ESL Podcast 409 – Describing a Musical Performance

Janine: Okay, we need to find one more act for this year's show. How many more people are waiting to audition¹?

Calvin: There are two more. Should I call in the first one?

Janine: Yup. Let's get this over with.

...

Calvin: What did you think of that performance?

Janine: I thought she was flawless. She plays with a lot of passion.

Calvin: Yeah, that's true, but I wouldn't call her a virtuoso². The piece she played was pretty rudimentary.

Janine: True enough, but I still think she's a winner.

Calvin: Let's hear the next one.

...

Calvin: Well?

Janine: He certainly played with a lot of flair³.

Calvin: He has amazing chops, I think. I haven't seen anyone play with such artistry in a long time.

Janine: Nobody can fault him on mastery of the music, but don't you think he lacked originality⁴ and expressiveness⁵?

Calvin: No, I don't. I think he's a winner.

Janine: It's clear that it's a stalemate. I want the first performer and you want the second. What should we do?

Calvin: I think we should duke it out and the winner gets his or her choice.

Janine: I have a better idea. We add them both to the bill.

Calvin: That's brilliant! That's why they pay you the big bucks⁶.

Janine: I would be flattered if we weren't all volunteers!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 audition   

n.(对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱等)

参考例句：

• I'm going to the audition but I don't expect I'll get a part.我去试音，可并不指望会给我个角色演出。
• At first,they said he was too young,but later they called him for an audition.起初，他们说他太小，但后来他们叫他去试听。

2 virtuoso   

n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手

参考例句：

• He was gaining a reputation as a remarkable virtuoso.作为一位技艺非凡的大师，他声誉日隆。
• His father was a virtuoso horn player who belonged to the court orchestra.他的父亲是宫廷乐队中一个技巧精湛的圆号演奏家。

3 flair   

n.天赋，本领，才华；洞察力

参考例句：

• His business skill complements her flair for design.他的经营技巧和她的设计才能相辅相成。
• He had a natural flair for business.他有做生意的天分。

4 originality   

n.创造力，独创性；新颖

参考例句：

• The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。
• He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。

5 expressiveness   

n.富有表现力

参考例句：

• His painting rose to a fresh expressiveness and revealed a shrewder insight. 他的画富有一种新的表达力，显示出更敏锐的洞察力。
• The audiences are impressed by the expressiveness of the actors. 演员们的丰富表情给观众留下了深刻的印象。

6 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》