VOA标准英语2008年-Tommy Castro Enlivens San Francisco Blues Scene

By Doug Levine
Washington
21 January 2008

San Francisco, California is one of America's premier¹ rock and roll towns, once home to such legendary² groups as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. But, as VOA's Doug Levine tells us, the Bay Area also has a thriving blues³ scene, thanks in part to singer, guitarist and bandleader Tommy Castro.

Tommy Castro had become so popular in San Francisco, the city's mayor declared October 14, 2006 "Tommy Castro Day." Castro was honored for his musical achievements as well as his support of various community projects. That same year he was voted Blues Artist of 2006 by Blueswax magazine. Castro's latest album Painkiller recently reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Blues Chart.

For the 52-year-old vocalist and electric guitar virtuoso⁵, sudden national acclaim⁶ is bittersweet. Longtime fans may remember when he was just starting out on the San Francisco blues circuit. Back then, the hours were longer and the tours more grueling. It wasn't unusual to find him playing seven nights a week, sometimes two or more shows a day. But Castro couldn't have been happier.

He once said, "When I was a kid, music was something I did for fun." He remarked that, "Later, it became obvious that music was the thing I was meant to do, so I made a decision to pursue it as a career."

Castro's career began in 1991, when he formed The Tommy Castro Band. Two years later, they were named Club Band of The Year at the Bay Area Music Awards. Castro's rise through the ranks garnered⁷ attention from such childhood heroes as Carlos Santana, John Lee Hooker and B.B. King, who each invited Castro to perform with them. He says opening for B.B. King on his 2001 concert tour was like a "dream come true."

On Painkiller⁴, Castro revives songs by two other blues greats, Freddie King and Albert Collins. The album also features original songs blending Castro's trademark⁸ mix of electric blues, rock and soul.

1 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

2 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

3 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。

4 painkiller   

n.止痛药

参考例句：

• I shall persuade him to take the painkiller.我将说服他把药吃下去。
• The painkiller only provides him a short respite from his pain.止痛药仅仅让他在疼痛中有短暂的疏解。

5 virtuoso   

n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手

参考例句：

• He was gaining a reputation as a remarkable virtuoso.作为一位技艺非凡的大师，他声誉日隆。
• His father was a virtuoso horn player who belonged to the court orchestra.他的父亲是宫廷乐队中一个技巧精湛的圆号演奏家。

6 acclaim   

v.向…欢呼，公认；n.欢呼，喝彩，称赞

参考例句：

• He was welcomed with great acclaim.他受到十分热烈的欢迎。
• His achievements earned him the acclaim of the scientific community.他的成就赢得了科学界的赞誉。

7 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

8 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。