托福阅读素材：美国人的音乐爱好.doc

托福阅读素材：美国人的音乐爱好 美国人对音乐的爱好是什么？他们更加喜欢什么音乐呢？跟随小编一起来看看相关的素材的背景知识！ 　　James Fenimore Cooper, an early American writer, once said, The Americans are almost ignorant of the art of music. If that was once true, you would never know it today. Most Americans——even those without a musical bone in their bodies——have a favorite style of music. Many people enjoy classical and folk music from around the world. But other popular music styles in America were made in the U.S.A. 　　一位美国早期的作家柯柏(James Fenimore Cooper)曾说：「美国人对音乐艺术几乎可以说是相当的无知。」如果这话曾经是事实，今日你绝不会这么认为了。大部份的美国人，甚至包括那些没有音乐细胞的人，都有自己喜爱的音乐型态。许多人喜欢世界各国的古典音乐和民俗音乐，然而美国其它的流行音乐则是「在美国制造」的。 　　Country and western music lies close to the heart of many Americans. This style originated among country folks in the southern and western United States. Country music tells down-to-earth stories about love and lifes hardships. Guitars, banjos and violins——also known as fiddles——give country music its characteristic sound. The home of country music is Nashville, Tennessee——Music City U.S.A. Country music even has its own theme park called Opryland where you can enjoy music shows and fun rides. The Grand Ole Opry, the oldest radio show in the United States, broadcasts country music live from Opryland every weekend. 　　乡村和西部音乐深得很多美国人的人心，这种型态的音乐起源于美国南部和西部的乡村小民们。乡村音乐传述着真实不加渲染的爱情故事和生活中的艰难。吉他、五弦琴和小提琴(violin又名fiddle)可弹奏出乡村音乐的特殊音色。乡村音乐的发源地是田纳西州的纳许维尔市——美国的音乐城市。而乡村音乐甚至还有它自己的主题乐园——Opryland呢!在那儿你可以享受音乐表演以及好玩的游乐设施。美国最老牌的广播节目「The Grand Ole Opry」每个周末都实况播放Opryland的音乐。 　　Jazz music, developed by African-Americans in the late 1800s, allows performers to freely express their emotions and musical skill. Instead of just playing the melody, jazz musicians improvise different tunes using the same chords. The peak of jazz music came in the 1920s, known as The Jazz Era. This period produced musicians like Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington. These musicians later created the big band sounds of the 1930s. Different styles of jazz developed in different cities