世界名人简介 第47期:尤瑟夫·伊斯拉姆

 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.

尤瑟夫·伊斯拉姆，他也被称之为凯特·斯蒂文斯，英国音乐家，唱作人以及慈善家。在他职业生涯的50年里，他的专辑销量在全球超过了6000万张。1977年，在他事业的高峰期，他皈依了伊斯兰教。第二年，为了帮助英国的穆斯林社区，他暂别歌坛三年。

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.

尤瑟夫·伊斯拉姆出生于1948年，他的原名叫作斯蒂文·乔治乌。他的父亲是希腊塞浦路斯人，母亲是瑞典人。他成长在离伦敦皮卡迪利广场不远的地方。斯蒂文从12岁开始弹奏钢琴，之后开始写歌，弹奏吉他。他开始以艺名凯特·斯蒂文斯的身份在伦敦酒吧唱歌。

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.

18岁时，斯蒂文斯签订了唱片公司。他的首张专辑《Matthew and Son》取得了巨大成功。并引起了流行界的轰动，1968年，他感染了肺结核。他在医院度过了几个月的时间，并在那里进行了冥想，研习了宗教。20世纪70年代，他写了许多世界著名歌曲。

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.

1976年，他差点被淹死，这次事件让他对他人生产生了疑问。他的哥哥给了他一本古拉经，之后皈依了伊斯兰教。随后，尤瑟夫·伊斯拉姆放弃了自己的摇滚生涯。1981年，他建立了首家伊斯兰学校。他投身于伊斯兰的慈善事业当中，并获得了诸多和平奖项。2006年，尤瑟夫又重新发行了专辑。

1.devote to 把…用于

例句：She has devoted all her time to helping the sick.

她把所有时间用于照顾病人。

2.convert to 皈依

例句：And he tells me that when staff do convert to Christianity, their attitude towards their work is transformed.

同时他告诉我，当他的员工皈依基督教之后，他们对待工作的态度就转变了。

3.grew up 成长

例句：The firms grew up together.

这两个公司一起成长起来。

4.lead to 导致

例句：This can lead to significant distress⁷, but have no fear!

这可能导致巨大的压力，但是不要害怕！

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。

7 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。