西部落：美国偶像夺冠以后...

singer looks at life after "Idol¹"

country music star on life after "American Idol"

The last few years have been like a fairy tale for season 4 American Idol, Carrie Underwood with an armful of awards and hit after hit topping the country charts, she's nothing if not grateful.

I was very lucky and very blessed that I got to go through, and I got to win and everything has worked out and now I do look back and think, Holy Cow, Look at all the stuff that, you know, that I’ve been able to, been nominated² for, and been a part of, and win, you know, songs that I’ve been able to sing, it's just, it’s all been great and wonderful.

But she knows in spite³ of all her success that life after Idol can be a rocky road.

I don't think anybody knew what to expect and nobody ever knows what to expect. When somebody wins the American Idol, you know, the public can continue to support them, you know they are the one that made them the American Idol. Ah, you just, you never know how things are gonna happen.

The 25-year-old Oklahoman says Idol’s relentless⁴ schedule and sometimes harsh⁵ criticism does a good job of preparing you for the music business.

Even that, I think it taught me a lot, and, um, definitely prepared me for the life I live now, it makes you a skinny little figure. If you can make it through all that, it's like, many boot camp, you know, you go through stuff that, you know, ten years of experiences, um, that somebody could earn and you know, go through, um, in a very short period of time.

Carrie Underwood.

Even four years later, no matter how calm she may look on the outside when she's on stage, inside she's all butterflies.

You get nervous, you get nervous before they, you know, announced the nominees⁶, you get nervous before you are gonna perform in front of all kinds of people that, you know, your peers⁷ and the people that, you know, I grow up listening to and it’s just there's a lot to be nervous about, and you want to put together to get album, you know, right before that comes out, I think I might sick to my stomach for a month, woo, just being nervous about it, but it's good. I have been nervous as like you should top your game and I think when you stop getting nervous, it might mean you don't care as much, and I, I definitely wanna care.

1 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

2 nominated   

adj.被提名的，被任命的 动词nominate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She has been nominated for the presidency. 她已经获得了董事长职位的提名。
• The movie was nominated for an Oscar. 这部电影获奥斯卡金像奖提名。

3 spite   

n.（用于短语）虽然，不顾，尽管

参考例句：

• He has modern ideas in spite of his great age.尽管他年事很高，但思想观念却很入时。
• In spite of his anger,his remarks were restrained.他尽管生气，说的话还是有节制的。

4 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

5 harsh   

adj.严厉（酷）的，刺耳的，刺目的，毛糙的

参考例句：

• The sunlight is very harsh.太阳光很刺眼。
• Although his words are harsh,there is positiveness in them.虽然他的话很苛刻，但有建设性。

6 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

7 peers   

n.同等的人，贵族vi.凝视，窥视vt.与…同等，封为贵族v.凝视( peer的第三人称单数 )；盯着看；同等；比得上

参考例句：

• She enjoys the respect of her peers. 她受到同侪的尊敬。
• She peers into my eyes. 她盯着我的眼睛。 来自《简明英汉词典》