首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese (jueshi), you may be misled into assuming that it is an aristocratic cultural for
Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese (jueshi), you may be misled into assuming that it is an aristocratic cultural for
admin
2012-04-23
27
问题
Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese (jueshi), you may be misled into assuming that it is an aristocratic cultural form. Nothing could be further from the truth. It originated among black Americans at the end of the 19th century, at a time when they occupied the very bottom of the American social heap.
So how has something that was created by a once downtrodden and despised minority acquired a central place in today’s American culture? Perhaps the essence of America is that you could never get two Americans to agree on just what that might be. After thinking about it for a while, we might chuckle and say, "Hmm, seems like being American is a bit more complicated than we thought." Certainly things like individualism, success (the "American Dream"), innovation and tolerance stand out. But these things come together because of our ability to work with one another and find common purpose no matter how diverse we might be.
Some, like African-American writer Ralph Ellison, believe that jazz captures the essence of America. For good reason, for in jazz all of the characteristics I mentioned above come together. The solos are a celebration of individual brilliance that can’t take place without the group efforts of the rhythm section. Beyond that, though, jazz has a connection to the essence of America in a much more fundamental way. It is an expression of the African roots of American culture, a musical medium that exemplifies the culture of the Africans that came to dominate much of what is American.
That’s right, in many respects America’s roots are in Africa. Read Ralph Ellison’s perceptive description of the transformation of separate African and European cultures at the hands of the slaves:
"... the dancing of those slaves who, looking through the windows of a plantation manor house from the yard, imitated the steps so gravely performed by the masters within and then added to them their own special flair, burlesquing the white folks and then going on to force the steps into a choreography uniquely their own. The whites, looking out at the activity in the yard, thought that they were being flattered by imitation and were amused by the incongruity of tattered blacks dancing courtly steps, while missing completely the fact that before their eyes a European cultural form was becoming Americanized, undergoing a metamorphosis through the mocking activity of a people partially sprung from Africa." Jazz brought together elements from Africa and Europe, fusing them into a new culture, an expression unique to the Americas.
Out of this fusion came an idea that we Americans believe central to our identity: tolerance. Both cultures represented in Ellison’s passage eventually came to realize each other’s value. Americans acknowledge that in diversity is our strength. We learn every day that other cultures and peoples may make valuable contributions to our way of life. Jazz music is the embodiment of this ideal, combining elements from African and European culture into a distinctly American music.
Jazz reflects two contradictory facets of American life. On the one hand it is a team effort, where every musician is completely immersed in what the group does together, listening to each of the other players and building on their contributions to create a musical whole. On the other hand, the band features a soloist who is an individual at the extreme, a genius like Charlie Parker who explores musical territory where no one has ever gone before. In the same sense, American life is also a combination of teamwork and individualism, a combination of individual brilliance with the ability to work with others.
This passage is mainly about
选项
A、Jazz and its history.
B、Jazz and the soul of Africa.
C、Jazz and its prospects.
D、Jazz and the soul of America.
答案
D
解析
文章的第1段说爵士乐的起源,而第2—7段都是围绕着爵士乐何以进入美国文化的主流地位而展开,其中第3段第1句指出了爵士乐抓住了美国的精髓,后面几段都是结合美国精髓来说明爵士乐成为主流文化的原因,故文章主要是关于爵士乐和美国精髓,选D。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/RijYFFFM
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
Britain’seastmidlandswereoncethepictureofEnglishcountryside,alivewithflocks,shepherds,skylarksandbuttercupsthe
TheImportanceofQuestionsFornon-nativespeakersofEnglishwhowanttoparticipateingroupdiscussions,itis’important
Outinthestreetatlast,themanstoppedrunningandlookedbackatthestepsofthegallery.Thewomanwasnotfollowinghim.
GroupSpecifically,"group"isacollectionofpeoplewhointeractwitheachotherovertimetoaccomplishacommongoal.The
A、strongwin&andlackofwaterB、rapideconomicgrowthC、lockeddoorsandwindowsD、overcrowdedpeopleD
IntheUnitedStates,charterschoolsprovidealternativesto"regular"publicschools.Unlikemostpublicschools,chartersdon
IntheUnitedStates,charterschoolsprovidealternativesto"regular"publicschools.Unlikemostpublicschools,chartersdon
Whichofthefollowingistheworld’soldestnationalnewspaper?
Chomsky’s______hypothesisisbasedonhisobservationsthatsomeimportantfactscanneverbeotherwiseexplainedadequatelys
NoamChomskyisa(n)______linguist.
随机试题
下列各项措施中可以减小随机误差的是()
影响藻酸盐印模材料凝固时间的因素除了
在爱牙日社区口腔健康咨询中人们提出了不少问题.口腔预防保健人员进行了认真分析.策划在不同人群中开展口腔健康教育活动。根据我国具体情况.残疾人的口腔保健应从以下几个方面进行.除外
在治疗痢疾上,提出通因通用的治痢原则的医家是()
位于胫骨内侧髁下缘凹陷中的腧穴是
房地产抵押权人对抵押房地产享有的权利不包括:()。
中国证券登记结算有限责任公司为投资者开立证券账户而委托的开户代理机构包括()。Ⅰ.证券公司Ⅱ.商业银行Ⅲ.中国证券登记结算有限责任公司境外B股结算会员Ⅳ.证券交易所
《物业管理条例》规定建设单位制定业主临时公约的时间为()。
教师的个性、情绪、健康以及处理人际关系的品质等统称为教师的________。
三角形对于平面相当于()对于()
最新回复
(
0
)