美国十大偶像
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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

只要一提起他们的名字,人们就会联想到美国;不管他们愿不愿意,在其他国家人们的眼里,他们就代表着美国。
A national icon1 is someone who, by the mere2 mention of their name, will remind people of their country. Whether they like it or not, they are representatives of their nation to the rest of the world.

Top 10 : 罗纳德·里根

Ronald Reagan1

Best known for his role as the 40th President of the United States, Reagan started out as a radio announcer and Hollywood actor, having made over 50 films. He realized politics was his calling2 and in 1947 became President of the Screen Actors Guild3.

He changed his party affiliation4 from Democrat4 to Republican and was elected Governor of California in 1966. After taking over the White House in 1981, he served in this capacity5 for two terms. During those years, he showed the world what America is all about.

Best quote: "America is too great to dream small dreams."

Top9: 欧内斯特·海明威

Ernest Hemingway6

Hemingway is considered the greatest American fiction writer of the 20th century. He was an ambulance driver during World War I and a war correspondent during World War II. He wrote about his experiences as an American expatriate7 in Paris during the 1920s, hunting in Africa, and fishing off Cuba.

His direct and sparse6 way of writing became his trademark7, which has often been imitated and parodied8. His works have earned him both the Pulitzer9 and the Nobel Prize. He supposedly committed suicide while struggling with a bout10 of depression, but he still remains8 one of the most prominent literary ambassadors America has ever had.

Best quote: "All things truly wicked start from an innocence9."11

Top8: 弗兰克·西纳特拉

Frank Sinatra12

The single most popular crooner13 of all time, Frank Sinatra had early ambitions of becoming a journalist. By the time he was working as a sports reporter, a second career in singing was taking off. Before long, he was touring with a big band orchestra and embarking10 on a solo career in 1942.

He was a bona fide14 sensation, selling records faster than they could be printed. Regarded as the greatest entertainer of the 20th century, Sinatra deserves his status as an American icon.

Best quote: "A friend is never an imposition."

Top7: 詹姆斯·迪恩

James Dean15

James Dean was a kid from the Midwest. He studied acting11 and law in California but quit after getting a taste of the real thing on a TV show. He then moved to act on Broadway and got more guest appearances16 on television. His soft, unforced acting impressed both audience and producers.

He made three movies before his 1955 death in a car crash. East of Eden, Rebel without a Cause and Giant were not only critical and financial successes, but they showcased17 a new kind of actor that people had never seen before. Dean became more than an idol12; he became a legend.

Best quote: "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."

Top6: 迈克尔·乔丹

Michael Jordan

Here's a man who lives the American Dream. Originally from Brooklyn18, Michael Jordan attended the University of North Carolina and proved that he truly was the best basketball player that ever lived by taking his team to the NCAA19 championship. He was soon drafted into the NBA as a guard for the Chicago Bulls. He led his team to six league championships and won the MVP20 award five times.

Also a savvy13 businessman, Air Jordan's fortune was estimated at $408 million in 2003.

Best quote: "I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying."

Top5: 马丁·路德·金

Martin Luther King, Jr.

He had a dream. When he heard about a pacifist in India named Mahatma Gandhi21, and became enamored with22 Gandhi's methods of peaceful protest.

Openly supporting Rosa Parks23 and her refusal to relinquish14 her seat to a white bus passenger made him a target for his opponents and his house was bombed. But that just served to fuel his desire to see segregation15 terminated. He became a national advocate for civil liberties and inspired a nation to change its ways. His assassination16 in 1968 only proved that he was on the right track24.

Best quote: "If a man hasn't found something he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

Top4: 约翰·韦恩

John Wayne25

The "Duke" was forced to leave college after an injury put an end to his football playing days. He had been working odd jobs at Fox Studios when he was finally noticed by executives. After a lead role in a major production failed to make him a star, he began to appear in low-budget films.

The movie that put him on the map was 1939's Stagecoach26, directed by John Ford17, with whom Wayne would have a long professional relationship. The Duke became famous for playing tough guys in westerns and war pictures. He is the personification of the American of those days, a private and honest man of action.

Best quote: "I never trust a man that doesn't drink."

Top3: 艾尔维斯·普莱斯利(猫王)

Elvis Presley27

Since his death, he's been spotted18 at grocery stores, gas stations and diners; irrefutable evidence that his fans will love him eternally and still can't seem to accept his passing. He grew up in a poor home and taught himself how to play the guitar.

Later he recorded a song for his mother, which attracted the attention of a small-time producer. Elvis then recorded a couple of rockabilly28 singles, which became local hits. He finally shocked the nation in 1956 as a performer on The Ed Sullivan Show29--the nation had never heard, or seen, anything like it before. He will always be known as the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

Best quote: "I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to."

