美国国家公共电台 NPR The Country Music Festival That Attracted Thousands To Las Vegas

 

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

The Route 91 Harvest festival, the target of last night's shooting, is one of country music's biggest events. It's nicknamed the neon sleepover. The three-day event attracts big-name artists and more than 20,000 fans. NPR's Elizabeth Blair has more.

ELIZABETH BLAIR, BYLINE¹: It's called Route 91 Harvest as an homage² to the original name of Las Vegas Boulevard. The open-air site is a vast space with a clear view of the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay resorts. Among the artists who've performed at the festival since it debuted³ in 2013 are Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and Jake Owen.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BAREFOOT BLUE JEAN NIGHT")

JAKE OWEN: (Singing) Never going to grow up, never going to slow down. We were shining like lighters⁴ in the dark in the middle of a rock show. We were doing it right.

BLAIR: Jake Owen's manager, Keith Gale⁵, was at this year's festival.

KEITH GALE: It's just a great event. The people that put it on do a great job. My heart aches for them.

BLAIR: The shooting began around 10 p.m. local time. Country star Jason Aldean was onstage.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DIRT ROAD ANTHEM")

JASON ALDEAN: (Singing) Yeah, I'm chilling on a dirt road, laid back, swerving⁶ like I'm George Jones, smoke rolling...

BLAIR: Manager Keith Gale spoke⁷ with us from the Las Vegas Airport. He was near the stage with his wife when the shooting began.

GALE: You kind of didn't know where it was coming from. You knew it was gunfire, and you knew it was intense. And it was around us because there were bullets exploding into the concrete around you. And then there was a slight break in the action, and I grabbed her, my wife, by the hand. And I said, we are not sitting still. And we got up and ran across the back of the stage and down the other side and made our way out of the venue⁸.

BLAIR: The annual Route 91 Harvest event is organized by Live Nation, a company with years of experience producing major concerts and festivals around the country, including Bonnaroo. Michael Rapino, the CEO of Live Nation, tweeted, our hearts are with the victims in Las Vegas, their families and loved ones who are grieving. Keith Gale says he doesn't think there was much producers could have done to prevent the tragedy.

GALE: There is no way to prepare for a madman who sneaks⁹ into a hotel room 32 floors up and fires pointblank into a crowd. You know, I hate to be a person that tosses cliches around. But all there is to do is be vigilant¹⁰ and look after one another.

BLAIR: Gale says throughout the chaos¹¹, he saw many people helping¹² each other. The tragedy has led to calls from a few musicians for greater gun control. Carlos Santana, a Las Vegas resident, issued a statement saying, our heart is in shock; our minds are filled with questions. Why? Why allow weapons of mass destruction to be sold to civilians¹³? Guitarist Caleb Keeter, who performed at the Route 91 festival, also issued a statement. He writes, quote, "I've been a proponent¹⁴ of the Second Amendment¹⁵ my entire life until the events of last night," end quote. Elizabeth Blair, NPR News.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

3 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

4 lighters   

n.打火机，点火器( lighter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The cargo is being discharged into lighters. 正在往驳船里卸货。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Babies'bootees and cheap cigarette lighters were displayed in unlikely juxtaposition. 儿童的短靴和廉价的打火机很不相称地陈列在一起。 来自辞典例句

5 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

6 swerving   

v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• It may stand as an example of the fitful swerving of his passion. 这是一个例子，说明他的情绪往往变化不定，忽冷忽热。 来自辞典例句
• Mrs Merkel would be foolish to placate her base by swerving right. 默克尔夫人如果为了安抚她的根基所在而转到右翼就太愚蠢了。 来自互联网

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

9 sneaks   

abbr.sneakers (tennis shoes) 胶底运动鞋（网球鞋）v.潜行( sneak的第三人称单数 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状

参考例句：

• Typhoid fever sneaks in when sanitation fails. 环境卫生搞不好，伤寒就会乘虚而入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Honest boys scorn sneaks and liars. 诚实的人看不起狡诈和撒谎的人。 来自辞典例句

10 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

11 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

12 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

13 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

14 proponent   

n.建议者；支持者；adj.建议的

参考例句：

• Stapp became a strong early proponent of automobile seat belts.斯塔普是力主在汽车上采用座椅安全带的早期倡导者。
• Halsey was identified as a leading proponent of the values of progressive education.哈尔西被认为是进步教育价值观的主要支持者。

15 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。