VOA标准英语2015--陶瓷吉他也可以玩摇滚

Ceramic¹ Guitar Good for Rockin’ Too 陶瓷吉他也可以玩摇滚

Musicians have been using ceramic wind and percussion² instruments for a long time, but a versatile³ potter can make any shape out of clay. A rock guitarist in Spain is now attracting audiences not only with his music but also with his unique ceramic guitar.

For rock guitarists, commercial success does not come easily. You need something to set you apart from all others, says guitarist Luis Martin, who is also the lead singer in the Spanish band “Lobos Negros.”

“So, what I wanted to achieve is a different sound that everybody wants to use to play their music: rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, blues⁴, reggae or whatever,” he said.

His hometown, Talavera de la Reina, in central Spain, is known for the ceramic artistry that decorates many houses, so the idea of a ceramic guitar came naturally.

Potter Manuel Carrillo says it took him some time to master the process of making the guitar’s thin-walled body without cracks or deformities.

“A very thin wall of clay is made inside, after which we get rid of the leftover⁵ liquid. Then we make openings to the piece, so the guitar maker⁶ can assemble everything he needs, including the pickups. And then, once the clay is baked, it is glazed⁷ and decorated,” said Carrillo.

Martin says that, back in the 1950s, rock musicians in the U.S. discovered the unique quality of bouncing sound off ceramic material.

“In the 50s, voices and a lot of guitars used to be recorded in bathrooms following old Memphis-style with a microphone in the middle, as our friend Elvis … used to do," Martin said. "The sonority⁸ of tiles and bathrooms made of clay and ceramic create a special sound.”

A ceramic guitar costs about $3,000 and weighs three-and-a-half kilos, but each one is unique, numbered and with different decorations.

Luis Martin and “Lobos Negros” now plan to tour the country hoping to attract fans with their new “ceramic sound.”

1 ceramic   

n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺

参考例句：

• The order for ceramic tiles has been booked in.瓷砖的订单已登记下来了。
• Some ceramic works of art are shown in this exhibition.这次展览会上展出了一些陶瓷艺术品。

2 percussion   

n.打击乐器；冲突，撞击；震动，音响

参考例句：

• In an orchestra,people who play percussion instruments sit at the back.在管弦乐队中，演奏打击乐器的人会坐在后面。
• Percussion of the abdomen is often omitted.腹部叩诊常被省略。

3 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。

4 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。

5 leftover   

n.剩货，残留物，剩饭；adj.残余的

参考例句：

• These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
• Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。

6 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

7 glazed   

adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神

参考例句：

• eyes glazed with boredom 厌倦无神的眼睛
• His eyes glazed over at the sight of her. 看到她时，他的目光就变得呆滞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 sonority   

n.响亮，宏亮

参考例句：

• Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants.元音比辅音响亮。
• The introduction presents arpeggios on the harp against a string tremolo--an enchanting sonority.引子在弦乐的震音上竖琴奏出了琶音，一种迷人的音响。