VOA慢速英语-People in America - Bo Diddley, 1928-2008: Rememberi

VOICE ONE:

I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:
　
Bo Diddley

And I'm Steve Ember with People in America in VOA Special English. Bo Diddley was one of America's greatest rock and roll guitarists. His influence was so widespread that it is hard to imagine what rock and roll would have sounded like without him. Today, we explore the life and music of Bo Diddley.

(MUSIC: "Bo Diddley")

VOICE ONE:

That was the song "Bo Diddley," released in nineteen fifty-five. It was his first hit. It established what became known as "the Bo Diddley beat." It is linked to a children's hand clapping game, "hambone." Bo Diddley said he first heard the beat in a church. But it is also a rhythm found in African-Caribbean music. And it has a southern blues¹ base as well.

This hit song from the same year is another good example of the Bo Diddley beat. It is called "Pretty Thing."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Bo Diddley died of heart failure in two thousand eight at his home in Florida. He was seventy-nine.

Music had been a part of his life since his early years. He was born Otha Ellas Bates in nineteen twenty-eight in McComb, Mississippi. His mother, Esther Wilson, was an unmarried teenager. She and her son went to live with her cousin, Gussie McDaniel. Bo Diddley later said Gussie McDaniel raised both him and his mother. Otha was re-named Ellas McDaniel. The family moved to Chicago, Illinois.

When Ellas was seven, he began learning classical violin from a church music teacher. He continued to study violin until he was fifteen. He did not even pick up a guitar until he was twelve and received one as a gift from his sister. But it was the guitar that captured his imagination forever. Here he explains how he developed his guitar sound.

BO DIDDLEY: "I took it home and learned how to play on one string, 'When the Saints Go Marching In.' The other strings² didn't make a difference. Then I accidentally tuned³ it the way I'm tuning⁴ it now. I say I'm playing it backwards⁵. I don't play like the average guitar player, the cats who move their fingers all around like this. I do it in chords, and basically, do almost the same thing."

VOICE ONE:

When he was in his twenties, Ellas McDaniel formed a band called the Langley Avenue Jive Cats. He was not able to make enough money to support himself, however. So he found other work. He worked in a food store and a picture frame factory. He worked as an elevator operator and a meat packer. He even fought as a boxer⁶. Finally, in nineteen fifty-four, the band got the break it was hoping for. The Jive Cats made a recording⁷ of their music to present to Chess Records.

Leonard and Phil Chess were happy with what they heard and agreed to sign the band to a recording contract.

(MUSIC: "The Story of Bo Diddley")

VOICE TWO:

There are many stories about how Bo Diddley got his name. Some reports say one of the band members suggested the new name shortly after they were signed by Chess Records. Other reports say Bo Diddley took the name when he became a boxer. Still others say the name came from a homemade one-string instrument called a diddley bow. Apparently⁸ Bo Diddley did not clear up the mystery. He told several versions of the source of his name.
Many bands sang this next Bo Diddley song for many years. From nineteen fifty-seven, here is "Mona (I Need You Baby)."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Bo Diddley's success continued through the nineteen fifties. He appeared on television and on stage. He performed in a national concert series, sometimes with another rock and roll guitar great, Chuck Berry.

However, his love life was never as smooth as his music. Diddley was first married at age eighteen and three times after that. All of his marriages ended in divorce.

However, Bo Diddley did have good relationships with female musicians. He was one of the first rock and rollers to have a female guitarist. Peggy Jones joined his band in the late nineteen fifties as "Lady Bo." Later, she was replaced by Norma-Jean Wofford, whose stage name was "the Duchess."

(MUSIC: "I'm A Man")

VOICE TWO:

That was the Yardbirds performing Bo Diddley's song "I'm A Man." The so-called British Invasion by that band, the Rolling Stones and others in the nineteen sixties helped renew interest in Bo Diddley's music. Now, others were recording his songs or performing his style. In fact, American musician Buddy⁹ Holly¹⁰ admitted his hit "Not Fade Away" borrowed much of Diddley's sound. At first, Bo Diddley said he was not happy about other musicians copying him. But then he said he realized he "must be doing something right."

VOICE ONE:
　
Bo Diddley holds his Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Grammy Awards in February of 1998 in New York

In the early nineteen seventies, Bo Diddley moved to the state of New Mexico and became a law official in the town of Los Lunas. However, he continued to make records for Chess until nineteen seventy-four.

Later Bo Diddley appeared in the popular movie, "Trading Places." He also appeared in a well-known television advertising¹¹ campaign for the Nike sportswear company. He was admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio in nineteen eighty-seven. He won a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in nineteen ninety-eight.

Bo Diddley lived his final years on more than thirty hectares of land near Gainesville, Florida. He liked to fish. He also still performed at shows around the country. His last recording was "A Man Amongst Men," released in nineteen ninety-six. Here is the title song from that album.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Caty Weaver¹² and produced by Lawan Davis. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Barbara Klein. You can learn about other interesting Americans on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. We leave you now with Bo Diddley performing "Bo Diddley Nineteen Sixty-Nine."

(MUSIC)

 

1 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

2 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。

3 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tuning   

n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

6 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

7 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

8 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

9 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

10 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

11 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

12 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。