The omicron surge forces the Grammys to be postponed, Sundance to move online

搜索

复制

The omicron surge forces the Grammys to be postponed¹, Sundance to move online

Transcript²

The latest COVID-19 variant³ continues to take its toll⁴ on the arts. The Sundance Film Festival will be completely virtual this year, and the Grammy Awards are postponed indefinitely.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

2022 was supposed to be the year that big entertainment spectacles could resume. The omicron variant is squelching⁵ those plans. Yesterday, both the Grammy Awards and the Sundance Film Festival announced they will not hold their live events as planned. There is at least one part of the culture, though, that goes right on, and it's reporting. From NPR culture, correspondent Anastasia Tsioulcas.

ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS, BYLINE⁶: There's been a lot of industry chatter⁷ around this year's slate⁸ of Grammy Awards nominees⁹. While pop idol¹⁰ Justin Bieber and rapper Doja Cat each earned eight nominations¹¹, it's bandleader, pianist and composer Jon Batiste who's leading the way with 11 nominations, including for Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FREEDOM")

JON BATISTE: (Singing) When I move my body just like this, I don't know why, but I feel like freedom. I hear a song that takes me back. And I let go with so much freedom.

TSIOULCAS: The music prizes were supposed to be given out on January 31, with the Grammys' customary, splashy live telecast on CBS. But in a joint¹² statement released yesterday, CBS and the Recording¹³ Academy, the organization behind the prizes, said that holding the ceremony in-person, quote, "simply contains too many risks." Along with the annual televised ceremony from Los Angeles, the Grammys also include a lengthy¹⁴ pre-broadcast awards event involving hundreds of other nominees. No new date for the awards has been announced. Even before the omicron postponement¹⁵, the Grammy Awards were already facing an uphill battle. The viewership for last year's ceremony plummeted¹⁶ to 8.8 million, a 53% drop from its 2020 numbers and the lowest broadcast audience ever for the Grammys. Meanwhile, several prominent Black musicians, including Jay-Z, The Weeknd, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and others have criticized the awards for overlooking Black artists in the awards' top categories. Rapper and singer Drake removed himself from the competition entirely¹⁷.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WAY 2 SEXY")

DRAKE: (Rapping) OK. All right. That's fine. OK. I'm feeling too sexy to accept requests. And I'm way too sexy to go unprotected. And she popped a Tesla, now she's going electric.

TSIOULCAS: In just a few minutes after the Grammys' postponement became public, the Sundance Film Festival announced that it is moving all of its offerings online rather than hold any screenings or events in-person in Park City, Utah. Last year, its breakout hit was the music documentary "Summer Of Soul," which chronicled memorable¹⁸ performances by artists like Stevie Wonder.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "SUMMER OF SOUL")

STEVIE WONDER: (Singing) Here we go again. We got to get a groove¹⁹ going. Got to get a groove going, baby, love.

TSIOULCAS: In its press statement, the festival said it would be irresponsible to make any other choice, adding, quote, "as a nonprofit, our Sundance spirit is in making something work against the odds²⁰. But with case numbers forecasted to peak in our host community the week of the festival, we cannot knowingly put our staff and community at risk." The 11-day, all-virtual Sundance Film Festival begins January 20.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SUMMER OF SOUL")

WONDER: (Singing) It's your thing. Do what you want to do. Don't let me tell you who to give yourself to....

TSIOULCAS: Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR News, New York.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "SUMMER OF SOUL")

WONDER: (Singing) Just as long - just as long - just as long as you give it to me.

1 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

4 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

5 squelching   

v.发吧唧声，发扑哧声( squelch的现在分词 )；制止；压制；遏制

参考例句：

• I could hear his broken shoes squelching in the water. 我可以听到他的破鞋在水中格喳格喳作响。 来自辞典例句
• The armies got bogged down in the thick squelching mud. 军队都陷入泥沼中，行进时烂泥扑哧作声。 来自互联网

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

8 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

9 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

10 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

11 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

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 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。

14 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

15 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

16 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

18 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

19 groove   

n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯

参考例句：

• They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
• The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

20 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？