2006年VOA标准英语-The Beach Boys: Tried & True

By Sophie Kanter
Washington, DC
01 September 2006
 
watch Beach Boys report

 
The Beach Boys, 1963
  
The Beach Boys formed in 1961 and are considered one of the most influential¹ bands in American pop music history. They have dozens of top 40 hits, several best-selling albums, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Lead singer Mike Love was recently in Washington, D.C.  VOA's Larry London had a chance to talk with him about the legacy² and current standing³ of the group.

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The Beach Boys have been performing and making music for more than 40 years. Lead singer Mike Love says their fans have been very loyal.

Mike Love   
  
"We see it every night in concert when we're performing. People sing along. It's amazing. Children, grandparents, I mean, you name it, every generation sings along to the Beach Boys' stuff.

Mike says that although not everyone in the world surfs, most people understand the songs.

"Surfing is huge all over the place. You find that whether it's sailboarding, or windsurfing, or surfing itself, it's all over the world," he says.

  
  
Mike and the other members of the Beach Boys grew up in homes with music. Mike's aunt Audrey and Uncle Murray were musicians as well.

"I grew up with a grand piano, an organ, and a harp⁴ in my living room. And Audrey taught piano and Murray was an aspiring⁵ songwriter. So music was always a part of our lives growing up. It was just natural for us."

  
  
The Beach Boys also were influenced by the musicians of the 1950s. "That influenced me in songs like "Fun Fun Fun" and "Surfin' USA" and, you know, quite a few songs. So, Chuck Berry was a big influence for me, conceptually and lyrically. The doo-wop groups, though, were a fascination⁶."

After all this time spent making music, Mike says that practice does make perfect.

"Whether we're at a very beautiful opera house or symphony hall, or theater, or in an arena⁷, we just try to do the best we can on every song. But we've been doing this for 45 years, so some of the songs we've got down pretty darn good."

1 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

2 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 harp   

n.竖琴；天琴座

参考例句：

• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
• He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。

5 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

6 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

7 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。