THIS IS AMERICA - Memphis, Tennessee

THIS IS AMERICA -May 6, 2002: Memphis, Tennessee

By Shelley Gollust
VOICE ONE:

The music called blues¹ was born in this southern American city. Rock and roll music also began here. This
month, the city is celebrating its musical traditions. I’m Sarah Long.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. The city of Memphis, Tennessee is our report today on the VOA Special English
program, THIS IS AMERICA.

((CUT ONE: "Memphis Blues"))

VOICE ONE:

Memphis is the largest city in the southern state of Tennessee. The Mississippi River flows along the west side of
the city. Memphis is the chief center of business, industry and transportation in Tennessee. Six-hundred-fiftythousand
people live in the city. More than one-million people live in the area.

Memphis is famous as the birthplace of two major kinds of American music
–
the blues and rock and roll. It also
is well known for soul music.

VOICE TWO:

Memphis, Tennessee began as a settlement in Eighteen-Nineteen. Three men --John Overton, James Winchester
and Andrew Jackson
–
started it. Andrew Jackson would later become president of the United States. They built
the settlement where the Wolf River flowed into the Mississippi River.

Mister² Jackson named it after the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, which was also built along a famous river,
the Nile.

Memphis became an important city when a railroad³ bridge was completed across the
Mississippi River in Eighteen-Ninety-Two. The bridge increased trade between the
east and the southwestern United States. By Nineteen-Hundred, Memphis was the
world’s largest market for cotton and wood products.

VOICE ONE:

Like many other American cities, Memphis has had racial problems. About forty-
eight percent of the city ’s population is African American. In Nineteen-Sixty-Eight, city workers who collect
waste went on strike. Most of the workers were black. The famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Junior
went to Memphis to support the workers. On April Fourth, Reverend King was murdered in Memphis by James
Earl Ray.

After Mister King’s death, the city worked to improve living conditions for black people. In Nineteen-Ninety-
One, voters elected W-E Herenton the city’s first black mayor⁴. That same year, Memphis opened the National
Civil Rights Museum. It was built next to the place where Martin Luther King was killed. Many people visit the
museum to learn about the history of the American civil rights movement.

VOICE TWO:

The center of Memphis extends⁵ for almost two-and-one-half kilometers along the Mississippi River. One of the
most famous streets in America
–
Beale Street
–
is in the southern part of the city.

Pyramid Arena⁶

Composer W-C Handy⁷ worked there as a musician in the early Nineteen-Hundreds. Handy was known as the
“Father of the Blues.
”
In Nineteen-Sixteen, he wrote a song about the city’s famous street. Here is Louis
Armstrong singing “Beale Street Blues.
”

((CUT TWO: "Beale Street Blues"))

VOICE ONE:

Many visitors go to Beale Street at night to hear blues music performed. The street has
become a major music center in Memphis. In Nineteen-Ninety-One, the famous guitar player
B-B King opened his own Blues Club on Beale Street. When he is in Memphis, B-B King
still performs with his guitar Lucille at his Beale Street Blues Club. In fact, he performed
there last month. Here he performs the song “Caldonia.
”

((CUT THREE: "Caldonia"))

VOICE TWO:

Blues was not the only music born in Memphis. Many experts say that rock and roll music
began in the city. Sam Phillips was a white record producer there in the Nineteen-Fifties.
He produced records by local black musicians at his recording⁸ company, Sun Studio. He
also produced early recordings⁹ by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Roy
Orbison. One day, an eighteen-year-old truck driver came to his studio to record a song to
give to his mother. The young man was Elvis Presley.

Sam Phillips produced Presley’s first real record in Nineteen-Fifty-Four. It was called “That’s All Right.
”
Many experts consider it to be the first recorded rock and roll song.

((CUT FOUR: "That's All Right"))

VOICE ONE:

Today, people from across the United States and around the world visit Memphis. Tourism has become a major
industry. The most popular place to visit in Memphis is Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley.

Presley lived there for twenty years until his death on August sixteenth, Nineteen-Seventy-Seven. He is buried on
the grounds of Graceland, along with his parents. As many as seven-hundred-thousand people visit Graceland
every year.

