名人轶事:Artie Shaw

(THEME)

ANNOUNCER:

I’m Doug Johnson with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today we

tell the story of a musician who led one of the most popular American bands

during the nineteen thirties and forties.

His name was Artie Shaw. Listen for a few minutes to one of his many hit

songs. This one is called “Frenesi.” Artie Shaw plays the clarinet.

(MUSIC)

On December thirtieth, two thousand four, Artie Shaw died after a long

sickness. He was ninety-four years old. He was the last great musician and

bandleader of what has been called the “Big Band Era¹.” Some of the others

were Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller².

In the nineteen thirties and nineteen forties Artie Shaw was one of the most

popular musicians and bandleaders in the United States. Just a few notes from

his clarinet could start people dancing. His music sold millions of records.

It still is difficult to listen to an old Artie Shaw recording³ and not tap

your foot in time with the music. Or want to dance. Or sing along with his

great sound.

Listen to Shaw on the clarinet and his band play part of a song recorded in

Hollywood, California in nineteen forty. It is called “Summit Ridge⁴ Drive.”

(MUSIC)

Artie Shaw was born in New York City in nineteen ten. His name was Arthur

Arshawsky. His parents were poor immigrants⁵ who had come to the United States

from Eastern Europe. His family later moved to New Haven⁶, Connecticut.

At the age of fourteen, he began to play the saxophone and then the clarinet.

From a very young age, Artie Shaw wanted to play his clarinet better than

anyone. He wanted his sound and music to be perfect. He worked at this task

much of his life.

He began working as a professional musician when he was fifteen. He left home

and began playing in bands across the United States.

In nineteen twenty-seven, young Artie Shaw traveled to Chicago, Illinois to

hear the great trumpet⁷ player, Louis Armstrong. He immediately understood

that Armstrong’s great jazz sound was the beginning of something new and

exciting. Artie left Chicago with a growing interest in jazz music. Soon

after, he moved to New York City.

1 era   

n.时代，年代，纪元，阶段

参考例句：

• We are living in the information era.我们生活在信息时代。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

2 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。

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 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

5 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

7 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

8 imperial   

adj.帝王的，至尊的；n.特等品

参考例句：

• They made an objection to the imperial system with resolution.他们坚决反对帝制。
• The Prince Imperial passed away last night.皇太子昨晚去世了。

9 porter   

n.搬运工人；守门人，门房

参考例句：

• The hotel porter will help you.旅馆的门童可以帮你的忙。
• The porter and I looked at each other and smiled.我和脚夫微笑着你看着我，我看着你。

10 improvise   

v.即兴创作；临时准备，临时凑成

参考例句：

• If an actor forgets his words，he has to improvise.演员要是忘记台词，那就只好即兴现编。
• As we've not got the proper materials,we'll just have to improvise.我们没有弄到合适的材料，只好临时凑合了。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 honors   

n.礼仪；荣典；礼节； 大学荣誉学位；大学优等成绩；尊敬( honor的名词复数 )；敬意；荣誉；光荣

参考例句：

• He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

14 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。