VOA标准英语2010年-Fans Cheer Return of The Steve Miller

Remember The Steve Miller¹ Band, whose unbroken string of infectious pop-rock hits included "Abracadabra²" and "The Joker"?  Since 1984, the band's recording³ output dwindled⁴ to a mere⁵ three albums.  But, fans are cheering their long-awaited return to the studio.

 

At age 66, singer and guitarist Steve Miller is having the time of his life.  And, judging by this energetic rendition of Jimmy Vaughan's "Hey Yeah," he and his six-man band are in peak form on their new album, "Bingo!"

Miller describes his collection of blues⁶-Rock classics as the ultimate "party record."  He says, "It's about getting up and getting ready to dance," adding, "I went through and picked all my favorite tunes⁷ that I really, really loved."

Miller's fascination⁸ with the blues began in Dallas, Texas, where he formed his first band The Marksmen.  Leaving Texas for the bright lights of Chicago, Miller made a name for himself on the city's electrifying⁹ blues circuit, playing in groups led by Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Buddy¹⁰ Guy.  His fortunes steadily¹¹ began to turn when he moved to San Francisco, and launched The Steve Miller Band.  Taking a more pop-oriented direction in the 1970s, the group garnered¹² five Top 5 singles, including three that went to Number One. 

Steve Miller says "Bingo!" is the record he's wanted to make ever since he learned to play guitar.  While it marks a return to his blues roots, it also contains the band's signature rock and roll sound on tracks like "Rock Me Baby."

Also featured are vintage blues tunes by Otis Rush, Elmore James, Earl King and Jimmy Reed.  The album is dedicated¹³ to singer and harmonica player Norton Buffalo¹⁴, a longtime band member who died shortly after the recording session.  Earlier this year, the Steve Miller Band honored Buffalo with an all-star tribute concert at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, California.
 

1 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

2 abracadabra   

n.咒语，胡言乱语

参考例句：

• "Abracadabra," said the conjuror as he pulled the rabbit from the hat.魔术师囗中念念有词，把兔子从礼帽中掏了出来。
• The magic word "abracadabra" was originally intended for the specific purpose of curing hay fever.魔力术语“咒语”最初适用于治疗枯草热的特殊目的。

3 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。

4 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

6 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

7 tunes   

n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
• When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

9 electrifying   

v.使电气化( electrify的现在分词 )；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The dancers gave an electrifying performance. 舞蹈演员们的表演激动人心。
• The national orchestra gave an electrifying performance of classic music. 国家交响乐团举行了一次古典音乐的震撼性演出。 来自辞典例句

10 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

11 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。

12 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

13 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

14 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。