美国名人 女歌手 演员 艾萨·凯特.docx

美国名人女歌手演员艾萨凯特EarthaKittz1927-2008:Singer,Actressand“Catwoman”playstopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:41repeat51VOA.COMmSteveEmber.AndmBarbaraKleinwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellabouttheunforgettableentertainerEarthaKitt.Thelifeofthissingerandactresswasasrichandinterestingashercareer.(Music:"CestSiBon")"C,estSiBon,"or',lt'sSoGood"inFrench,wasoneofEarthaKitt'sfirsthitsongs.SherecordeditintheearlynineteenfiftiesafterperformingitinaBroadwayshow.ButEarthaKitt'slifewasnotalwayssogood.Shehadaverydifficultchildhoodalthoughinformationaboutherearlyhistoryislimited.EarthaMaeKeithwasbornintoaPOorZruralfamilyinSouthCarolinainnineteentwenty-seven.Somereportssayshewasthechildofrape.HermotherwasofAfricanandCherokeeIndianancestry.Herfatherwasawhitefarmer.WhenEarthawaseight,hermothermarried.ThehusbanddidnotwantEarthatolivewiththembecauseofhermixedrace.EarthaKittsaidhecalledher"yellowgal."EarthawassenttoNewYorkCitytolivewithanauntintheAfrican-AmericanneighborhoodofHarlem.Therelationshipwasdifficult.TheaunthelpedpayforpianoanddancelessonsforEartha.Butshealsobeatthegirl.Earthawouldrunawayafterbeatings.(Music:"GodBlessTheChild")EarthaKittlivedonthestreetsandworkedinafactoryasayoungteenager.Butshekeptupherdancelessons.OnedayshedecidedtotryoutforafamousAfrican-Americandancecompany.SoonzEarthawasperforminginshowsaroundtheworldwiththeKatherineDunhamDanceTroupe.InPariszEarthaleftthedancecompanytosinginanightclub.Hervoicewasunusual-butveryappealing.ShelearnedFrenchquicklyandgainedFrenchfans.(Music:"JeChercheUnHomme")ThefilmdirectorOrsonWellesdiscoveredEarthaKittsinginginParis.Hecalledher"themostexcitingwomanintheworld."Wellesaskedhertoplayaleadpartinaplayhewasdirectingandstarringin.EarthaKittreturnedtoNewYorkandappearedintheBroadwayshow"NewFacesofNineteenFifty-Two."Ahumoroussongshesangaboutabored,spoiledwomanbecamefamous.Hereis"Monotonous."(MUSIC)Shesoonsignedarecordingagreementwitharecordcompany.EarthaKitt'ssongswerealldaring,especiallyforthenineteenfifties.SheevenmadeasexyChristmassong."SantaBaby,"becameKitt'sbiggesthit.(MUSIC)EarthaKitt'sfirstroleinafilmwasinthenineteenfifty-sevenmovie"MarkoftheHawk"withNatKingCole.Kittwasverycarefulaboutchoosingherrolesinfilms.Sherejectedpartsthatwerenotrespectfultopeopleofcolor.Shesaidifherchoiceswerebaditwouldnothelptheblackactorswhocameafterher."HelloPierreThisisCatwoman.C-A-T-W-O-M-A-N."PIERRE:"QuelleestIaproblem,FemmeChat?""BatmanjustcaughtJokerandmeinthemiddleofarobbery.',Innineteensixty-sevenzEarthaKittgotthepartofCatwomanonthepopulartelevisionseries"Batman."Fanslovedthespecialwaysherolledher"r"stocreateasoundlikeacat.SheappearedonjustthreeshowsbutwasanunforgettableCatwoman."Whatnow?""You'reonyourwaytoprison,Catwoman.Willyouneverlearnthatyoucannotoutwitthelaw?""MaybeonedayIwillzBatman.Purr-haps."Innineteensixty-eightEarthaKittwasinvitedtotheWhiteHouse.President1.yndonJohnsonwasinofficeandtheVietnamWarwasanissueofnationaldispute.Thepresident'swife,1.adyBirdJohnson,invitedseveralwomentoaluncheontodiscusstheproblemofcrimescommittedbyyoungpeople.EarthaKittsaidtheFirst1.adyaskedherwhyshethoughttherewassomuchyouthcrimeinAmerica.EarthaKittsaid:"Yousendthebestofthiscountryofftobeshotandmaimed.Theyrebelinthestreets.Theywilltakepotandtheywillgethigh.Theydon'twanttogotoschoolbecausetheywillbesnatchedofffromtheirmotherstobeshotinVietnam."ThosecommentsdestroyedKitt'scareerinAmericaforalongtime.1.ateitwasdiscoveredthatPresidentJohnsonhadimmediatelyorderedgovernmentagentstoinvestigatetheperformer.Kittsaidshewas"blacklisted."NooneintheAmericanentertainmentindustrywouldemployher.Forabouttenyears,shecouldonlyfindworkinothercountries.InthemidnineteenseventiesEarthaKittslowlybegantorebuildhercareerinAmerica.Shewoncriticalpraiseforaconcertinnineteenseventy-fouratCarnegieHallinNewYork.Innineteenseventy-eight,PresidentJimmyCarteraskedEarthaKittbacktotheWhiteHouse.Thatsameyear,shewasnominatedforaTnyawardasbestactressinthemusical"Timbuktu!"Innineteenninety-four,EarthaKittreleasedthealbum"BackInBusiness".ItwasnominatedforaGrammy.Shewassixty-sixyearsold.ShereceivedanotherTonynomination,threeEmmysandotherhonorsintheyearsthatfollowed.Andshecontinuedsinginginsmallclubsuntilthelastyearofherlife.(Music:"1.et'sDoIt")EarthaKittwasalsoamotherandgrandmother.ShemarriedbusinessmanWilliamO'Donaldinnineteensixtyandgavebirthtotheirdaughter,Kitt,thesameyear.EarthaKittsaidherdaughterwashergreatestjoyinlife.Shesaidshetookhereverywherehercareerwent.EarthaKittsaidherownexperiencesasachildleftheradividedperson.HerrealselfwasnotEarthaKittbutEarthaMae,achildgivenawaybyhermother."Rejectionhasalwaysmademeintoapersonthatdoesnotwanttobeseenanywhere,exceptwhenmallmadeupandgooutasEarthaKitt.ThenIfeelokay."AndwherewasEarthaMaemostherself?',mathome,digginginthedirt,ordoingsomethingthatisveryclosetotheEarth,becausethat'swhereIknowhowtosurvive."(MUSIC:"Here1STo1.ife")EarthaMaeKittwasathomewhenshediedonDecembertwentyfifth,twothousandeight.Thecausewascoloncancer.Shewaseighty-one.ThisprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyCatyWeaver.Fortranscripts,mBarbaraKlein.AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.ByCatyWeaver