(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Faith Lapidus. And I'm Bob Doughty with People in America in VOA Special English.
Today we tell about one of the most famous performers in the world, Michael Jackson. Known as the "King of Pop", Jackson sold more than seven hundred fifty million albums over his career. Michael Jackson redefined popular culture with his energetic music, dance moves and revolutionary music videos.
But Jackson's huge success as a performer was not always easy. He was a complex individual with an often troubled private life.
That was a song that hardly needs an introduction. "Billie Jean" first came out on the nineteen eighty-two hit album "Thriller." The Guinness World Records lists that record as the best-selling album of all time. Other famous songs on the album include "Thriller", "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
The album "Thriller" was as much about moves as it was about music. Michael Jackson brought attention to his body's movements by wearing a shiny white glove, shortened black pants and white socks. He created dance movements that were electrifying. He could be as hard as a robot, or as smooth as liquid. While doing his famous "Moonwalk" step, he seemed to be walking backwards on air.
Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana in nineteen fifty-eight. He was the seventh of nine children. He was five years old when he began singing with his brothers in a group called the Jackson 5. In nineteen sixty-eight the group signed a recording deal from Motown Records. Michael was eleven years old when they released their first album a year later.
The Jackson 5 became an immediate success. Their music set records. Their first four songs were "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There." They all reached the number one position in pop music record sales in nineteen seventy.
Michael was the star of the group. He was the lead singer and danced with great energy. His extraordinary skill and presence on stage was remarkable, especially for someone so young. The group made youthful and fun music that was very popular with both African-Americans and white listeners.
In the nineteen seventies, the group changed record companies and shortened their name to the Jacksons. They continued to perform together, although Michael Jackson started to record music on his own as well. His first album performing alone was "Off the Wall," released in nineteen seventy-nine.
Three years later, Jackson released "Thriller." The album was not just the best selling album of all time. It also won eight Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards. And it helped establish the popularity of a new form of entertainment, music videos. The video for the song "Thriller" was important in the history of the music industry. Michael Jackson understood the power of these videos in bringing attention to his music and to his image. He worked hard to make exciting videos with complex stories and dances.
In nineteen eighty-five, Michael Jackson helped write the song "We Are the World." He recorded it with many other famous performers. The aim of the record was to raise money for starving people in Africa. The project raised millions of dollars with this best selling song.
Michael Jackson's next album, "Bad," produced five number one hits, including "The Way You Make Me Feel."
Michael Jackson was a huge success, but he was also a very troubled man. His behavior and appearance became increasingly strange. He had many operations to change his face.
He acted and spoke in a childlike way. Jackson bought a huge property in California which he called "Neverland" after the children's story of Peter Pan. He had amusement park rides, a zoo and a large movie theater built for his home. Michael Jackson also went into major debt.And he suffered from injuries and illness that reportedly led him to take many kinds of pain-killing medicines.
In nineteen ninety-three, a thirteen-year-old boy accused him of sexual abuse. The child molestation case was settled out of court with Jackson reportedly paying the boy millions of dollars. But ten years later, a similar accusation by another boy led to a criminal trial which began in two thousand five. A jury cleared Jackson of all charges. He called the trial the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.
During this time, Michael Jackson kept recording and performing music. His later albums include "Dangerous", "HIStory" and "Invincible."
Michael Jackson was briefly married to Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of musician Elvis Presley. He later married a nurse named Deborah Rowe. They had two children, Michael Joseph Jackson and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. The couple divorced in nineteen ninety-nine. Mister Jackson later had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson.
After his two thousand five trial, the singer spent much of his time in Europe and the Middle East. He returned to the United States with the aim of planning what was to be a victorious comeback. Michael Jackson died on June twenty-fifth, two thousand nine of heart failure. He was just days away from launching a series of fifty concerts in London.
Fans around the world mourned his death. Prisoners in a jail in the Philippines danced for him. Fans in Paris, France attended a service at the city's ancient religious center in his honor. Famous performers around the world told about the influence he had on their work. Michael Jackson left a huge mark on popular culture. His memory will live on in his unforgettable music.
重点解析
1.energetic 精力充沛的, 积极的
He's a broad-minded, energetic and cheerful person.
他是一个思想开阔而又活泼愉快的人。
2.complex 复杂的, 合成的, 综合的
I had to study Marxism in university, and his complex ideas and writings always confused me.
我在大学必须学习马克思主义，他纷繁的思想和著作常常让我感到不解。
3.extraordinary 非常的, 特别的, 非凡的
Maria Curie won the Nobel Prizes due to her extraordinary achievement in the field of radioactivity.
玛丽·居里凭借她在放射学上的非凡成就获得了诺贝尔奖。
4.He acted and spoke in a childlike way.
childlike 孩子似的, 天真烂漫的
He never forgets to ask for the credit after he does a good deed, it is childlike.
他做了好事总是不忘记要功，像个孩子似的。
5.In nineteen ninety-three, a thirteen-year-old boy accused him of sexual abuse.
accuse of 控告
You always accuse others of following traditions. Actually you are the same.
你总说别人做事从俗，其实你自己也如此。
6.He returned to the United States with the aim of planning what was to be a victorious comeback.
with the aim of 为了
He started with the aim of injuring others only to end up by ruining himself.
