2007年VOA标准英语-Alison Krauss Shows Pop Side on 'A Hundred Mile

By Katherine Cole
Washington
26 June 2007

Alison Krauss began studying classical violin when she was five years old. By eight, she had discovered the sound of bluegrass, and soon was winning fiddle¹ contests across the United States. Alison released her first album, Too Late To Cry, when she was 16. VOA's Katherine Cole reports it's primarily the pop side of Alison Krauss that you'll find on her new album, A Hundred Miles Or More.

In 1991, fiddle-playing singer Alison Krauss won her first Grammy Award. Her 16th trophy² came for her duet with James Taylor on a remake of the Louvin Brothers' hit, How's the World Treating You. Today Alison has 20 Grammy Awards, the most ever won by a female performer, and proof that she's traveled far from her bluegrass roots.

The new collection, A Hundred Miles Or More, showcases Alison's career as a solo artist. The 16 tracks include several of her contributions to film soundtracks, including another Grammy winner, Down To The River To Pray. First heard in the film O' Brother Where Art Thou?, the song finds Alison Krauss singing in a chorus that also features Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Pat Enright and a Nashville church choir³.

There are a few other soundtrack cuts on this record, including two that Alison recorded for Cold Mountain.  There are also songs that first appeared on compilation⁴ or tribute albums, such as 1996's The Best Of Country Sings The Best of Disney. Alison's contribution was a very sweet version of Baby Mine, from the Disney film Dumbo.

A Hundred Miles Or More

A Hundred Miles Or More also features five previously-unreleased songs, all self-produced. The album's title comes from the chorus of one of those new songs, Away Down The River.

A Hundred Miles Or More is perfect for Alison Krauss "completists" (those who want the full body of work) and other fans who are looking for some of her harder-to-find soundtrack performances or guests spots with other artists, including John Waite and Brad Paisley.

 

Not all the duets on A Hundred Miles or More are vocal⁵. Fiddler Stuart Duncan joins Alison for some twin fiddling⁶ on the album's sole bluegrass cut. Sawin' On The Strings⁷.

1 fiddle   

n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动

参考例句：

• She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
• Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。

2 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

3 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

4 compilation   

n.编译，编辑

参考例句：

• One of the first steps taken was the compilation of a report.首先采取的步骤之一是写一份报告。
• The compilation of such diagrams,is of lasting value for astronomy.绘制这样的图对天文学有永恒的价值。

5 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

6 fiddling   

微小的

参考例句：

• He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me. 和我谈话时他不停地摆弄钥匙。
• All you're going to see is a lot of fiddling around. 你今天要看到的只是大量的胡摆乱弄。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦

7 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。