英语名人堂：迈克尔·杰克逊

迈克尔·杰克逊（Michael Jackson），1958年08月29日在美国印第安纳州加里市出生，美国歌手、词曲创作人、舞蹈家、表演家、慈善家、音乐家、人道主义者、和平主义者、慈善机构创办人。

杰克逊是家族的第七个孩子，他在1964年作为杰克逊五人组的成员和他的兄弟一起在职业音乐舞台上初次登台，1968年乐队与当地的一家唱片公司合作出版了第一张唱片《Big Boy》。1971年12月，发行了个人首支单曲《Got to be there》，标志着其个人独唱生涯的开始。

1982年12月，杰克逊音乐生涯最畅销的专辑《Thriller》发行。1987年9月，杰克逊展开个人首次全球巡演。通过舞台和视频的表演，杰克逊普及了一些像机械舞和太空步等舞蹈技术。杰克逊一生中两次入选的摇滚名人堂，获得了13个格莱美奖和26个全美音乐奖。在他单飞生涯中，他拥有13支美国冠军单曲。2000年吉尼斯世界纪录大全里认证他资助过39个慈善机构。

2009年5月，杰克逊宣布将在伦敦举行系列音乐会；6月25日，他因为急性丙泊酚和苯二氮平类药物中毒导致心脏骤停逝世。洛杉矶法医裁定这是一宗凶杀案，他的私人医生康拉德·莫里被判定过失杀人罪。2010年，迈克尔·杰克逊被授予格莱美终生成就奖。

2009年6月25日，杰克逊辞世，享年50岁。2011年11月7日下午，杰克逊的私人医师莫里 “过失杀人罪”罪名成立，服刑四年监禁。

 

Michael Joseph Jackson (born 1958) is truly a music legend. He became a superstar at the age of eleven as a member of his family band The Jackson 5. His solo career earned him the title "King of Pop". His studio albums have all become classics. Jackson is equally famous for his high energy and complicated dance techniques such as the Moonwalk. He died in 2009 at the age of 50.

 

Jackson dominated the music charts throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s. His distinctive¹ vocal² style, rhythm and fashion were perfect for the new music video age. MTV enthusiastically played his videos to the world. His ‘Thriller’ video had all the excitement of a major movie release. Jackson became a true icon³ of pop culture and influenced dozens of today’s top stars.

 

Jackson’s personal life created significant controversy⁴ and earned him a nickname he hated, ‘Wacko Jacko’. He angered many by having plastic surgery and lightening his skin to look white. His reputation was badly damaged in several high-profile child sexual abuse cases in 2003 and 2005. The courts cleared him on both occasions.

 

His awards and records are proof of the phenomenal success he achieved. He won World Music Award's Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium⁵, and was the American Music Award's Artist of the Century. ‘Thriller’ remains⁶ the best selling album of all time. ‘Vanity Fair’ magazine named him the "Most popular artist in the history of show business".

1 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

2 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。

3 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

4 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

5 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。