他本想损害别人，结果只害了自己。
参考译文
我是菲丝·拉伯蒂斯。我是鲍勃·道蒂。这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。今天我们将讲述世界最著名表演家之一，迈克尔·杰克逊。
众所周知，杰克逊是流行乐之王，在其职业生涯中，他一共卖出了7.5亿多万张专辑。迈克尔·杰克逊用充满活力的音乐、舞步和革命性的音乐视频片重新定义了流行文化。但是作为一名表演者，杰克逊的巨大成功来之不易。他是一个复杂的人，私生活麻烦不断。这首歌不需介绍，《Billie Jean》首发于1982年的专辑《Thriller》。吉尼斯世界纪录将其列入有史以来最畅销专辑。专辑中的其他著名歌曲包括《Thriller》、《Beat It》以及《Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'》。《Thriller》这张专辑关注舞步和音乐的。通过穿着闪光的白鞋、黑短裤和白袜子，迈克尔·杰克逊十分关注自己的肢体动作。他创造出了令人振奋的舞步，他能像机器人一样坚硬也能像水一样柔软。在跳出他著名的月球漫步舞步时，他似乎像是在空气中向后行走。
1958年，迈克尔·杰克逊出生于印第安纳州的加里，他是九个孩子中的第七个。五岁的时候，他开始和他的哥哥们一起在Jackson 5组合里唱歌。1968年，这个组合和摩城唱片签了一份唱片合约。一年后，他们出了首张专辑，那时杰克逊11岁。Jackson 5取得成功，他们的音乐创了纪录。他们首发的四首歌是《I Want You Back》、《ABC》、《The Love You Save》以及《I'll Be There》。这四首歌均获得1970年流行音乐销售榜第一名。迈克尔是组合里的明星，他是主唱，他的舞蹈充满力量。他出色的技巧和在舞台上的表现力非常显著，尤其是他还很年轻。该组合制作年轻有趣的音乐，深受非洲裔美国人和白人听众的欢迎。1970年代，该组合更换了唱片公司并将组合名字改为Jacksons。他们继续一起表演，同时迈克尔·杰克逊也自己单独录制唱片。
他的首张独立专辑《Off the Wall》发于1979年。三年后，杰克逊发表专辑《Thriller》。这张专辑不仅是有史以来最畅销专辑还获得了八座格莱美奖和七座全美音乐奖。该专辑还帮助建立起了娱乐音乐视频的新形式。歌曲《Thriller》的视频在音乐行业历史中非常重要。迈克尔·杰克逊了解这些视频为他的音乐和画面所带来的力量。利用复杂的故事和舞步，他努力制作刺激的视频。1985年，迈克尔·杰克逊帮助写了《We Are the World》这首歌。他和许多其他著名艺人共同录制了这首歌。这首歌的目的在于为非洲饥饿人口筹钱。在这首畅销歌曲的帮助下，他们筹到了数百万美元。他的下一张专辑《Bad》创造了五个第一，包括《The Way You Make Me Feel》。
迈克尔·杰克逊取得了巨大成功，但是他却是个麻烦不断的人。他的行为和外表变得越来也奇怪，他多次进行面部整容。他的行为和说话就像孩子一样。杰克逊在加利福尼亚购买了大型资产，他称之为“梦幻岛”，以彼得·潘的童话故事为名。里边有游乐园、动物园和一个大型电影院。迈克尔·杰克逊还陷入严重负债。他遭受各种伤痛和疾病，据称，他因此而服用各种止疼药。
1993年，一名13岁的男孩指控他性侵。儿童性侵案达成庭外和解，据称杰克逊支付给了这个男孩数百万美元。但是十年后的2005年，另一名男孩提起类似指控并进入刑事审判阶段。一名法官洗脱了杰克逊的所有指控。他称这是他这辈子所做过的最困难的事情。这段时期，迈克尔·杰克逊一直在录唱片、表演。他之后的专辑包括《Dangerous》、《HIStory》以及《Invincible》。
迈克尔·杰克逊和莉萨·玛丽·普雷斯利有过短暂婚姻，莉萨·玛丽·普雷斯利是音乐家埃尔维斯·普雷斯利的女儿。后来，他和一位名叫黛比·罗薇的护士结婚。他们有两个孩子，迈克尔·约瑟夫·杰克逊和帕丽斯·迈克尔·凯瑟琳·杰克逊。1999年，两人离婚。后来杰克逊有了第三个孩子，小迈克尔·约瑟夫·杰克逊。2005年的审判过后，这位歌手大部分时间都呆在欧洲和中东。他重返美国，计划一次胜利性的回归。
2009年6月25日，迈克尔·杰克逊死于心脏衰竭。此时距离五十场演唱会伦敦站仅几天时间。世界各地的粉丝都为他的死而哀悼。菲律宾一个监狱里的囚犯为他起舞。法国巴黎的粉丝前往城市古宗教中心参加哀悼仪式。世界各地的著名表演家都谈及他的作品对他们的影响。迈克尔·杰克逊在流行文化中留下巨大的标志。他的记忆将永远存活于他的音乐之中。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
