美国国家公共电台 NPR 'County Plow Guy' Song: The Singing Snow Plow Driver Of Bozem

 

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Winter driving can be unpleasant and dangerous. It can mean long hours for people who operate snowplows. Driving a snowplow in Montana has given Justin Horak lots to sing about. Yellowstone Public Radio's Rachel Cramer introduces us.

(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, "COUNTY PLOW¹ GUY")

JUSTIN HORAK: (Singing) I am a plow guy for the county, and I drive the paved roads, searching through the cars for another road with snow.

RACHEL CRAMER, BYLINE³: Horak's YouTube video "County Plow Guy" racked up more than 9,000 views in just a couple of weeks, and now local radio stations are airing it. One of them even wants him to rerecord it in a studio and add some instrumentals.

HORAK: I just have been so amazed with the response, you know? I made it as a joke just for myself and maybe a few of my co-workers, and it's just exploded. I think people like to just see a normal guy go out there and do something different.

CRAMER: Horak plows² roads for Gallatin County. His lyrics⁴ to "County Plow Guy," which are set to the tune⁵ of Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman," are a friendly reminder⁶ to drivers to be courteous⁷ and slow down.

(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, "COUNTY PLOW GUY")

HORAK: (Singing) I see you giving me the finger. I see you texting and driving. And when they slide off the corners, they break all the signs.

CRAMER: The song also includes warnings about tailgating and trying to pass snowplows. It's a lighthearted plea, but Horak takes music seriously. He focused on vocals⁸ in college and wrote the piano music for his own wedding. Right now he sings in Bozeman's symphonic and chamber⁹ choirs¹⁰ and has had several parts in the Intermountain Opera, which he says he spends about six months preparing for.

HORAK: Music has always been a huge, huge part of my life. People have different ways that they use it, but everybody uses it in some sort of personal way to them. Everybody has, like, a favorite song that means a lot to them that'll brighten their day.

CRAMER: Horak says he probably won't release another song for a while. Right now, he's busy preparing to audition¹¹ for another opera, "The Marriage Of Figaro."

For NPR News, I'm Rachel Cramer in Bozeman, Mont.

(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, "COUNTY PLOW GUY")

HORAK: (Singing) I am a plow guy for the county, and I drive the paved roads, searching through the cars for another road with snow. I see you giving me the finger. I see you texting and driving.

1 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

2 plows   

n.犁( plow的名词复数 )；犁型铲雪机v.耕( plow的第三人称单数 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• Alex and Tony were turning awkward hands to plows and hoe handles. 亚历克斯和托尼在犁耙等农活方面都几乎变成新手了。
• Plows are still pulled by oxen in some countries. 在一些国家犁头仍由牛拖拉。

3 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。

4 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

5 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

6 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

7 courteous   

adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的

参考例句：

• Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一，但她总是很谦恭有礼。
• He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善，而且彬彬有礼。

8 vocals   

（乐曲中的）歌唱部份，声乐部份( vocal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Also look out for soaring vocals on The Right Man. 另外，也可留意一下《意中人》中的那高亢的唱腔。
• Lazy bass line, lazier drums, lush violins, great piano and incomparable vocals. 懒惰的低音线，较懒惰的鼓，饮小提琴，棒的钢琴和无比的声音。

9 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

10 choirs   

n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 )；唱诗队；公开表演的合唱团；（教堂）唱经楼

参考例句：

• They ran the three churches to which they belonged, the clergy, the choirs and the parishioners. 她们管理着自己所属的那三家教堂、牧师、唱诗班和教区居民。 来自飘（部分）
• Since 1935, several village choirs skilled in this music have been created. 1935以来，数支熟练掌握这种音乐的乡村唱诗班相继建立起来。 来自互联网

11 audition   

n.(对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱等)

参考例句：

• I'm going to the audition but I don't expect I'll get a part.我去试音，可并不指望会给我个角色演出。
• At first,they said he was too young,but later they called him for an audition.起初，他们说他太小，但后来他们叫他去试听。