Top2: 玛丽莲·梦露

Marilyn Monroe30

Marilyn Monroe proved that where there's a will, there's a way. She overcame a childhood of abuse, worked as a swimsuit model, and eventually became one of the most famous movie stars of all time.

Her performances in films like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes confirmed she had as much talent as she did beauty. She even allegedly had affairs with President Kennedy and his Attorney General31, Bobby Kennedy. Her tragic19 death on August 5, 1962 was ruled a suicide by overmedication, which only intensified20 her perpetual allure21 and legendary22 status.

Best quote: "Sex is a part of nature. I go along with nature."

Top1: 约翰·肯尼迪

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Kennedy clan23 is often considered the only Royal family the United States has ever had. What makes it so is not their wealth or political role, but rather the aura of nobility surrounding them. JFK was the embodiment of this. A Navy officer during World War II, he became a senator in 1952. Nine years later, he became the 35th American president.

His term in office was often dubbed24 the New Frontier32 since it was an era of change. He put an end to segregation, established the Peace Corps33, and masterminded the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis.34

Unfortunately, he is often best remembered for his assassination in 1963. For all his youthful energy and magnetism25, he represented the quintessence of America.

Best quote: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

Notes:

1 Ronald Reagan:罗纳德·里根(1911- ),曾在艾奥瓦州电台体育节目任广播员五年,1937年成为好莱坞华纳兄弟电影公司的电影和电视演员,拍摄过50部影片,先后两次任影视演员协会主席。连任美国第49届和第50届总统(1981-1989)。

2 calling:职业,行业。

3 Screen Actors Guild:美国影视演员协会(也译作“美国演员协会”),成立于1933年。

4 affiliation3:从属关系。

5 capacity:地位,职位。

6 Ernest Hemingway:欧内斯特·海明威(1899-1961),美国小说家,获1954年诺贝尔奖。代表作有《老人与海》、《丧钟为谁而鸣》、《太阳照常升起》等,作品风格独特,文笔精练。

7 expatriate:移居国外者,背井离乡者。

8 parody26:拙劣模仿。

9 Pulitzer:即Pulitzer Prize(普利策奖),美国一年一度颁发给新闻、文学、戏剧和音乐方面优秀作品之奖,于1917年首次授奖。

10 bout5:发作。

11 所有的罪恶都始于清白。

12 Frank Sinatra:弗兰克·西纳特拉(1915-1998),美国最受欢迎的歌手之一,也是知名的演员和夜总会明星。

13 crooner:低声哼唱者,低吟歌手。

14 bona fide:<拉>真正的。

15 James Dean:詹姆斯·迪恩,好莱坞50年代当红的英俊小生。他颇具代表性地演绎出了一代人迷失方向的痛苦心态,他的穿着——T恤衫、皮夹克和牛仔裤——成了一代青年文化的标志,下文提到的三部电影分别是他主演的《伊甸之东》(1955年)、《无因的反抗》(1955年)和《巨人》(1956年)。

16 guest appearance:(友情)客串。

17 showcase:使展现,使亮相。

18 Brooklyn:布鲁克林,美国纽约市西南部的行政区名。

19 NCAA:National Collegiate Athletic27 Association,(美国)全国大学生体育协会。

20 MVP:=most valuable player, 最有价值球员。

21 Mahatma Gandhi:“圣雄”甘地(1869-1948),印度民族解放运动领袖,印度国大党主席[1925-1934],首倡“非暴力抵抗”,多次发动反英“不合作”运动,领导争取印度独立的斗争,印度独立[1947]后,被印度教极右分子暗杀。Mahatma: (印度或中国西藏的)圣人,伟人。

22 be enamored with/of:倾心……,对……迷恋。

23 Rosa Parks:罗莎·帕克斯,民权先锋。1955年黑人妇女罗莎·帕克斯因为在公共汽车上拒绝给一名白人乘客让座而遭逮捕,这件事激起广大黑人民众的义愤。在马丁·路德·金等黑人领袖的组织下,黑人民众展开了声势浩大的抵制公共汽车运动。

24 on the right track:循着正确的路线,表示“做得对”。

25 John Wayne:约翰·韦恩(1907-1979),著名的西部牛仔明星,素有“公爵”之称,他在银幕上所表现的质朴敦厚与刚毅不屈也成为美国精神的代表,曾凭《大地惊雷》获奥斯卡最佳男主角奖,是20世纪30-70年代的十大卖座巨星之一。

26 由著名西部片导演约翰·福特执导的影片《驿站马车》。

27 Elvis Presley:“猫王”艾尔维斯·普莱斯利,美国著名摇滚歌手,20世纪美国流行音乐最重要的人物之一。

28 rockabilly:<美> 山区乡村摇滚乐(起源于美国东南部)。

29 The Ed Sullivan Show:“爱德·沙利文秀”,20世纪50-60年代美国最有名的电视综艺节目。

30 Marilyn Monroe:玛丽莲·梦露(1926-1962),美国历史上最成功的电影明星之一,主演过下文提到的《绅士们喜欢金发女郎》(1953年)以及《怎样嫁个百万富翁》(1954年)、《七年之痒》(1955年)和《有人爱热闹》(1959年)等影片。

