2007年VOA标准英语-Kelly Willis Offers Diverse Song Collection on

By Katherine Cole
Washington
18 September 2007

Singer and songwriter Kelly Willis has four children under the age of seven. That explains why it's been five years between albums for the Austin, Texas-based performer. Was it worth the wait? VOA's Katherine Cole answers that question in this report about Kelly, and her new CD, "Translated From Love."

Translated From Love is by far the most diverse collection of songs Kelly Willis has ever recorded. It opens with the very clever Damon Bramblett song, Nobody Wants To Go To The Moon Anymore.

Kelly Willis was first heard in the 1980s, singing in a rockabilly band in Washington, D.C. The Nashville music executives tried to turn her into a commercial country star in the 1990s. But it's the albums she's recorded since leaving Nashville that have brought her the most praise.

Translated From Love is an interesting album on many levels, one of which is her choice of cover songs. The most unexpected is the David Bowie-Iggy Pop song Success, first heard on Iggy's 1977 album Lust¹ for Life.  Of course, it sounded a bit different when Iggy sang it.

Kelly Willis' take on Iggy Pop's Success harkens back to Doug Sahm, Alejandro Escovedo and other Austin trailblazers, all mixed up with a good shot of the old song "96 Tears." That's not to say Kelly Willis isn't making the song her own on Translated From Love, because she is. There are just a few touches and flourishes that bring the other artists to mind.

Translated From Love is a departure for Kelly in that the album contains a whole range of sounds. The collection is very adventurous², exciting, and wonderful. Kelly Willis sounds like she's having a lot of fun in the studio as do the musicians, who include The Gourds³ and Michael Ramos, both heard on that Iggy Pop song, Jules Shear⁴, and Kelly's husband Bruce Robison. Bruce appears on two songs, one of which is Too Much To Lose, co-written by Kelly and co-producer Chuck Prophet.

Although fans are calling Translated From Love Kelly Willis' "coolest record yet," it's  more than that. This collection showcases an artist who's "grown into her own skin," and is confident about her job. She says she felt like she "had something to prove" when recording⁵ Translated With Love.  The resulting reviews show she did just that, staying true to her roots and proving she's one of the most versatile⁶ artists making records today.

1 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

2 adventurous   

adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的　

参考例句：

• I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
• He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。

3 gourds   

n.葫芦( gourd的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Dried gourds are sometimes used as ornaments. 干葫芦有时用作饰品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The villagers use gourds for holding water. 村民们用葫芦盛水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 shear   

n.修剪，剪下的东西，羊的一岁；vt.剪掉，割，剥夺；vi.修剪，切割，剥夺，穿越

参考例句：

• Every spring they shear off the sheep's wool and sell it.每年春天他们都要剪下羊毛去卖。
• In the Hebrides they shear their sheep later than anywhere else.在赫伯里兹，剪羊毛的时间比其他任何地方都要晚。

5 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。

6 versatile   

adj.通用的，万用的；多才多艺的，多方面的

参考例句：

• A versatile person is often good at a number of different things.多才多艺的人通常擅长许多种不同的事情。
• He had been one of the game's most versatile athletes.他是这项运动中技术最全面的运动员之一。