英语名人堂：凯特·斯蒂文斯

凯特·斯蒂文斯（原名：Steven Demetre Georgiou 斯蒂文·德米特·乔治乌；艺名：Cat Stevens 凯特·斯蒂文斯），1948年7月21日出生于英国伦敦，民谣唱作人、社会活动家、慈善家。是二十世纪七十年代英国民谣摇滚的代表人物，1965年被制作人Mike Hurst发现后，以Cat Stevens为艺名，开始其创作生涯，1967年3月发行个人首张唱片《Matthew and Son》，1968年因感染肺结核暂别歌坛，1970年以《Mona Bone Jakon》复出，此后推出民谣摇滚史上经典之作《Tea for the Tillerman》（1970年）、《Teaser and the Firecat》（1971年），七十年代发行七张Top 10专辑，1977年底皈依伊斯兰教，次年改名为Yusuf Islam，1979年底退出歌坛。2006年在告别歌坛近三十年后发行其首张流行音乐专辑《An Other Cup》，最新专辑《Tell 'Em I'm Gone》于2014年10月27日由在索尼旗下的Legacy厂牌发行。

Yusuf Islam, formerly¹ known as Cat Stevens, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and philanthropist. He has sold over 60 million albums worldwide in a career spanning five decades. He converted to Islam at the height of his fame in 1977. The following year, he started a three-decade break from music to devote himself to helping² the British Muslim community.

 

Yusuf Islam was born in 1948 as Steven Georgiou. His father was a Greek-Cypriot and his mother was Swedish. He lived and grew up very near London’s Piccadilly Circus. Steven started playing piano when he was 12, which led to songwriting and playing guitar. He began to perform his songs in London pubs under the stage name Cat Stevens.

 

At the age of 18, Stevens got a record deal. His debut³ album ‘Matthew and Son’ was a huge success. He became a pop sensation until he developed tuberculosis⁴ in 1968. He spent several months in hospital, where he took up meditation⁵ and read about religion. He wrote many songs that would make him world famous in the 1970s.

 

In 1976 Stevens nearly drowned, an event that made him question his life. His brother gave him a copy of the Koran and he converted to Islam. Yusuf Islam then abandoned his rock star career. In 1981, he established the first of many Islamia Schools in Britain. He devoted⁶ himself to Islamic charitable causes and has received many peace awards. Yusuf returned to releasing records in 2006.

1 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

4 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

5 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

6 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。