随身英语
The Homeless DJ 无家可归的DJ
收听与下载
Here is a heart-warming story to help you fight the freezing weather.
Two weeks ago, Ted Williams was homeless and begging for change on the streets of Columbus in Ohio, USA. Now his fortunes have been reversed because Mr Williams has that most valued of commodities, a natural 'radio voice'.
His rags-to-riches journey started when a reporter with the Columbus Dispatch discovered Mr Williams on a street corner. The 53-year-old was holding a cardboard sign explaining that he was an ex-radio announcer "fallen on hard times".
The reporter videoed Ted Williams doing a radio spot right there on the street corner. He had exactly the sort of mellifluous voice that typifies American radio adverts – unusually smooth, rich and commanding.
The video also featured a mini-interview with Williams, who was known in the local homeless community as 'Radio Man'. He told the Columbus Dispatch:
"The voice just became something of a development over the years and I went to school for it. And then alcohol and drugs and a few other things became a part of my life."
The video went viral on the internet and within days Mr Williams was appearing on chat shows, introducing NBC's Today Show and signing a contract to be the voice of the company Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Since then, there have even been rumours of a possible film role for 'Golden Voice'.
This being an American fairy tale, everything has been captured on camera, even Ted Williams' tearful reunion with his 90-year-old mother. He told her, "This reunion means more to me than anything I've been offered."
She offered her son some tough love, saying: "Please don't disappoint me."
Ted Williams has been clean for two years, but some commentators fear that so much sudden media attention could be too much for anyone. Let's hope that Ted Williams' American dream has a happy ending.
Glossary 词汇表 (收听发音, 请单击英语单词)
- heart-warming暖人心房的
- to beg for change乞讨零钱
- fortunes... reversed乾坤大扭转
- commodity有用的东西
- rags-to-riches白手起家的
- announcer播音员
- to fall on hard times遭遇不幸
- radio spot广播广告
- mellifluous甜美的,悦耳的
- advert广告
- rich深沉的
- commanding有力的
- school大学
- to go viral像病毒一样传播开来
- this being因为这是
- fairy tale童话
- tearful泪流满面的,使人流泪的
- tough love严厉的爱
- to be clean戒毒
- American dream美国梦