美國人對於音樂的喜愛與熟知幾乎是全世界聞名的。爲什麼?下面，我們走進這篇英語聽力短文去了解一下吧。
American's Music Taste
美國人的音樂品味
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.”
一位美國早期的作家柯柏曾說:"美國人對音樂藝術幾乎可 以說是相當的無知，”如果這話曾經是事實，今日你絕不會這麼認爲了。大部份的美國人，甚至包括那些沒有音樂細胞的人,都有自己喜愛的音樂形態。許多人喜歡世界各國的古典音樂和民俗音樂，然而美國其它的流行音樂則是“在美國製造”的。
The 1950s saw the development of an explosive new music style: rock ‘n’ roll. Performers like Elvis Presley and songs like Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” made rock music widely popular. This powerful music style addresses issues like love, sex, drugs, politics and death. Often it rebels against the accepted values of society. Rook concerts, featuring loud music and sometimes weird stage acts, have become a major part of American youth culture. Music videos on television have spread the message of rock to the far comers of the globe.
五零年代見證了一種爆炸性新樂風的發展:搖滾樂。像貓 王這樣的歌手以及像哈利的這樣的歌,使搖滾音樂普遍地受到歡迎。這種極具震撼力的音樂形態探討了愛情、性、吸毒、政治及死亡等的主題。它常常叛離社會所接受的價值標準。標榜大聲的音樂、甚至怪異的舞臺表演的搖滾音樂會，已成爲美國年輕人文化主要的一部分。而MTV已將這股搖滾的風潮傳到世界最遠的角落了。
And the beat goes on. Pop music represents popular styles — like the music of Karen Carpenter — that have wide appeal. “Golden oldies” from the past bring back pleasant memories for many. Rapmusic, which burst onto the music scene in the 1970s, is actually more like a rhyming chant. Rappers give a strong — sometimes vulgar — message about life in the streets.
音樂的節奏繼續延伸下去。通俗樂代表了受大衆喜愛的音 樂風格,像卡朋特兄妹的音樂即吸引廣大的'羣衆。這些過去歲月中的遺留下來的“黃金老歌”，爲許多人帶來愉快的回憶。饒舌音樂在七零年代快速躍上音樂的舞臺，它事實上很像是極 具節奏性的唱話。饒舌歌手傳達出強烈、有時是低俗的街頭生活信息。
Americans have always been a religious people, and music has long been a part of their religious experience, as well. From colonial days, hymns and praise songs have enhanced worship. Negro spirituals, such as “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” reflect hope in God in the midst of suffering. Today’s Christian styles fit all musical tastes — from country to jazz to pop to rock to rap.
美國人一向是相當宗教性的民族，而音樂長期以來也是他們宗教經驗中的一部份。自殖民時期開始，詩歌和讚美詩都 提升了敬拜的層次。像“無人知道我的困難”這樣的黑人靈歌，反映出苦難中對上帝的盼望。今天的基督教音樂包含了各式 的樂風——從鄉村、到爵士、到通俗、到搖滾、再到饒舌歌。
In America, music is a shared experience. People grow up with piano lessons, chorus classes and marching band practices. They can talk about their tastes in music when there isn’t anything else to talk about. If James Fenimore Cooper were here today, he would surely have to change his tune.
在美國，音樂是一種大家共有的經驗。人們在鋼琴課、合 唱課程和參與遊行樂隊的演練經驗中成長。當無話可談的時候，他們就可以談談自己對音樂的喜好。如果今天柯柏還在世 的話，他就得改變他的論調了。
