VOA标准英语2012--New Documentary 'Marley' Centers on Reggae Superstar

New Documentary 'Marley' Centers on Reggae Superstar

Director Kevin MacDonald starts his film at the source: the ramshackle village house where Bob Marley was born in 1945. With rare glimpses of his formative years and unprecedented¹ interviews with friends, family and fellow performers, he assembles a vivid portrait of the man who would become a legend through his music.

"With Bob, I think people feel like they have more than just a musical connection," notes MacDonald. "It's more than about the fact that he wrote beautiful melodies and had a beautiful voice. It's about the fact that what he is singing about they find relevance² in.

"Almost anywhere in the developing world, people adore Bob Marley," the director adds. "You go to India and they isten to Bob Marley [and] there are murals of Bob Marley in Delhi and places like that. He is literally³ the only icon⁴ of world music who comes from the Third World. He is the Third World superstar. But then in the West, I think it's more about the rebelliousness⁵ and anti-establishment nature of him."

Even at the height of his fame, Bob Marley only did a handful of filmed interviews, but the documentary had the full support and participation⁶ of the Marley family, especially his son Ziggy Marley. He, his sisters and brothers, who also appear on camera, were young children when their father died. And Ziggy says the film taught them all a great deal about the man he was. 

"I think I understand my father from the film," Marley says. "We saw him as such a strong man, but there was vulnerability in him and weakness in him too. There was sadness. It wasn't all laughter and joy. There was a lot of sadness there too. It does make me more emotionally connected to him and I hope that people feel the same connection. It is good that people idolize him, but it is even better if you can feel that human connection …and that's what I hope the film does."

Ziggy Marley followed in his father's footsteps to become an international reggae star. Much of the music in Marley will be familiar to Bob Marley fans, but Kevin MacDonald is pleased he could also include previously⁷ unheard versions of some songs and a few rare live performances.

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 relevance   

n.中肯，适当，关联，相关性

参考例句：

• Politicians' private lives have no relevance to their public roles.政治家的私生活与他们的公众角色不相关。
• Her ideas have lost all relevance to the modern world.她的想法与现代社会完全脱节。

3 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

4 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

5 rebelliousness   

n. 造反，难以控制

参考例句：

• Any requirement that may be construed as 'compulsory' will evoke some rebelliousness. 任何可以解释成“必须做的”要求都会激起一些反动情绪。
• Obstinate or contemptuous resistance to authority; stubborn rebelliousness. '叛逆'。''性顽固的或藐视性的反抗权威；顽固的''。'叛逆'。''性。

6 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。