31 Attorney General:<美>司法部长。

32 New Frontier:“新边疆”政策(时期)。“新边疆”政策系肯尼迪提出的施政方针。

33 Peace Corps:〈美〉和平队,由志愿人员组成的美国政府代表机构,成立于1961年,前往发展中国家提供技术服务。

34 mastermind:策划; the Cuban Missile Crisis:古巴导弹危机。1962年10月22日,美国总统肯尼迪宣布武装封锁古巴,要求苏联从古巴撤出进攻性武器,并威胁不惜使用武力,形成战争一触即发之势。经过与苏联多次斡旋、协商,最终以苏联从古巴运走武器和美国取消对古巴的海上封锁告终。



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 icon JbxxB     
n.偶像,崇拜的对象,画像
参考例句:
  • They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
  • Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。
2 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
3 affiliation MKnya     
n.联系,联合
参考例句:
  • There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似,但我们之间并没有关系。
  • The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。
4 democrat Xmkzf     
n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员
参考例句:
  • The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
  • About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后,他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。
5 bout Asbzz     
n.侵袭,发作;一次(阵,回);拳击等比赛
参考例句:
  • I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
  • That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。
6 sparse SFjzG     
adj.稀疏的,稀稀落落的,薄的
参考例句:
  • The teacher's house is in the suburb where the houses are sparse.老师的家在郊区,那里稀稀拉拉有几处房子。
  • The sparse vegetation will only feed a small population of animals.稀疏的植物只够喂养少量的动物。
7 trademark Xndw8     
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。
8 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
9 innocence ZbizC     
n.无罪;天真;无害
参考例句:
  • There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
  • The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。
10 embarking 7f8892f8b0a1076133045fdfbf3b8512     
乘船( embark的现在分词 ); 装载; 从事
参考例句:
  • He's embarking on a new career as a writer. 他即将开始新的职业生涯——当一名作家。
  • The campaign on which were embarking was backed up by such intricate and detailed maintenance arrangemets. 我们实施的战争,须要如此复杂及详细的维护准备。
11 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
12 idol Z4zyo     
n.偶像,红人,宠儿
参考例句:
  • As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子,他是父母的宠儿。
  • Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。
13 savvy 3CkzV     
v.知道,了解;n.理解能力,机智,悟性;adj.有见识的,懂实际知识的,通情达理的
参考例句:
  • She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
  • Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了?
14 relinquish 4Bazt     
v.放弃,撤回,让与,放手
参考例句:
  • He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
  • They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。
15 segregation SESys     
n.隔离,种族隔离
参考例句:
  • Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初,许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
  • They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。
16 assassination BObyy     
n.暗杀;暗杀事件
参考例句:
  • The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
  • Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年,林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。
17 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
18 spotted 7FEyj     
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
参考例句:
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
19 tragic inaw2     
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
参考例句:
  • The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
  • Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。
20 intensified 4b3b31dab91d010ec3f02bff8b189d1a     
v.(使)增强, (使)加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
  • The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 allure 4Vqz9     
n.诱惑力,魅力;vt.诱惑,引诱,吸引
参考例句:
  • The window displays allure customers to buy goods.橱窗陈列品吸引顾客购买货物。
  • The book has a certain allure for which it is hard to find a reason.这本书有一种难以解释的魅力。
22 legendary u1Vxg     
adj.传奇(中)的,闻名遐迩的;n.传奇(文学)
参考例句:
  • Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
  • Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。
23 clan Dq5zi     
n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派
参考例句:
  • She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
  • The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以,中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。
24 dubbed dubbed     
v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 );把…称为;配音;复制
参考例句:
  • Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
  • Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的? 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 magnetism zkxyW     
n.磁性,吸引力,磁学
参考例句:
  • We know about magnetism by the way magnets act.我们通过磁铁的作用知道磁性是怎么一回事。
  • His success showed his magnetism of courage and devotion.他的成功表现了他的胆量和热诚的魅力。
26 parody N46zV     
n.打油诗文,诙谐的改编诗文,拙劣的模仿;v.拙劣模仿,作模仿诗文
参考例句:
  • The parody was just a form of teasing.那个拙劣的模仿只是一种揶揄。
  • North Korea looks like a grotesque parody of Mao's centrally controlled China,precisely the sort of system that Beijing has left behind.朝鲜看上去像是毛时代中央集权的中国的怪诞模仿,其体制恰恰是北京方面已经抛弃的。
27 athletic sOPy8     
adj.擅长运动的,强健的;活跃的,体格健壮的
参考例句:
  • This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
  • He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。
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