The Soul of Afro-American Culture——Afro-American Music英语论文.doc

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1、The Soul of Afro-American CultureAfro-American Music Abstract: Afro-American culture is one of the most important parts of American culture, which, though a non-mainstream culture, makes a great impact on the mainstream culture in America, and even all over the world. Afro-American culture is endowe

2、d with unique charm by its African factors. Music and dance, the soul of Afro-American culture, are the leading fashion, and play an important role in the international fashion circle. Afro-Americans have inherent talent for music and dance, and since they settle down in this new land, the arduous a

3、nd bitter lives give them more inspiration to create many outstanding music and dance. Afro-American music and dance are unique with Afro-American root instead of an appendage of the mainstream culture, and truly demonstrate the history and social life of Afro-Americans. And the uniqueness of Afro-A

4、merican music and dance is the root of the popularity of Afro-American culture. The paper aims at the exploration of the social lives of Afro-Americans through an analysis of Afro-American music and dance.Key Words: Afro-Americans culture; Soul; Music; Dance; Mainstream1.IntroductionAlthough Afro-Am

5、erican music originated from Africa, it developed and hit in America. In American music circle, except country music and Rock &Roll, most types of American music originated from Afro-American music. Blues, as one type of Afro-American music, had a wide effect on the music circle, and it was based on

6、 the work song of black slaves. With the development of the society, Blues met various challenges, and then some new styles emerged, such as Jazz, which was famous even now. It gestated the later music form in America. There was no doubt that Blues and Jazz were the most important styles in music ci

7、rcle, and they had immeasurable impacts on international pop music. Spiritual song, which was the production of gospel, had inconceivable impression on people, and touched their heart and their soul. In the current international music circles, R&B and Hip-Hop were the undoubted mainstream, which wer

8、e also the main styles of Afro-American music. Therefore, Afro-American music was always the core of American music, and also the leading fashionable factor, which dominated the international pop music. 2.A. The Popular Afro-American MusicBy the early 1900s, Blues, which was influenced by African Am

9、erican spirituals, ballads, and work songs, had emerged as a category separate from folk. Because of sufferings from the oppression of the while people, the original style of Afro-American music was full of grief and plaintiveness, which was the keynote of Blues. Blues belonged to the folk music of

10、the black people, which came from the south of America, especially the Mississippi Delta. Now, nobody knows the exact time of its forming, but generally this kind of grieved melody followed the first group of black slaves to the new land. In the beginning, the slaves who lived in the south just got

11、the inspiration from their African ancestors, and got the themes of Blues from their everyday life. Although its always so dolorous that it could moved everyone, the slaves just took it as one of the methods to express their feelings in the heart, but not as the way to get others sympathy. It was ow

12、ing to this kind of attitude and purpose that Blues had such a strong vitality.3.B. The Essence of Afro-American MusicDuring the history of struggles of Afro-Americans, they dreamed to get a better prospect under new circumstances and with the social progress, but were disappointed with social reali

13、ty. They got rid of oppression of planters, but suffered the exploitation by capitalists once again. They got less improvement in their living condition and status. They were always the grass root in America. They could not afford the entertainments of the mainstream society, so they created their o

14、wn ways to enjoy themselves. In that way, Blues, Jazz, Rap & Hip-Hop emerged. These pop styles of music reflected the feelings and desires. Afro-Americans took themselves as one composition of American society, they wanted more equal rights and respect; they desired to get identity by the white peop

15、le; they expected to make improvements in their lives. They still struggled for what they desire. Just like Martin Luther King, Jr. claimed that they have a dreamdream to be treated fairly. Although Afro-American music suffered exclusion and suppression initially, their emotional style and free spir

16、it became the power of the popularity of Afro-American music, which was just the soul of Afro-American culture. Because of its unique charm, Afro-American music entered the mainstream society, and got identified. The Afro-American culture spread its influence by the popularity of its music. As a mat

17、ter of fact, the culture reflected incompatible consciousness of Afro-Americans. There was a double-consciousness for them: they were Black people, but most important they were Americans. So they wanted to get self-identify from the society, and their culture gave the way to fulfill it. Therefore, o

18、n one side, Afro-American culture put emphasizes on Blackness; they pursued the independence of their culture by esteeming the soul and tradition of the culture of the black people; on the other side, they absorbed more meaningful elements from the mainstream. In a word, Afro-American culture was no

