VOA慢速英语:“灵魂歌后”Aretha Franklin逝世 享年76岁

Aretha Franklin, the American singer known as the "Queen of Soul," died Thursday at her home in Detroit, Michigan. She had spent many years battling cancer. She was 76 years old.
被称为“灵魂歌后”的美国歌手艾瑞莎·弗兰克林（Aretha Franklin）周四在密歇根州底特律市的家中去世。她和癌症对抗了多年，享年76岁。
Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee. But she was raised in Detroit. There, her father C.L. Franklin was a church minister. Her musical talent was recognized at a young age. She played piano and sang gospel music at her father's church services.
弗兰克林于1942年3月25日出生在田纳西州孟菲斯市，但是她在底特律市长大。她的父亲C.L.弗兰克林在那里担任教会牧师。她的音乐天赋在年幼时就得到了认可。她在父亲的教堂礼拜仪式上演奏钢琴并演唱福音歌曲。

Franklin began singing pop and jazz music at age 18, when she signed a recording agreement with Columbia Records.
弗兰克林18岁时开始唱流行音乐和爵士音乐，当时她与哥伦比亚唱片公司签了约。

But her real success started in 1967 under an agreement with Atlantic Records. That agreement permitted her to sing with her natural gospel intensity.
但是她真正的成功始于1967年跟大西洋唱片公司的合约期间。那份协议让她能够以天生的福音音乐强度唱歌。

Franklin gained national fame that year with a series of hit music recordings, including "Chain of Fools," "A Natural Woman," and her most famous hit, "Respect."
弗兰克林当年凭借一系列热门音乐唱片获得了全国知名度，其中包括《Chain of Fools》、《A Natural Woman》以及她最著名的专辑《Respect》。

Franklin's career success continued into the 1980s and 1990s. She appeared in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers." She also had new music hits, including "Freeway Of Love" and "A Rose Is Still A Rose."
弗兰克林的职业成就持续到了上世纪八九十年代。她出现在了1980年的电影《The Blues Brothers》中。她还出了新的热门唱片，其中包括《Freeway Of Love》和《A Rose Is Still A Rose》。

Franklin earned more than 110 entries in Billboard magazine's music charts. That is the most by any woman in the magazine's history. In 1987, Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
弗兰克林有110多首作品登上了Billboard杂志的音乐排行榜。这是该杂志历史上上榜最多的女性。1987年，弗兰克林成为首位入选摇滚名人堂的女性。

Franklin struggled with weight and health problems. But even in her older years, her voice remained a thing of wonder.
弗兰克林深受体重和健康问题的困扰。但是即使在她年长的时候，她的声音仍然令人惊讶。

In 2009, she sang the American patriotic song "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at U.S. President Barack Obama's first inauguration.
2009年，她在美国总统奥巴马的首次就职典礼上演唱了美国爱国歌曲《My Country 'Tis of Thee》。