VOA慢速英语2009年-AMERICAN MOSAIC - How Did He Do It? Lakers

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

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I'm Doug Johnson.

On today's program, we tell about Los Angeles Lakers basketball coach Phil Jackson …

Answer a question about folk singer John Denver …

And hear music by Madeleine Peyroux.

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HOST:

The National Basketball Association² recently chose new players to join its teams. These new professional athletes are training to win basketball games and championships. Their coaches are working to design winning plays and powerful teams. One coach recently was recognized as the most successful at doing this. Barbara Klein has more about Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and his recent historic⁴ victory.

BARBARA KLEIN:

On June fourteenth, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic to win the National Basketball Association championship. But that was not the only major victory that night.

Basketball fans cheered Lakers head coach Phil Jackson as he became the only head coach in NBA history to win ten national championships. NBA coach Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics had held the record with nine championship victories. Auerbach died in two thousand six.
　
Phil Jackson with Lakers player Kobe Bryant

Phil Jackson is known for his easy style of coaching. This is a result of spiritual influences he learned⁵ from his parents who were religious workers. His supporters say his calm style shows he trusts his players to perform well by learning⁶ from their mistakes.

But others have criticized⁷ Jackson for calmly sitting during games instead of showing great emotion. Other coaches walk along the sidelines and shout at the players. Critics say Jackson's success is not a result of his coaching skills as much as having superstar athletes on his teams.

Still, many people argue that his talent should be recognized because ten national coaching victories do not happen by accident.

Phil Jackson has coached the Lakers for ten years and has led the team to four national championships. He has coached some of the NBA's best basketball players, including Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

Earlier in his career, he won six championships as coach of the Chicago Bulls⁸. That team included Michael Jordan, who is said to be the best basketball player of all time.

The sixty-three year old coach has had operations to replace both of his hips³ and has problems with his back and knees. But last week, Phil Jackson announced that he will return to coach the Lakers next season.

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HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from a college student in China. Liu Hualong wants to know about the American musician and singer John Denver. Denver was one of the most popular musical artists during the nineteen seventies. He was known for his songs about the beauty of nature. He was also a human rights and environmental activist⁹.
　
John Denver

He was born Henry John Deutschendorf, Junior in nineteen-forty three in Roswell, New Mexico. John's grandmother gave him his first musical instrument when he was seven years old. When he began performing, he changed his last name to Denver, after the capital of his favorite state, Colorado.

In nineteen sixty-five, John Denver joined the band called the Chad Mitchell Trio. He later left the group to perform alone. His first hit record was "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in nineteen seventy-one.

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He had a very successful career with hit songs like "Sunshine on my Shoulders", "Annie's Song" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy." This song, "Rocky Mountain High," is one of the official songs of Colorado.

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John Denver sold more than one hundred million albums around the world. He received many music industry awards. He used his popularity¹⁰ to support environmental causes. He started an environmental education and research center.

In nineteen-ninety seven, John Denver was killed when the plane he was piloting crashed. A memorial sign where his plane crashed contains lines from his song "Windsong": "So welcome the wind and the wisdom she offers. Follow her summons¹¹ when she calls again."

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HOST:

Madeleine Peyroux is known for her soft and dreamy voice which she made famous with her hit album, "Careless Love," in two thousand four. On her latest album, "Bare Bones," the thirty-four year old performer continues to combine the sounds of jazz, folk music and the blues¹². But on this album, Peyroux does not sing songs made famous by other artists. She helped write all eleven songs on the album. Faith Lapidus has more.

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FAITH LAPIDUS:
　
Madeleine Peyroux

That was "Instead," a song that takes listeners back in time. Madeleine Peyroux's voice is most often compared to Billie Holiday.

Peyroux has said that the great blues singers Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith still help shape her identity¹³.

Peyroux first began performing popular jazz and blues songs as a teenager in the streets of Paris, France. She has said that writing the songs on "Bare Bones" was a very new experience, almost like making her first album over again.

Her aim in writing is to keep each song as clear and simple as possible while also telling a story. Madeleine Peyroux says making this record felt good, like opening a shade into sunlight in the morning. Here is the poetic¹⁴ song "Love and Treachery".

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We leave you with a song Madeleine Peyroux wrote by herself. She wrote "I Must Be Saved" to honor¹⁵ the folk singer Odetta whom Peyroux calls her spiritual grandmother. Peyroux says the song shows that a person might have troubles, but it is always possible to survive and carry on.

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HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

It was written by Lawan Davis, Marisel Salazar and Dana Demange who was also the producer. For transcripts¹⁶, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also write comments about our programs.

Do you have a question about American people, places or things? Send your questions about American life to [email protected]. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A. Please include your full name and where you live.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

3 hips   

abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的

参考例句：

• She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
• They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

5 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

6 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

7 criticized   

vt.批评(criticize的过去式)v.评论，批评( criticize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The decision was criticized by environmental groups. 这个决定受到了环保团体的批评。
• The movie has been criticized for apparently legitimizing violence. 这部电影因明显地美化暴力而受到了指责。

8 bulls   

n.公牛( bull的名词复数 )；法令；力大如牛的人；（象、鲸等动物的）雄兽

参考例句：

• Riding bulls is always an exciting event at a rodeo. 骑公牛总是放牧人竞技会上激动人心的表演。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Two white bulls were sacrificed and a feast was held. 献祭了两头白牛，并举行了盛宴。 来自辞典例句

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

11 summons   

n.召唤，传唤，召集；v.传唤到法院，唤出，传到

参考例句：

• They served a summons on the young man.他们向那个年轻人发出了传票。
• The summons was withdrawn.传票被撤回。

12 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。

13 identity   

n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致

参考例句：

• He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
• He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。

14 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

15 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

16 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句