a recording⁸ deal with BNA Records.

Tennessee native Chris Young's performance of his original song, "Drinkin' Me Lonely," clinched⁹ his popularity at the 2006 "Nashville Star" talent competition. He went on to win Country music's reality television competition and the grand prize signing with RCA Records. It's just been announced that Chris is an Academy of Country Music Award (ACM) nominee¹⁰ for Top New Male Vocalist.

Also earning a first-time ACM nomination¹² is 19-year-old Ashley Monroe. Her duet, "I Don't Want To," with Brooks¹³ and Dunn's Ronnie Dunn is mentioned in the Vocal¹¹ Event of the Year category. Ashley grew up near Knoxville, Tennessee. By the age of 11, she was performing five nights-a-week in a local show. Two years later, her father died of a sudden illness. Ashley says she worked through her grief by putting her emotions into her songs. Ashley wrote or co-wrote seven of the 11 songs on her self-titled debut album, including I Don't Want To.

1 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

2 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

3 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

4 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

5 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

6 estranged   

adj.疏远的，分离的

参考例句：

• He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
• The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

7 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

8 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。

9 clinched   

v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议）

参考例句：

• The two businessmen clinched the deal quickly. 两位生意人很快达成了协议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Evidently this information clinched the matter. 显然，这一消息使问题得以最终解决。 来自辞典例句

10 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

11 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

12 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

13 brooks   

n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》