VOA标准英语2011--Sound, Size of Ukulele Strikes Right Cho

Sound, Size of Ukulele Strikes Right Chord in Asia

A small stringed guitar-like instrument, the ukulele, best known for its association with Hawaiian music and long derided¹ as little more than a novelty, is finally earning some respect.
Its size and simplicity² is winning the ukulele new fans, especially in Asia. A lot of the credit for its newfound popularity goes to a fifth generation Japanese-American, virtuoso³ Jake Shimabukuro, who is on tour in Northeast Asia.
It could seem odd to hear a tune⁴ playing that is not traditionally heard coming from the four nylon strings⁵ of the ukulele, usually associated with hula dances and beachside luaus (parties) in the Hawaiian islands.
But Jake Shimabukuro is not a traditionalist.
He is arguably the world's finest ukulele player, earning comparisons to rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix and jazz legend Miles Davis. The 34-year-old native of Hawaii actually takes pride in his instrument's underwhelming reputation.
"People don't recognize it as a serious or even a musical instrument. They think of it more along the lines of a toy," he says. "They think it's something that any child can do. That's wonderful because it's the perfect tool to introduce people to music. You don't necessarily have to be a musician to play the ukulele. It's kind of the underdog of instruments. But I think that's part of its charm."
Riding an unexpected wave of mass appeal, Shimabukuro is performing across Japan with a 14-show tour in August and September. At his first performance this month in South Korea, tickets sold for up to $100 per seat. His concerts, lasting⁶ up to two hours, consist of just him and his ukulele. He does not sing and has no accompanying musicians on stage.
Tokyo resident Kyoko Ujihara is among those in the audience in Seoul. Ujihara says she first heard Shimabukuro's songs on the radio about six years ago. Several years after that she decided⁷ to pick up the ukulele herself.
Ujihara says the ukulele was around in Japan during her grandfather's era and was associated with Hawaiian music. But it is popular again now and this boom was caused by Jake's style which can include everything from jazz to rock.
Ujihara's interest in the ukulele has now turned into a business. She says she is making carrying cases for the instruments after realizing there were not any cute ones.
Shimabukuro notes that in an age where making things smaller is better, as well as a contemporary Asian esthetic⁸ that cute is cool, it is no coincidence that the tiny musical instrument has become a hit in the region. Living in small homes and riding public transportation are the norm in Asia's urban centers. That makes the ukulele less of a lifestyle challenge than, say, playing the drums or the cello⁹.
"The size definitely draws people toward the instrument," he says. "It's such a tiny instrument yet you can do so much with it. You only have four strings but at the same time do you really need more than that? I think the ukulele is perfect because it's simple. You have all the tools to make music, to at least feel like you're making music to fulfill¹⁰ that creative, artistic¹¹ side."
Before Shimabukuro's concert at a university in Seoul, Cheon Chang-hi, is strumming on one of the ukuleles for sale in the foyer.
Cheon says after an automobile¹² accident put him in the hospital for an extended time he searched for a new hobby. The recent college graduate happened to come across American music educator Mike Lynch's ukelele instructional videos on the internet and was hooked.
"When I saw his video I feel very exciting," he says. "So I want to learn myself, so I did start this instrument. This is very easy to play and I like this soft sound."
Shimabukuro notes the ukulele's mellow¹³ sound and its association with a mid-Pacific island paradise has increasingly given it an identification as the musical instrument fostering peace and global harmony.
"It's very friendly. It's inviting¹⁴. It's encouraging. It's the perfect instrument to represent peace. There are no egos¹⁵ in the ukulele world. At least, not yet anyway," he says.
And that world includes two of the world's richest men. Investor¹⁶ Warren Buffet¹⁷, who has been playing since college, says he taught Microsoft founder¹⁸ Bill Gates to play the ukulele.
But one does not need to be wealthy to pick up the instrument. It is possible to find a quality beginner's ukulele for under $100, another reason for its appeal in tough economic times.
Sales of the instrument globally are reported to have increased by one-third annually¹⁹ in the past several years.

1 derided   

v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His views were derided as old-fashioned. 他的观点被当作旧思想受到嘲弄。
• Gazing up to the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity. 我抬头疑视着黑暗，感到自己是一个被虚荣心驱使和拨弄的可怜虫。 来自辞典例句

2 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

3 virtuoso   

n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手

参考例句：

• He was gaining a reputation as a remarkable virtuoso.作为一位技艺非凡的大师，他声誉日隆。
• His father was a virtuoso horn player who belonged to the court orchestra.他的父亲是宫廷乐队中一个技巧精湛的圆号演奏家。

4 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。

5 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。

6 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 esthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的；悦目的，雅致的

参考例句：

• That armchair is comfortable but not very esthetic.那张扶手椅坐起来舒服，但不太美观。
• There are physical distance and esthetic distance between the esthetic subject and the object.审美的主客体之间有物理距离和心理距离。

9 cello   

n.大提琴

参考例句：

• The cello is a member of the violin family.大提琴是提琴家族的一员。
• She plays a melodious cello.她拉着一手悦耳的大提琴。

10 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

11 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

12 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

13 mellow   

adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟

参考例句：

• These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。
• The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。

14 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

15 egos   

自我，自尊，自负( ego的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Their egos are so easily bruised. 他们的自尊心很容易受到伤害。
• The belief in it issues from the puerile egos of inferior men. 这种信仰是下等人幼稚的自私意识中产生的。

16 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

17 buffet   

n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台

参考例句：

• Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？
• Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？

18 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

19 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。