VOA标准英语2009年-Remembering Mary Travers

By Katherine Cole
Washington
18 September 2009

 
Peter Yarrow, Mary Travers and Paul Stookey in 1965
Mary Travers, the glamorous¹ blond who sang into the middle microphone with folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died September 16 at 72 after a long battle with leukemia. 

Born in 1936, Mary Travers was two years old when her parents moved the family from Kentucky to Greenwich Village in New York City. By the time she was a teenager, Mary was a full-fledged member of the 1950s Village folk scene, though, at the time, she said music was just a hobby, and she had no plans to sing professionally.

 
This undated photo shows Mary Travers, who was one-third of the popular 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary 
That changed in 1961, when Mary met Bob Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman. Grossman had decided² to put together a folk supergroup to rival the chart-topping Kingston Trio. He introduced Travers to Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey.

The story of how the group was formed caused many fellow folk singers to brand Peter, Paul and Mary as "too commercial," and not "authentic³", but Mary Travers always defended the group's sound and founding, saying they made the music accessible to everyone.

There is no dispute that the trio made folk music popular. Their first album, "Peter, Paul and Mary," reached Number One shortly after its March 1962 release, and remained at the top of the charts for seven weeks. The album contained two hit singles: "If I Had A Hammer"; and "Lemon Tree."

"Peter, Paul and Mary everyone loved," said singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters. "And it's not that it was 'watered down' at all. That's not why it worked. I'm not exactly sure why it worked, except that Mary's voice was just a thing of beauty. It was a classically-beautiful voice."

Peters took up the guitar at age 7, and Peter, Paul and Mary songs were the first she learned to play. But it wasn't just Mary Traver's voice that attracted Gretchen. The harmony singing was equally important. 

"That was a great education, just picking apart who sang what on the albums," she said. "Because sometimes she actually sang lower than one of the guys, she would sometimes sing lower than Peter. And you'd have to kind of weed out who's singing what in the harmonies. It was not simple, simple stuff, but it was beautiful."

While the group's music proved commercially successful, the group did not play it safe when it came to politics. Like Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, Mary Travers was quite outspoken⁴ in her support of civil rights and the anti-Vietnam war movement. Peter, Paul and Mary performed at the historic 1963 March on Washington, and also took part in the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

 
Mary Travers (2005 file photo)
After the group disbanded in 1970, Mary Travers continued to perform at political events around the world. The trio reunited in 1978, intending to perform just one show at a benefit to oppose nuclear power. It was such a success that they continued to perform as a trio until Mary Travers retired⁵ in May of this year.

It's no exaggeration to say that Mary Travers and the trio of Peter, Paul and Mary took folk music from the coffeehouse to the mainstream⁶, and helped spread a message of peace and harmony around the world. Their recordings⁷ also proved that folk music could be commercially successful.

Peter, Paul and Mary's music won five Grammy Awards and scored six Top Ten hits, eight gold and five platinum⁸ albums. They also introduced millions to the music of Bob Dylan, and turned "Blowin' In The Wind" into an anthem⁹ of the 1960s' protest movement.

1 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

2 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。

3 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

4 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

7 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

8 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。

9 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。