19、t a pure African culture, but the blending of Black peoples culture and American culture under the new circumstances, which was root of the popularity of Afro-American culture and its charm. 4.ConclusionAfro-American people had inherent talent to sing and dance, just as their ancestors in Africa, an

20、d they used verbal or the oral tradition to convey their history. Back in the days when slaves were sailed to the new land, they were far away from their hometown, and they were not allowed to use their own languages. The pitiful slaves were cut from their roots; accordingly music and dance became t

21、he only links with Africa and their native culture. They integrated their own traditional culture with the culture in this new land, and developed a new culture Afro-American culture, which contributed to the uniqueness of Afro-American culture. During those bitter times, black slaves used music and

22、 dance as ways of entertainment and outlets of their feelings. But later, they got freedom, so a great deal of black people crowed into northern cities to find jobs. Their new lives were still hard and bitter, and music and dance remained the only vent for them to express their dissatisfied feelings

23、 and sadness. Later, some talented black people even took music and dance as their profession, and music and dance became commercial tools from the individual amusements. In fact, Afro-Americans were congenital musicians. Their music, no matter in the dolorous tone, or in the bright and intense tone

24、, could always touch the audience soul, and get responses. The lyrics, especially for R&B, Rap and Hip-Hop music, are very sharp with black peoples slang, reflecting the issues about racialism, violence, sexy corruption directly. Afro-American music was characterized by this kind of direct vent of f

25、eelings, which could touch the audience deeply by its special expression. As for Afro-American dance, undoubtedly, Hip-Hop was the most popular style, and the reason why it got such furious reflection by the youth was that exciting and tough body languages could help them convey their feelings as mu

26、ch as they liked. As a matter of fact, it was admitted that African elements, especially the elements of music and dance, made a great contribution to the popularity of Afro-American culture. Initially, any form of Afro-American culture emerged as the non-mainstream culture, and was discriminated by

27、 mainstream, and suffered repulsion by white artists. However, very soon it stepped into the mainstream, and became the hottest art style. Certainly, it was impacted by other mainstream cultures, and changed a little bit in order to go with times. In fact, from the growth of Afro-American culture, e

28、specially Afro-American music in the new soil emerged a new people who had a confliction on self-identity, and who are not only black people from Africa, but also Americans growing up with this new nation. In this sense, Afro-American music, as the soul of Afro-American culture, met its destiny succ

29、essfully.References1 Broakal, Milada. More About The USA. 山东：山东科技出版社，2003.2 Campbell, Richard. Media & Culture. Boston: Bedford/St.Martinss Press, 2003. 3 Nash, Gary B. The American People. NewYork: Addison-wesley Educational Publisher.inc, 1998. 4 Stevenson, Douglas K. American Life and Institution

30、s. Shanghai: Foreign Language Education Press, 2003. 5 端木义万. 英美社会文化透视. 南京：南京大学出版社，1999. 6 端木义万. 英美报刊阅读教程. 北京：北京大学出版社，2005. 7 冯泽辉. 美国文化综述. 成都：四川人民出版社，2002. 8 姜红. 黑人音乐会与美国非裔族群的自我表达. 武汉理工大学学报，2006，（3）. 9 李超，夏宏钟. 新编英美概况. 汕头：汕头大学出版社，2002. 10 梅红毅. 美国研究读本. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社，2002. 11 倪世雄，乔长森. 世界文化史故事系列美国卷.上海：上海

31、外国语教育出版社，2006. 12 陶洁. 美国文学读选. 北京：高等教育出版社，2000. 13 齐小波. 美国文化研究导论.北京：北京大学出版社，2001. 14 朱永涛. 英语国家社会与文化入门. 北京：高等教育出版社，2000.15 许文胜，王文非. 解读美国. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社，2005.生命列车The Train Of Life1. 不久以前，我读了一本书。书中把人生比作一次旅行。2. 人生一世，就好比是一次搭车旅行，要经历无数次上车、下车; 时常有事故发生; 有时是意外惊喜，有时却是刻骨铭心的悲伤 3. 降生人世，我们就坐上了生命列车。我们以为我们最先见到的那两个人-我

