VOA标准英语2010年-Sugarland's 80s Inspired 'The Incredib

Sugarland's latest album sold more than 202,000 copies its first week of release to give the duo its third Number One debut¹ on both the Billboard² 200 and Country Albums charts. Sugarland describes The new album Incredible Machine as a collection of anthems³. The duo's Jennifer Nettles⁴ and Kristian Bush say the album was "designed to play in very large places and to communicate with a large group of people." When asked why they titled the record The Incredible Machine, Jennifer explained, "We looked at this record, and something that was consistent all the way through it was the concept of the human heart and the metaphor⁵ of the human heart." "'The Incredible Machine,' the song itself, is actually a metaphor about the human heart and its exquisite⁶ and beautiful capacity to feel and to love and to understand," she added. "That's what we try to do as humans anyway. We try to love, we try to feel, we try to understand our world around us, and that's what each of these songs tends to lean toward is that heart and how it works in that way."Included on the album is "Wide Open," which Jennifer and Kristian wrote for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games soundtrack. They were teenagers in the 1980s, and grew up listening to such non-Country acts as The Cure, The Alarm, Blondie, and The Pretenders. Jennifer and Kristian incorporated many of those musical influences on The Incredible Machine. Some reviews of the album have criticized Sugarland for straying too far from mainstream⁷ Country. But, Jennifer says the duo feels it's important to take risks. "I don't like to, and I know Kristian doesn't as well, get bored with what it is that we're doing," Jennifer said. "Nor do we like to become complacent⁸, so we really try with each album to evolve into what is the most authentic⁹ snapshot of where we are right now artistically¹⁰ as musicians. I think this record really shows that."Sugarland recently wrapped up a 55-city tour. After taking a two-month break, they'll head back out on the road to continue supporting their new album. The duo is taking part in this year's VH1 Divas show, which honors the U.S. military. The concert airs on December 5, and will be carried internationally on the Armed Forces Network.

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 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。

3 anthems   

n.赞美诗( anthem的名词复数 )；圣歌；赞歌；颂歌

参考例句：

• They usually play the national anthems of the teams at the beginning of a big match. 在大型赛事开始前，他们通常演奏参赛国国歌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rise please, rise for the anthems of & . 请全体起立，奏和两国国歌。 来自互联网

4 nettles   

n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I tingle where I sat in the nettles. 我坐过在荨麻上的那个部位觉得刺痛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard. 那蔓草丛生的凄凉地方是教堂公墓。 来自辞典例句

5 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

6 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

7 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。

8 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

9 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。

10 artistically   

adv.艺术性地

参考例句：

• The book is beautifully printed and artistically bound. 这本书印刷精美，装帧高雅。
• The room is artistically decorated. 房间布置得很美观。