VOA慢速英语2013 AS IT IS 2013-11-02 'Bruce' Shares New Stories About Springsteen
时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:2013年VOA慢速英语(十一)月
AS IT IS 2013-11-02 'Bruce' Shares New Stories About Springsteen
Hello again, and welcome to As It Is. I’m June Simms in Washington. Our show today is all about Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen. A new book about the musician sheds new light on his life, and the issues that helped shape his music. Christopher Cruise joins me today for that report.
Bruce Springsteen - “We Take Care of Our Own”
“Bruce” Tells How Springsteen’s Past Shaped His Life and Music
Bruce Springsteen has been making music for more than 50 years. Many books have been written about his life since he rose to fame in 1975. But, a new book about the singer has new details about his past and how it shaped his life and music. Unlike other biographies, the new book “Bruce” was written with his cooperation. Peter Ames Carlin wrote the book.
Bruce Springsteen - “She’s The One”
“He and his family really opened up. I mean, besides Bruce, he opened the door to his mom and his sisters and his cousins and aunts and stuff.”
That openness gives readers a whole new look at the issues that drove Bruce Springsteen. And it gives them an idea of how those struggles touched his life and shaped his music.
For example, Peter Ames Carlin notes stories about the emotional problems that troubled Bruce Springsteen’s father, Douglas. He says there is a reason for all the conflict and anger in songs like Bruce Springsteen’s “Adam Raised a Cain.”
“A lot of that goes back to how chaotic 1 his family was, as a result of his father. But the fact that they were also really a hop 2 skip and a jump from the poverty line for most of his childhood, that also informs his sociocultural perspective.”
Bruce Springsteen - “Adam Raised A Cain”
Mr. Carlin says those experiences had long lasting 3 effects on Bruce Springsteen.
“His perspective on society and politics is about protecting the people who are the most disenfranchised, because that's how he felt, entirely 4 disenfranchised, both from his father and from the society around him.”
The writer was also able to pull together and then confirm some classic stories from Springsteen’s life. Like the night 19-year-old Bruce waited backstage at a Janis Joplin concert in New Jersey 5. He had hoped to meet and spend time with the singer.
“She came out stage and caught a glance at Bruce and all of her lights seemed to ignite. And by the end of the show, Bruce sort of noticed her ardor 6 and blew out the door as fast as he could because I think he sensed that, at 19 years old that he could not handle the tornado 7 of Janis Joplin.”
Bruce Springsteen - “Prove It All Night”
Bruce and the Band Experience Financial Troubles
Peter Ames Carlin also tells how “The Boss” and his band faced financial problems shortly after “Born To Run” made them the biggest act in rock music.
“They were bankrupt. They were more bankrupt than they were before.”
Bruce Springsteen had taken legal action against his manager at the time. The lawsuit 8 affected 9 his creative energy and destroyed his finances. During those days, the international rock star would stand in line outside the club he used to play at on New Jersey’s Atlantic Shore.
“At the Stone Pony 10, he would just line up with everybody else. And the owner of the club told me that he saw Bruce at the end of the line sort of digging into his pockets for change so he can make the two dollar cover charge.”
Bruce Springsteen - “Born to Run”
The writer also got Bruce Springsteen to explain why, for so many years after he became famous, he refused to write songs with popular appeal.
“He thought, ‘You know, enough of that.’ He didn't want to get into that trap like Michael Jackson fell into of even after you have created this huge, smash -- magnitudes bigger than anything you have done before, he didn't want to get stuck in the groove 11 of trying to re-create that, or be bigger and better the next time out. ”
Bruce Springsteen - “Hungry Heart”
It is often said that Bruce Springsteen has never let go of his working class roots. And that, despite his wealth, he still sides with the “little guy.” Carlin says he came away with that same feeling after researching his book.
“When he gets up in the morning, and stumbles to the mirror, the guy he sees in the mirror is still the same loser, lower working class kid that the other kids taunted because he was so weird 12.”
The New Jersey coastal 13 communities where he blossomed as a musician, and the struggle of the people who still live there, are still part of Bruce Springsteen. And it is still part of his music.
Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band just finished the European part of a year and a half long concert tour in support of his CD “Wrecking Ball.” The CD is the 17th studio album for the longtime musician.
His manager and record producer, John Landau, had high praise for the album. In his words, “the lyrics 14 tell a story you can’t hear anywhere else, and the music is his most innovative 15 of recent years. The writing is some of the best of his career, and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on “Wrecking Ball.”
We leave you with the title track from that CD.
Bruce Springsteen - “Wrecking Ball”
- Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
- The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。
- The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛,看谁单足跳跃最快。
- How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远?
- The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
- We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
- The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
- His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
- He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
- They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致,都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。
- His political ardor led him into many arguments.他的政治狂热使他多次卷入争论中。
- He took up his pursuit with ardor.他满腔热忱地从事工作。
- A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
- The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
- They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
- He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。
- She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
- His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
- His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
- They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。
- They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
- The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。
- From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来,他好像有点怪。
- His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
- The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
- This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
- music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
- The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。
- Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
- He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。