2006年VOA标准英语-Donations Kick Off Jazz Appreciation Month

By Doug Levine
Washington
16 April 2006

Jazz Appreciation¹ Month got underway with the unveiling of donated items from the families of two jazz legends and a famous jazz photographer to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

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A display case at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History holds items donated by the families of Jazz greats Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk²  
  

The name Miles Davis is synonymous with modern jazz, so what better way to celebrate the 5th Annual Jazz Appreciation Month than with an insider's look at the man who helped pioneer cool jazz and jazz fusion³. Miles was an intensely private person, but that didn't keep him from traveling in style. Among the donated items from the trumpeter's family is a brightly colored designer suit that Davis wore during his performance at the Montreux [MON-troh] Jazz Festival in 1991; as well as his sheet music for "Summertime," arranged by Davis and Gil Evans; and an electronic wind instrument that Davis experimented with on two of his most important albums.

Pianist and composer Monk was perhaps the most private of all jazz icons⁴, but it didn't diminish⁵ his contribution to the development of be-bop. At the ceremony, jazz drummer TS Monk donated various items of his father's clothing, including one of his trademark⁶ skullcaps; as well as Monk's handwritten manuscript⁷ for his 1951 composition "Four In One."

TS said his family is honored that Thelonious has become such an important part of American culture. "My father was one of those artisans that unfortunately passed away somewhat disappointed. I know that he felt like the world didn't get it [understand his music]," he says. "And here we are 24 years beyond his passing, and everyday I look up at the sky and I say, 'Dad, you know what, I think they got it.'"

Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis were two of photographer Herman Leonard's favorite subjects. Leonard began photographing jazz musicians in the 1940s at jazz clubs in New York City. He donated 20 black-and-white photographs to the Smithsonian, including striking⁸ images of Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett.

Leonard said he got his best shots by being patient, once waiting three days just to photograph Miles Davis. "Well it ended up I spent about six hours there at his house. And I watched him paint and we talked, there was an interview from the British newspaper, and then there was just us," he says. "And at the end he said, 'Herman, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be doing this,' to sit for the photographs. And that to me really was the greatest honor that I could have received from Miles."

Throughout April, the Smithsonian will help celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month with a variety of performances, dance, film, lectures and displays, including its newest acquisitions⁹ donated by Herman Leonard and the families of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. For more on this year's Jazz Appreciation Month celebrations going on in the United States and around the world, visit www.smithsonianjazz.org.

1 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

2 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

3 fusion   

n.溶化；熔解；熔化状态，熔和；熔接

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc. 黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• This alloy is formed by the fusion of two types of metal.这种合金是用两种金属熔合而成的。

4 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 diminish   

vi.变少，变小，降低；vt.减少，减小，降低

参考例句：

• We should try to diminish the cost of production.我们应尽力减少生产成本。
• He likes to diminish the skill of others.他喜欢贬低别人的技术。

6 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

7 manuscript   

n.手稿，原稿，底稿，手写本

参考例句：

• The adaptation of the play for radio manuscript was easy.把剧本改编成广播稿很容易。
• The lost manuscript was found in a repository in France.丢失的手稿在法国的一个存放处被找到了。

8 striking   

adj.显著的，惹人注目的，容貌出众的

参考例句：

• There is a striking difference between Jane and Mary.简和玛丽之间有显著的差异。
• What is immediately striking is how resourceful the children are.最令人注目的是孩子们的机智聪明。

9 acquisitions   

获得( acquisition的名词复数 )； 获得者； （企业的）合并； （图书馆通过采购、交换赠阅等）图书资料的获得

参考例句：

• As a result, they have moved to divest themselves of losing acquisitions. 于是他们采取措施来摆脱那些使他们得不偿失的企业。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• By34 he was head of mergers and acquisitions at a big bank. 到了34岁，他就是某大银行兼并部门的负责人了。