VOA慢速英语2014 Lorde, Imagine Dragons Lead Billboard Awards Nominations 梦龙Lorde领跑2014公告牌音乐奖提名

 

Lorde, Imagine Dragons Lead Billboard¹ Awards Nominations² 梦龙Lorde领跑2014公告牌音乐奖提名

Welcome to American Mosaic³ from VOA Learning English.

I’m June Simms.

Today on the show: We play music from the just announced nominees⁴ for 2014 Billboard Music Awards.

But first we hear about a NASA program that connects American students with astronauts in space.

Video Links Students on Earth and Astronauts in Space

Some students in California got a rare chance to speak with astronauts in space through a recent video link.  The event was part of an effort by the U.S. space agency NASA to excite young people about science.

“Station, this is Houston.  Are you ready for the event?”

“And we are ready for the event.”

Hundreds of college and high school students gathered at California State University, Los Angeles for the NASA video link with the International Space Station. 

“Cal State Los Angeles, this is Mission Control, Houston.  Please call station for voice check.”

“Station, this is Dean Emily Allen.  How do you hear me?”

At the other end of the link were three astronauts floating almost 400 kilometers above the earth.

The students learned about the professional paths that led Americans Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins and Japan's Koichi Wakata into space.  Engineering student Maria Munguia asked astronaut Mastracchio the first question.

“How did you overcome your greatest obstacle on your road to becoming an astronaut?

“I went and got a master’s degree, got a job as an engineer and eventually applied⁵ as an astronaut.  So I think my interest in space and science, and my abilities in mathematics, had a direct relationship on how I ended up here.”

Students asked a wide mix of questions. The three astronauts talked about their long work days, phone calls home and exercise in the evening.  It is all done in a weightless environment. Rick Mastracchio says that often makes impossible things easy, and easy things difficult. 

Astronaut Mike Hopkins turned head over heels to demonstrate.

Engineering student Jeremy Blaire says he learned about the astronauts by observing how they behaved with each other.

“To me, it looked like they were all friends.  Every time they laughed and they looked back at each other.  They laughed with each other about the jokes.  I never really thought about how harmonious⁶ the crew was up there.”

Student Virginia Mejia learned something else: to keep trying.

“Never stop dreaming.  Never, because even they said, 'I applied four times, nine times, in a period of nine years, 12 years.'  Wow, they never gave up.”

NASA educator Becky Kamas says one question comes up with every video link at schools around the country.

“They always ask questions about what does it take to become you?  And I think the answer is, it takes passion and dedication⁷.   And every single one of these students is capable of that.”

Eleven graduates of the California State University system have gone on to become NASA astronauts.  A 12th might be among the students of the current graduating class.

And the Nominees Are...

Billboard Magazine has announced its nominees for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. The group Imagine Dragons and new pop star Lorde lead all other artists in number of nominations. Christopher Cruise has more on the nominees and their music.

That is Imagine Dragons with “Radioactive.” They are nominated for 12 awards including Top Artist and Top Duo or Group. And “Radioactive” is up for the Top Hot 100 Song award.  So is this song, “Wrecking Ball” from pop singer Miley Cyrus.

“Wrecking Ball” also competes with “Royals,” a song from Lorde. The singer from New Zealand also received 12 nominations. The award for Top New Artist is among them.

Beyonce is the only female artist represented in the nominations for Top Billboard Two Hundred Artist.  The Top Two Hundred chart represents album sales.  Beyonce released a self-titled album in December that has sold almost two million copies in the United States alone. “XO” was one of the album’s hit songs.

Beyonce, Lorde and Miley Cyrus are all up for the Top Female artist award, as are Katy Perry and Rihanna. Top Male Artist nominees are country singer Luke Bryan, rapper Eminem, pop singers Drake and Justin Timberlake. Twenty-eight-year-old Hawaiian musician Bruno Mars is also on the list. 

 

1 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。

2 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

3 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

4 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

7 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。