一起聽英語 42 龐克音樂

龐克(一種搖滾樂，自70年代末期起流行，是對傳統(tǒng)的反叛)

Callum: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Callum Robertson and with me

today is Rosie, hello Rosie.

Rosie: Hello

Callum: A question about age Rosie which I hope is not too personal. Do you remember

the 1970s?

Rosie: I'm afraid that I don't because I wasn't born until 1983!

Callum: That makes me feel very, very old because I do remember the 1970s and I

remember them quite well. Now although it happened before you were born

there was a very lively, aggressive style of music that became popular in the

late 1970s. Do you know what that was?

Rosie: Was it punk?

Callum: It was punk indeed. Last week one of the most important figures in British

punk music died. Malcolm McLaren was the manager of The Sex Pistols, the

group who shocked the British establishment in 1976 and 1977. In today's

programme we're going to find out a little about Malcolm McLaren who is

generally seen to be the father or perhaps the godfather of British punk. First, a

question for you Rosie. The lead singer of the group "The Sex Pistols" was

John Lydon, but what was his stage name, was it:

a: Johnny Awful

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010

Page 2 of 5

b: Johnny Rotten, or

c: Johnny Terrible

Rosie: Well I'm pretty sure it was b: Johnny Rotten

Callum: Well we'll find out if you're right later on in the programme. The Sex Pistols

were perhaps the most iconic punk band and as I said they were managed by

Malcolm McLaren. What kind of person was Malcolm McLaren? The BBC

interviewed music journalist Neil Spencer. Neil was one of the first journalists

to see and write about the Sex Pistols back in the 1970s.

This is what he said about McLaren. He uses four different expressions to

describe his personality. How many can you identify? Here's Neil Spencer

talking to the BBC by phone.

Neil Spencer

Malcolm was a real charmer. I mean, he once said 'the media is my lover' and he knew how to

play the media. He was a total spieler, incredibly articulate and he was very well educated.

Callum: That was quite short, let's listen again and remember, try to identify the four

different ways he describes Malcolm McLaren.

Neil Spencer

Malcolm was a real charmer. I mean, he once said 'the media is my lover' and he knew how to

play the media. He was a total spieler, incredibly articulate and he was very well educated.

Callum: So Rosie, did you catch the different expressions Neil used there?

Rosie: Well, first he called Malcolm "a real charmer". A real charmer.

Callum: A real charmer. And what is a real charmer?

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010

Page 3 of 5

Rosie: Well it comes from the word 'charm', which is the word for a special quality

that some people have that makes them very likeable. Their personality is very

attractive.

Callum: Do you think it's a positive expression? If someone described you, for example,

as a real charmer, would you be pleased or disappointed?

Rosie: Well, I know I can charm people, but I don't use it all the time.

Callum: So charm is something that people can turn on and turn off, do you think?

Rosie: Yes, yes, I think so.

Callum: How else did Neil Spencer describe Malcolm McLaren?

Rosie: Well, he also called him 'a total spieler' – a spieler.

Callum: That's an interesting word. What is a spieler?

Rosie: A spiel, spelt s – p – i – e – l, is a word for a talk or presentation. It's often used

in a kind of negative way to describe a speech that perhaps doesn't have real

importance but is designed to sell something, like an advertising spiel, for

example So a 'spieler', as Malcom McLaren is described, is someone who is a

bit of a salesman, but a good one.

Callum: Spiel, it's not an English word, is it? The 'sh' sound at the beginning with the

spelling 'sp' is not really common in English words, is it.

Rosie: Like many words we use in English it has been 'borrowed'. I believe it's

originally a German word, the word for play, but the word was used in Yiddish

with the meaning we have in English.

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010

Page 4 of 5

Callum: So it's come from German through Yiddish now we use it in English.

Rosie: Yes.

Callum: There were two more expressions used by Neil Spencer about Malcolm

McLaren.

Rosie: Yes, he called him 'incredibly articulate', articulate. If someone is articulate it

means they have a very good command of the language. They are able to

express themselves clearly and effectively. He also said that he was very-well

educated.

Callum: So let's recap those expressions. We had a total charmer, a real spieler,

incredibly articulate, and very well educated. Let's listen to that short

description from music journalist Neil Spencer again.

Neil Spencer

"Malcolm was a real charmer. I mean, he once said 'the media is my lover' and he knew how

to play the media. He was a total spieler, incredibly articulate and he was very well educated."

Callum: So Rosie, from that description, do you think Neil has a positive view of

Malcolm McLaren?

Rosie: Yes, I think so. He makes him sound like a very good salesman, someone very

clever who could also often get what he wanted but very charming at the same

time.

Callum: Well thank you very much Rosie. Now the answer to the question we had at the

beginning of the programme. Malcolm McLaren managed the punk band the

Sex Pistols. Their front man's real name was John Lydon, but what was his

stage name. Was it:

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010

Page 5 of 5

a: Johnny Awful

b: Johnny Rotten, or

c: Johnny Terrible

Rosie, you said …

Rosie: I said b: Johnny Rotten.

Callum: And of course you are right. John Lydon's stage name was Johnny Rotten.

Well that's all we have time for in today's programme but do join us again next

time for another 6 Minute English. Goodbye.

Rosie: Goodbye.