VOA标准英语2009-World Goes 'Gaga' For Pop Star's Debut Album

By Larry London
Washington
14 November 2009

Few music stars have had the immediate¹ impact of Lady Gaga. Over the past year, her debut² CD, The Fame, has produced four Number One Billboard³ Pop Songs chart hits: Just Dance, Poker⁴ Face, LoveGame, and Paparazzi - surpassing the previous record of three charttoppers achieved by Ace⁵ Of Base, and Avril Lavigne. Lady Gaga has also managed to create a unique persona defined as much by her songs as by her bizarre fashion. Lady Gaga was nominated for nine MTV Awards and recently for five American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year.

Stefani Germanotta tried a subtler approach to the music business.

 
Lady GaGa
"For a while I had this very long brown hair and I was really into Bob Dylan and Jefferson Airplane and [Jefferson Airplane's lead singer] Grace Slick. I was doing just a different kind of music," she said.

It was not until she changed her sound, and became Lady Gaga that her career took off.

With the success of her debut CD, The Fame, she has gone from a struggling singer-songwriter to a headliner with a well-known opening act.

Her success might seem sudden, but the groundwork was laid by years of music lessons and performing in local clubs for little money.

"I mean, I've been playing piano since I was four, and been studying," she recalled. "Whether it was in music theory classes or I was in jazz band or writing music, and around 14 I started to play out in local clubs [where] my mother would take me, and sign me up on the open mic night sheet.

I could tell the story forever but really it's just that I never gave up, and music has always been my destiny."

This year her success includes nine MTV Video Music Award nominations⁶ and Billboard Magazine's "Rising Star Award".

"The Rising Star Award is a very big deal," she said. "I've been given a tremendous amount of credit for the number of songs that have done well. I think it takes a lot more than a few singles to secure yourself in the world. I just want to put out great music and show the fans all the love I can show them."

Artists owe their careers to the fans and Lady Gaga does not take her fans for granted.

"I've got very special fans, you know," she added. "At the risk of sounding slightly pretentious⁷, I would like to say I have the best fans in the whole world. They dress like the music, and they emulate⁸ me when they come to the shows; not in the spirit of celebrating Gaga myself, but in celebrating the idea of the fame which is that you can be whoever you want to be. It doesn't matter how much money you have or where you're from. All that matters is that you have your ideas and your creativity. My hair bow's kind of a good example. I know that some people view my fashion as kind of kooky, avant-garde statement, but it's actually a statement about being a kid in the streets that wants to express herself. You can buy a hair extension for three dollars, and I tie it in a knot and stick it on my head, and suddenly I feel like I can do anything. So that's the message. It's small, but my fans understand."

In addition to writing songs for her CD, Lady Gaga has written for artists as varied⁹ as The Pussycat Dolls and Michael Bolton.

"And they said, 'How do you feel about writing for Michael Bolton?' And I said, 'Oh wow, I love Michael Bolton! That would be great!' It sounds like a great fun thing for me to do. And, he's a really lovely guy, and he was really kind of an inspirational figure for me when I was working with him because I was just still really starting out. He didn't really know who I was. But of course, everyone knows who Michael Bolton is, and it's a beautiful record," she said.

Lady Gaga's plans for a tour with Kanye West were canceled. With four Number One hits from her debut CD, she should not have trouble filling seats, however, on her own headline tour starting November 27 in Montreal, Canada.

"You know, I was just a girl from New York that wanted to make her dad proud, and it's been a lot more than that this year I think," she noted¹⁰.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 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。

3 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

4 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

5 ace   

n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的

参考例句：

• A good negotiator always has more than one ace in the hole.谈判高手总有数张王牌在手。
• He is an ace mechanic.He can repair any cars.他是一流的机械师,什么车都会修。

6 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

7 pretentious   

adj.自命不凡的，自负的，炫耀的

参考例句：

• He is a talented but pretentious writer.他是一个有才华但自命不凡的作家。
• Speaking well of yourself would only make you appear conceited and pretentious.自夸只会使你显得自负和虚伪。

8 emulate   

v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿

参考例句：

• You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
• You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。

9 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。