VOA标准英语2012--Remembering Blues Legend Etta James

Remembering Blues¹ Legend Etta James

When Etta James sang Mack Gordon and Harry² Warren’s “At Last,” the dozens of other versions by everyone from Nat “King” Cole to Beyonce seemed to pale in comparison. It was Etta’s signature song that launched her acclaimed³ career that spanned more than 50 years.
Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California. She began formal music lessons at age five and sang solos in a choir⁴ at her Baptist church. Following a stint⁵ as a gospel singer on a local radio broadcast, she formed an all-girl vocal⁶ trio called The Creolettes. She was only 16 when the group, under the direction of producer Johnny Otis, changed its name to The Peaches and signed with Modern Records. Their first hit was Etta’s own composition, “The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry).”
“The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)” was a Number One hit on the Rhythm and Blues charts in 1955. Soon after, Etta James and her group The Peaches parted ways, allowing her solo career to flourish.
Etta signed with Chess Records in 1960 and began recording⁷ for its subsidiary labels Argo and Cadet. Her debut⁸ album, “At Last”, yielded six Top 20 R&B singles, all of which crossed over onto the pop chart.
She continued her streak⁹ of hit singles and albums throughout the 1960s. By 1968, when she released her best-selling pop tune¹⁰, “Tell Mama,” her repertoire¹¹ grew to include soul, rock, jazz, duets and string orchestrations.
Etta’s struggle with drug addiction¹² began in the 1960s. She was in and out of a psychiatric hospital for years but remained committed to her singing career. She conquered her drug problem at age 50, after seeking treatment at a substance abuse center.
Etta James won multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Traditional Blues Album, “Blues To The Bone” in 2004. She earned a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and her hit songs “At Last” and “The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry)” were both inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. She was also the winner of more than 15 Blues Music Awards.
Other accolades¹³ included her induction¹⁴ into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine named her one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

1 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。

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 acclaimed   

adj.受人欢迎的

参考例句：

• They acclaimed him as the best writer of the year. 他们称赞他为当年的最佳作者。
• Confuscius is acclaimed as a great thinker. 孔子被赞誉为伟大的思想家。

4 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

5 stint   

v.节省，限制，停止；n.舍不得化，节约，限制；连续不断的一段时间从事某件事

参考例句：

• He lavished money on his children without stint.他在孩子们身上花钱毫不吝惜。
• We hope that you will not stint your criticism.我们希望您不吝指教。

6 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

7 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。

8 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。

9 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

10 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。

11 repertoire   

n.(准备好演出的)节目，保留剧目；(计算机的)指令表，指令系统， <美>(某个人的)全部技能；清单，指令表

参考例句：

• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。
• He has added considerably to his piano repertoire.他的钢琴演奏曲目大大增加了。

12 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

13 accolades   

n.（连结几行谱表的）连谱号( accolade的名词复数 )；嘉奖；（窗、门上方的）桃尖拱形线脚；册封爵士的仪式（用剑面在肩上轻拍一下）

参考例句：

• Unlike other accolades for literature which tend to value style or experimentation. 有别于其他偏重风格活实验性的文学奖项。 来自互联网
• Build your trophy room while amassing awards and accolades. 建立您的奖杯积累奖项和荣誉。 来自互联网

14 induction   

n.感应，感应现象

参考例句：

• His induction as a teacher was a turning point in his life.他就任教师工作是他一生的转折点。
• The magnetic signals are sensed by induction coils.磁信号由感应线圈所检测。