名人轶事:Willis Conover Brought Jazz, 'the Music of Freedom,' to

Willis Conover Brought Jazz, 'the Music of Freedom,' to the World

Written by Dana Demange
(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

I’m Bob Doughty¹.

VOICE TWO:

Willis Conover     

And I’m Barbara Klein with People in America in VOA Special English. Today,

we tell about Willis Conover. His voice is one of the most famous in the

world. Conover’s Voice of America radio program on jazz was one of the most

popular and influential² shows in broadcasting history.

(SOUND)

VOICE ONE:

Willis Conover was not a jazz musician. However, many people believe that he

did more to spread the sound of jazz than any person in music history. For

more than forty years Conover brought jazz to people around world on his VOA

music programs. An estimated⁴ one hundred million people heard his programs. He

helped make jazz music an international language.

VOICE TWO:

Willis Conover was born in Buffalo⁵, New York, in nineteen twenty. Because his

father was in the military, his family moved around a great deal. When Willis

was in high school, he played the part of a radio announcer⁶ in a school play.

People told him that he sounded like a real radio announcer. Later, he

competed in a spelling competition that was broadcast on radio. The radio

announcer told Willis that he should work in radio. Willis had a deep and rich

voice that was perfect for broadcasting.

VOICE ONE:

At first, Conover worked for small radio stations in the state of Maryland. He

served in the military during World War Two. Because of his experience talking

to people on radio, Conover was not sent away to fight. He was needed to

interview new soldiers at Fort³ Meade, Maryland. After the war, he continued to

work for commercial radio stations.

Willis Conover heard a lot of jazz music during the nineteen forties in

Washington, D.C. This city was the center of a very important jazz movement.

Willis Conover knew many of the jazz musicians in both Washington and New York

City. He helped organize many concerts. He also helped stop racial separation

in the places where music was played at night.

At this time, mainly white people went to music clubs even though many of the

musicians were black. Conover created musical events where people of all races

were welcome.

VOICE TWO:

Willis Conover wanted to be able to play more of the jazz music that he loved

on his radio show. He did not like the restrictions⁷ of commercial radio. When

he heard that the Voice of America wanted to start a jazz music program,

Conover knew that he had found a perfect job. He had full freedom to play all

kinds of jazz music on his show which began in nineteen fifty-five.
VOICE ONE:

Willis Conover once said that jazz is the music of freedom. He said that with

jazz people can express their lives through music. And that the music helps

people to stand up a little straighter.

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

3 fort   

n.要塞，堡垒，碉堡

参考例句：

• The fort can not be defended against an air attack.这座要塞遭到空袭时无法防御。
• No one can get into the fort without a pass.没有通行证，任何人不得进入要塞。

4 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

5 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

6 announcer   

n.宣布者；电(视)台播音员，报幕员

参考例句：

• The radio announcer said it was nine o'clock.电台播音员报时9点整。
• The announcer tells the listeners what programme comes next.广播员告诉听众下一个是什么节目。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 tensions   

（情绪上的）紧张( tension的名词复数 )； 张力； 紧张的状态； （作家或电影导演制造的）紧张气氛

参考例句：

• Social tensions were manifested in the recent political crisis. 最近的政治危机显示了社会关系的紧张。
• These disagreements are symptomatic of the tensions within the party. 出现意见分歧表明该党内部的关系紧张。

9 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

10 subversive   

adj.颠覆性的，破坏性的；n.破坏份子，危险份子

参考例句：

• She was seen as a potentially subversive within the party.她被看成党内潜在的颠覆分子。
• The police is investigating subversive group in the student organization.警方正调查学生组织中的搞颠覆阴谋的集团。

11 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

12 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

13 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

14 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。