VOICE TWO:

There are other interesting places to visit in Memphis. The Smithsonian Institution
opened the Memphis Rock
‘
n’
Soul Museum two years ago. The museum
explores the music and culture of the city. It shows how blues, country, and soul
music came together in Memphis. It is the Smithsonian’s first permanent
exhibition outside Washington, D-C and New York City.

VOICE ONE:

There is a large and beautiful hotel in Memphis, called the Peabody. It was built in Eighteen-Sixty-Nine. Many
famous people have stayed at the Peabody. But it is best known for some birds that live in a special place on top
of the hotel
–
the Peabody Marching Ducks. Every morning, the four ducks ride in an elevator down to the first

floor. They march across the main room of the hotel to a small pool of water where they spend the day. Every
afternoon, they leave their pool and march back across the room. They ride the elevator back up to their home.
Two times a day, hundreds of people watch the Peabody Marching Ducks.

((MUSIC BRIDGE: MEMPHIS BLUES))

VOICE TWO:


Many people are visiting Memphis to take part in special events held each year at this time. This celebration is
called “Memphis in May International Festival.
”
Each year, Memphis honors¹⁰ a different country during
International Week, which is being held this week. The city is honoring¹¹ Argentina this year with a celebration of
its customs and culture. There will be tango dancing, Argentine food and artwork.

VOICE ONE:
“The Memphis in May International Festival”
also celebrates the traditions of the city. Music, of course, is one
tradition. Another is food. Traditional Memphis food includes barbecued pork that is cooked outdoors over a fire.

Other traditional foods are fried¹² chicken, catfish¹³, fried green tomatoes and pecan pie. Visitors can enjoy these
foods at the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and the Great Southern Food Festival.
The Beale Street Music Festival was held last weekend outdoors in a park. It is one of the largest music festivals

in the country. More than sixty bands performed.
VOICE TWO:
Later this month, the W-C Handy Awards for blues performances will be presented. Nominees¹⁴ this year include

B-B King, Ike Turner and Buddy¹⁵ Guy.

A song called “Memphis Blues”
is often played in the city. W-C Handy wrote it ninety years ago. We leave
you with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra¹⁶ performing that song, honoring Memphis and its music.
((MUSIC: "Memphis Blues")
)
VOICE ONE:
This program was written by Shelley Gollust. It was produced by Cynthia Kirk. I’m Sarah Long.

VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on the VOA
Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.

 

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1 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

2 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”。

3 railroad   

n.铁路；vi.由铁路运输

参考例句：

• The railroad connects two cities,namely,New York and Chicago.这条铁路连接两个城市，即纽约与芝加哥。
• My brother is working on the railroad.我兄弟在铁路系统工作。

4 mayor   

n.市长

参考例句：

• The new mayor said he would clean the city up.新市长说，他要整顿本市。
• The mayor hurried into his office,brushing off the reporters.市长赶快走进办公室，拒不接见记者。

5 extends   

v.（空间、时间等）延伸，延续( extend的第三人称单数 )；伸展；给予；延长

参考例句：

• This country extends its power and influence into neighbouring countries. 这个国家将其势力与影响扩大至邻国。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His domain extends for 20 miles in every direction. 方圆20英里之内都是他的地产。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

7 handy   

adj.方便的；手边的，近便的；手巧的

参考例句：

• A few more traveler's checks may come in handy on holiday.多带几张旅行支票，度假时会有用的。
• She is a handy girl who can turn her hand to anything.她是个心灵手巧的姑娘。

8 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。

9 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

10 honors   

n.礼仪；荣典；礼节； 大学荣誉学位；大学优等成绩；尊敬( honor的名词复数 )；敬意；荣誉；光荣

参考例句：

• He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 honoring   

v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They sat in silence, honoring the clan Jordache for a moment. 他们默默地坐了一会儿，对乔达虚家族表示了一番敬意。 来自辞典例句
• Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check. 美国没有履行这项神圣的义务，只是给黑人开了一张空头支票。 来自辞典例句

12 fried   

adj.油煎的；油炒的

参考例句：

• I ate everything fried.所有油炸的我都吃。
• I prefer fried peanuts.我选择炸花生。

13 catfish   

n.鲶鱼

参考例句：

• Huge catfish are skinned and dressed by hand.用手剥去巨鲇的皮并剖洗干净。
• We gigged for catfish off the pier.我们在码头以鱼叉叉鲶鱼。

14 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

15 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

16 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。