01. Elvis Presley - Part 1







1. Welcome to PEOPLE IN AMERICA, a program in VOA Special English. Today Rich Kleinfeldt and Steve Ember tell about one of America’s most popular singers, Elvis Presley.

2. That song, “Hound Dog” was one of Elvis Presley’s most popular records.  It sold five million copies in nineteen fifty-six.  Music industry experts say more than one thousand million of Elvis’s recordings have sold throughout the world.  He was a success in many different kinds of music -- popular, country, religious, and rhythm and blues.

3. Elvis Presley won many awards from nations all over the world, yet he did not record in any language other than English.  He never performed outside the United States, except for three shows in Canada.  Yet, his recordings and films have been, and are stillenjoyed by people all over the world.

4. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in the southern town of Tupelo, Mississippi on January eighth, nineteen thirty-five.  His family was extremely poor.  During his childhood, he sang in church with his parents

5. He also listened to music that influenced his later singing, including country, rhythm and blues, and religious music.  Elvis and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was thirteen.

6. After high school, he had several jobs, including driving a truck.  In nineteen fifty-three, he made his first recording of this song, “My Happiness”:

7. Elvis Presley recorded the song at the Memphis Recording Service.  The story is that he paid four dollars to make a recording for his mother.  A woman who worked at the public recording studio had another job with a local independent record company called Sun Records.  She made a second recording of Elvis’s songs because she thought the owner of Sun Records should hear him sing.

8. The owner of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, had been looking for a white performer who could sing black rhythm and blues.  He suggested Elvis work with a guitar player and a bass player.  Several months later Mister Phillipsagreed to have the group make a record.  It was released on July nineteenth, nineteen fifty-four.  One of the songs was “That’s All Right”:

9. The record sold well in Memphis, and was played a lot on local radio stations.  To let others hear Elvis, Sam Phillips organized a series of performances at country fairs in the area. 

10. One of the people who heard Elvis perform at these shows was Colonel Tom Parker.  Elvis signed an agreement that Colonel Parker would organize his appearances.

11. One of Elvis’ first new recordings became a huge hit, and led to his many appearances on television.  It was “Heartbreak Hotel”:

12. By the middle of the nineteen fifties, Elvis Presley was known around the world as the young man who moved his hips in a sexual way as he sang rock and roll music.  Many adults said he and his music were bad influences on young people.  Young women loved him.  Huge crowds attended his performances.

13. He made his first movie in nineteen fifty-six.  It was  “Love Me Tender.” The title song was a big hit.



  Passar as frases abaixo para o Inglês
1. Elvis ganhou muitos prêmios de nações de todo o mundo, porém ele não gravou em nenhuma língua a não ser Inglês
2. Ele foi um secesso em muitos tipos diferentes de música e seus álbuns tem vendido por todo o mundo
3. Durante sua infância, Elvis cantava na igreja com seus pais. Após o colégio, ele teve vários empregos, incluindo dirigir um caminhão
4. Uma das primeiras gravações de Elvis tornou-se um imenso sucesso e levou à suas muitas aparições na TV
5. Em meados dos anos 50, Elvis era conhecido ao redor do mundo como o jovem que movia seus quadris de uma maneira sexual enquanto ele cantava rock and roll

Vocabulary
  1. “Hound Dog” = cão de caça
  2. “That’s All Right”: = está tudo bem
  3. a lot = muito, bastante
  4. agreed = concordou
  5. agreement = acordo
  6. Also = também (no meio da frase)
  7. appearances = aparições
  8. As = enquanto
  9. attended = assistiam
  10. awards = prêmios
  11. bass player = baixista
  12. became = tornou-se
  13. By the middle of = Em meados de
  14. Childhood = infância
  15. crowds = multidões
  16. During = durante
  17. enjoyed = venerados
  18. except for = exceto por
  19. experts = especialistas
  20. fairs = feiras
  21. had been = tinha estado
  22. heard = ouviu (presente = “hear”)
  23. high school = colégio
  24. hips = quadris
  25. hit = sucesso
  26. huge = imenso
  27. jobs = empregos
  28. kinds of = tipos de
  29. known = conhecido

  1. led to = conduziu a
  2. looking for = procurando
  3. moved to = mudaram-se para
  4. movie = filme
  5. nineteen fifty-six = 1956
  6. other than = a não ser, exceto
  7. owner = dono
  8. paid = pagou (presente = “pay”)
  9. Parents = pais
  10. performed = apresentou-se
  11. played = tocado(a)
  12. Records = albuns
  13. released = lançado
  14. said = diziam (presente = “say”)
  15. Sang = cantou (presente = “sing”)
  16. several = diversos, vários
  17. should = deveria
  18. signed = assinou (presente = “sign”)
  19. sold = vendeu (presente = “sell”)
  20. still = ainda
  21. success = sucesso
  22. suggested = sugeriu
  23. tell about = falam sobre
  24. Tender = ternamente
  25. thought = achou (presente = “think”)
  26. throughout = por todo
  27. truck = caminhão
  28. was born = nasceu
  29. way = forma, maneira
  30. won = ganhou (presente = “win”)
   60.  yet = porém