2007年VOA标准英语-Pop, R&B Star Beyonce Discusses Current Concert

By Larry London
Washington
21 August 2007
 

Beyonce Knowles has achieved success on many levels.  She founded the pop/R&B trio Destiny's Child; created her own clothing line, House of Dereon; is an Oscar-nominated actress; and has released two solo albums with worldwide sales totaling over 14 million copies.  VOA's Larry London spoke¹ with Beyonce when her tour recently came to Washington, D.C.

Beyonce Knowles

As a member of Destiny's Child, Beyonce established herself as a Rhythm and Blues megastar.  The group released eight albums and had four Number One singles on Billboard² magazine's pop chart before disbanding in 2005.  Knowles continued a solo career that began in 2002.  Her current tour opened in Sweden on May 3rd.

Knowles described her tour. "I've been to Japan, all over Europe, and now we're in America.  I've met some amazing people and it's really been a blast [fun time]."

Knowles' success continues to grow.  Along with an Oscar nomination³ for her role as Deena Jones in "Dreamgirls", 10 Grammy Awards, her seven nominations⁴ lead the upcoming MTV Music Video Awards.

"I know it's crazy.  I didn't even read it (about the MTV Awards nominations).  I just saw it in the paper yesterday.  I was like, 'Are you serious?  I had no idea.'  It really means a lot to me."

Her latest CD is titled B'Day.  It was released on her 25th birthday, September 4, 2006.  What do you give a girl who has everything?

Destiny Child

"Last year I had a huge party after the MTV awards.  There were so many people there that I really didn't enjoy my birthday.  This year, I learned my lesson, and want only five or 10 close friends to go to a restaurant.  So something simple, without all the pressure of throwing a party."

Knowles' film career includes Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Fighting Temptations, The Pink Panther and Dreamgirls.  She is not in a hurry to start work on another film.

"When I did Dreamgirls, I had to dedicate so much of myself to the character. So until I'm ready to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for a year's commitment for a movie, I'm not going to rush into another movie."

Knowles writes and produces her own music, and plans to continue in that role. "I don't know until I get in the studio what I'm going to write.  Whenever I try to think about it before, it never comes out right, so I just wait until I get in the lab [studio] and whatever happens, happens."

Although Knowles began singing and dancing at age three, the idea of fame and fortune never entered her mind.

"When I was a little girl, I never ever imagined I would have this career.  I still forget I'm famous.  Sometimes I'll drive, go to a store, and then think, 'What am I doing?  There might be paparazzi [photographers] out here!'  I can't just do this anymore."

She says her life has changed.

Knowles is one celebrity⁵ who has used her fame to help others in need.  In 2005, she started the Survivor⁶ Foundation charity  named for one of Destiny's Childs most-famous songs.

"My mother [Tina Knowles] and I have a foundation where we provide transitional housing for a lot of the Hurricane Katrina survivors⁷.  We built this amazing house, this amazing home, for people that are homeless or are recovering alcoholics⁸ or addicts⁹ or kids that need something positive to do to keep them off of the streets.  I'm very proud of that." 

1 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。

2 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

3 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

4 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

5 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

6 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

7 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

8 Alcoholics   

n.嗜酒者，酒鬼( alcoholic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many alcoholics go on drinking sprees that continue for days at a time. 许多酒鬼一次要狂饮好几天。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Do you have a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous book? 你手上有戒酒匿名会的书吗？ 来自互联网

9 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册