2006年VOA标准英语-Rod Stewart Sings Rock Classics

By Doug Levine
Washington
12 November 2006

After releasing four consecutive¹ tribute albums to the Great American Songbook, Rod Stewart returns to familiar territory with his latest effort, "Still The Same … Great Rock Classics Of Our Time." Stewart hasn't lost his knack² for making what's old new again.

Rod Stewart knows the value of a great rock and roll song all too well. His musical beginnings coincided with rock's formative years in the early-1960s, and for years after, he honed his singing skills with one British band after another, hoping to land that one big hit. Finally, in 1971, patience and persistence³ were rewarded, and Stewart had his first Number One single, "Maggie May."

Now, more than 35 years later, Rod Stewart is singing a different tune⁴, actually 13 different tunes⁵ by some of rock's most respected artists of the past four decades.

Rod Stewart is a master of interpretation⁶. Whether he's singing a Cole Porter standard, or a Cat Stevens ballad⁷ from his new album of rock classics, Stewart always gets to the heart of a song.

Even at age 61, Stewart recaptures his spirited rock and roll days with an update of "Love Hurts." From Still The Same … Great Rock Classics Of Our Time, Rod Stewart softens⁸ Nazareth's rock ballad "Love Hurts."

The album's recent chart-topping debut⁹ made it the fourth Number One album of Stewart's career. A major publicity¹⁰ campaign, including appearances on more than a dozen American television shows, helped boost its sales. The night before its highly anticipated release, Stewart previewed the disc to a sell-out crowd in New York City. That concert was simulcast to movie theatres and radio stations across the country.

Stewart doesn't stray far from the originals, and fans should have no trouble recognizing songs by Van Morrison, Bob Seger, Elvin Bishop¹¹, Badfinger, The Eagles, and John Fogerty, who penned the Creedence Clearwater revival¹² hit, "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?"

1 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

2 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

3 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

4 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

5 tunes   

n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
• When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

7 ballad   

n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲

参考例句：

• This poem has the distinctive flavour of a ballad.这首诗有民歌风味。
• This is a romantic ballad that is pure corn.这是一首极为伤感的浪漫小曲。

8 softens   

（使）变软( soften的第三人称单数 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• Iron softens with heat. 铁受热就软化。
• Moonlight softens our faults; all shabbiness dissolves into shadow. 月光淡化了我们的各种缺点，所有的卑微都化解为依稀朦胧的阴影。 来自名作英译部分

9 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。

10 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

11 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

12 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。