VOA标准英语2014--Top 5 Songs for Week Ending Dec. 13

 

Top 5 Songs for Week Ending Dec. 13

We’re parading the five most popular songs in the Billboard¹ Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending Dec. 13, 2014.

The Grammy nominations³ were announced on Friday Dec. 5, and “almost” all our featured acts earned at least one nod.

The exception’s in fifth place, where Maroon⁴ 5 dips a slot with “Animals.” Don’t feel too bad for them, though…Although Adam Levine and his crew failed to earn a Grammy nomination² this year, they’ve been there before. The Los Angeles group owns three titles, including a 2005 win for Best New Artist. Maroon 5 will welcome the New Year with a two-night stand in Las Vegas. Their next tour kicks off February 16 in Texas, with MAGIC! as the opening act.

Speaking of magic, Taylor Swift has possessed⁵ it all year long. The seven-time Grammy winner just picked up three more nominations: Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance…all for the hit “Shake It Off.”

Holding in third place is Andrew Hozier-Byrne, also known as Hozier with his breakout hit “Take Me To Church.” He just earned a Grammy nomination of his own. How did he react ? The Irish singer-songwriter tweeted that he was “bowled over” when “Take Me To Church” earned a Song Of The Year Grammy nomination. It competes against Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off”; Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me”; Sia’s “Chandelier".

Meghan Trainor continues to hold second place with her former champion “All About That Bass,” nominated for both Record and Song Of The Year. Meghan’s been writing music since age 11, and became a professional songwriter while still in high school.

Taylor Swift spends a third week atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Blank Space.” When the Grammys are handed out on Feb. 8, Meghan Trainor says she wants to finally say hi to Taylor…and they can compare notes. Just as Meghan became a professional songwriter as a teenager, Taylor signed a Nashville artist development deal at the tender age of 14.

That’s it for now, but the charts never stand still. Join us next week and we’ll see who moves up or moves on.

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 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

3 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

4 maroon   

v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的

参考例句：

• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks.埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。
• Robinson Crusoe has been marooned on a desert island for 26 years.鲁滨逊在荒岛上被困了26年。

5 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。