2007年VOA标准英语-Miranda Lambert's 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' Hits Co

By Mary Morningstar
Washington
14 May 2007

Country singer Miranda Lambert entered Billboard's Country chart at Number 1 with her 2005 debut¹ album "Kerosene²." The 23-year-old Texan has done it again with her brand new CD. VOA's Mary Morningstar has this report on Miranda's second release, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend."

Miranda Lambert has a reputation for writing songs with real life themes, like the title track from her new album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.  But, not all of Miranda's songs deal with revenge and rage. She's equally comfortable singing ballads³ that show her vulnerable side.

Miranda says, "My songs talk about real things. Things that I've been through or I've witnessed through my friends and family. If I feel it, I can sing it and make anyone believe it."

Miranda was still in her teens when she began writing songs for her first album, Kerosene.  The album sold more than one million copies, and brought her Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Award nominations⁴.

Miranda wrote eight of the tracks on her second album. She also included a cover of "Easy From Now On," a song Country singer Carlene Carter wrote in 1976, and Emmylou Harris recorded two years later.

Miranda hopes her new album will produce more radio attention than her first release. Only one track from Kerosene cracked the Top 20. She admits, however, that she'd rather continue to earn platinum⁵ records than worry about scoring Number One hits.

Critics are giving Crazy Ex-Girlfriend positive reviews. USA Today calls it "one of the best Country albums so far this year."  And, a review in the Los Angeles Times said, "Her songs of female empowerment and small-town wild-child fun have marked has as one of today's most promising⁶ Country ingénues."

Throughout the rest of 2007, Miranda will open concerts for Country stars Toby Keith and Dierks Bentley. The first single from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a song she wrote with Travis Howard, "Famous In A Small Town."

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 kerosene   

n.(kerosine)煤油，火油

参考例句：

• It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
• Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电，有煤油灯。

3 ballads   

民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴

参考例句：

• She belted out ballads and hillbilly songs one after another all evening. 她整晚一个接一个地大唱民谣和乡村小调。
• She taught him to read and even to sing two or three little ballads,accompanying him on her old piano. 她教他读书，还教他唱两三首民谣，弹着她的旧钢琴为他伴奏。

4 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

5 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

6 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。