VOA标准英语2014--Top 5 Countdown for Week Ending Feb. 1

 

Top 5 Countdown for Week Ending Feb. 1

We’re singling out the five most popular songs in the Billboard¹ Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending February 1, 2014.

This week’s Top Five resembles James Bond’s favorite martini: shaken, not stirred. All five titles remain the same - they’re just in a different order. 

We open in fifth place, where Eminem and Rihanna slip two slots with “The Monster.” On January 26, Rihanna collected a Grammy award for Best Urban

Contemporary Album. Although she chose to skip the ceremony, Rihanna did make the scene at a pre-show party.

A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera rise a notch² to fourth place with “Say Something.” On January 21, the New York City duo released its debut³ album, Is There Anybody Out There? It’ll make its entrance on next week’s Billboard chart.

OneRepublic steps back a slot to third place with “Counting Stars.” On January 24, Ryan Tedder⁴ and his band played a special concert at the Apple campus in Cupertino, California. They were there to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Macintosh computer.

Katy Perry and Juicy J from Three 6 Mafia turned in one of the more eye-popping performances at Sunday’s Grammy show, and the song they did: “Dark Horse” rises a big two slots to second place. If this song goes all the way, it’ll be Katy’s ninth number one single in five years. That’s pretty impressive, but Juicy J has her trumped⁵ in one category. Back in 2006, Three 6 Mafia won an Oscar for Best Original Song, for “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp.”

Pitbull and Ke$ha share the Hot 100 pop singles title for a third straight week with “Timber.” How many Grammy Awards have these two artists won? The answer: Ke$ha has yet to collect her first Grammy, but Pitbull has a 2013 Latin Grammy to his credit. He won for Best Urban Performance.

Can “Dark Horse” send “Timber” crashing out of first place next week? Join us in seven days for the answer.

1 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。

2 notch   

n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级

参考例句：

• The peanuts they grow are top-notch.他们种的花生是拔尖的。
• He cut a notch in the stick with a sharp knife.他用利刃在棒上刻了一个凹痕。

3 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。

4 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

5 trumped   

v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造

参考例句：

• That woman trumped up various baseless charges against him. 那个女人捏造种种毫无根据的罪名指控他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Several of his colleagues trumped up a complaint to get him removed from the job. 他的几位同事诬告他，使他丟掉了工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》