32、们的父母，会在人生旅途中一直陪伴着我们。 4. 很遗憾，事实并非如此。他们会在某个车站下车，留下我们，孤独无助。他们的爱、他们的情、他们不可替代的陪伴，再也无从寻找。 5. 尽管如此，还会有其他人上车。他们当中的一些人将对我们有着特殊的意义。 6. 他们之中有我们的兄弟姐妹, 有我们的亲朋好友。我们还将会体验千古不朽的爱情故事。7. 坐同一班车的人当中，有的轻松旅行。8. 有的却带着深深的悲哀 还有的,在列车上四处奔忙，随时准备帮助有需要的人 9. 很多人下车后，其他旅客对他们的回忆历久弥新 但是，也有一些人，当他们离开座位时，却没有人察觉。10. 有时候，对你来说情深义重的旅伴却坐到了另一节

33、车厢。你只得远离他，继续你的旅程。11. 当然，在旅途中，你也可以摇摇晃晃地穿过自己的车厢，去别的车厢找他 12. 可惜，你再也无法坐在他身旁，因为这个位置已经让别人给占了 .13. 没关系。旅途充满挑战、梦想、希望、离别 就是不能回头。因此，尽量使旅途愉快吧！14. 善待旅途上遇见的所有旅客，找出人们身上的闪光点。15. 永远记住，在某一段旅程中，有人会犹豫彷徨，因为我们自己也会犹豫彷徨。16. 我们要理解他人，因为我们需要他人的理解。17. 生命之谜就是：我们在什么地方下车？坐在身旁的伴侣在什么地方下车？我们的朋友在什么地方下车？我们无从知晓 18. 我时常这样想：到我该下车的时候，我会留

34、恋吗？我想我还是会的。和我的朋友分离，我会痛苦。让我的孩子孤独地前行，我会悲伤。 我执著地希望在我们大家都要到达的那个终点站，我们还会相聚 19. 我的孩子们上车时没有什么行李，如果我能在他们的行囊中留下美好的回忆，我会感到幸福。20. 我下车后，和我同行的旅客都还能记得我，想念我，我将感到快慰。21. 献给你, 我生命列车上的同行者, 祝您旅途愉快!1. Not long ago, I read a book, in which a mans life was compared to a journey.2. The life of a man is just like a hitchhik

35、ing，during which many times we go up and down. Now and then things will happen accidently, some of which are to be unexpected excitement，while some heart-breaking sorrows. 3. When first embraced the world，we are already on the train of life. We take it for granted that the first two persons, our par

36、ents, whom we are encountered with, will accompany us all the way.4. Sadly，things do not go on as we thought.Our parents will get off the train at a certain station，leaving us, bereft and helpless.Their love and emotion to us and their irreplaceable company can be found in nowhere.5. However，there w

37、ill be somebody else who will get on the train. Some of them will have special meaning to us.6. Some of them may be our siblings , relatives and friends, and we will also expereince the imperishable love.7. Some of our travelling companions are quite light-hearted on the way.8. While some may bear i

38、mmense sorrow.Still some ,back and forth, are ready to hold out their hands for others who need help.9. Some people alight off the train, yet they are still kept in the mind of the other passengers for long;some, to the opposite, leave their seats without being noticed.10. Sometimes, the one,who is

39、dear to your heart, has huddled into another carriage. Nothing but one you can do is just to keep on going, far away from him.11. Of course, during the journey, you may stagger to another carriage to look for him.12. Its a pity that you will never seat yourself beside him because the seat has been e

40、ngaged by others. 13. Never mind. The journey is full of challenges,dreams, hopes and departures- but only one thing is that you cant turn back. So, have a good journey with heart and soul.14. Show your good-will to all the passengers you are encountered with, and find the merits of theirs.15. Remeb

41、er that someone may oscillate just as we do in the journey.16. We should understand others just as we need others understanding.17. The enigma of life is：Where shall we get off the train of life?And how about the companions beside us?And our friends?We dont know.18. Sometimes I think：When my time co

42、mes to get off the train，shall I miss it？I think I will.It is a suffering when I part with my friends.I will be sorry for leaving my kids going alone.I firmly hold that when we get to the terminal，we will have another reunion.19. When my kids get on the train of life, they have only little luggage in their travelling bags. However,if I can leave the beautiful memory in them,I will be happy. 20. After getting off the train of life, I will be content if my fellow passengers will remember me and miss me.21. To you , the companions on my train of life.May you have a good journey!