在美国的历史上，有这样一些人——他们或权倾天下，或才华横溢，或意志坚定，或充满魅力……他们用自己的信仰和行动使美国更加完善，更加充满生命力。了解他们，从某种意义上说，就是在了解美国。
Elvis Presley
Since his death, he’s been spotted at grocery stores, gas stations and diners; irrefutable evidence that his fans will love him eternally and still can’t seem to accept his passing. On January 8, 1935, Elvis was lucky enough to survive his birth, which his twin brother regrettably failed to do. Growing up in a poor and religious home in Tupelo, Mississippi, he taught himself how to play the guitar。
After graduating from high school, he recorded a song for his mother, which attracted the attention of a small-time producer. Elvis then recorded a couple of rockabilly singles, which became local hits. After he signed with a national label and did a few television appearances, he finally shocked the nation in 1956 as a performer on The Ed Sullivan Show — the nation had never heard, or seen, anything like it before. Although he also became a star on the silver screen with roles in Blue Hawaii and Roustabout, he will always be known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He was found dead on August 16, 1977, at his Memphis estate, known as Graceland。
Best quote: “I don’t know anything about music. In my line you don’t have to。”
John Wayne
Born Marion Michael Morrison, the “Duke” was forced to leave college after an injury put an end to his football playing days. He had been working odd jobs at Fox Studios when he was finally noticed by executives. After a lead role in a major production failed to make him a star, he began to appear in low-budget films。
The movie that put him on the map was 1939’s Stagecoach, directed by John Ford, with whom Wayne would have a long professional relationship. The Duke became famous for playing tough guys in westerns and war pictures. He is the personification of the American of those days, a private and honest man of action。
Best quote: “I never trust a man that doesn’t drink。”
Frank Sinatra
The single most popular crooner of all time, Frank Sinatra had early ambitions of becoming a journalist. By the time he was working as a sports reporter, a second career in singing was taking off. Before long, he was touring with a big band orchestra and embarking on a solo career in 1942. He was a bona fide sensation, selling records faster than they could be printed。
In the late 50s, Ol’ Blue Eyes formed the “Rat Pack,” an unofficial entertainment group, with Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. A suave charmer, he had a reputation for living fast. Regarded as the greatest entertainer of the 20th century, Sinatra deserves his status as American icon。
Best quote: “A friend is never an imposition。”
Ernest Hemingway
Born July 21, 1899, Hemingway is considered the greatest American fiction writer of the 20th century. He was an ambulance driver during World War I and a war correspondent during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. He wrote about his experiences as an American expatriate in Paris during the 1920s, hunting in Africa, and fishing off Cuba。
His direct and sparse way of writing became his trademark, which has often been imitated and parodied. His works have earned him both the Pulitzer and the Nobel Prize. He is regarded as one of the most prominent literary ambassadors America has ever had。
Best quote: “All things truly wicked start from an innocence。”
Ronald Reagan
Best known for his role as the 40th President of the United States, Reagan started out as a radio announcer and Hollywood actor, having made over 50 films. Some experts claim that it was Reagan’s extreme military expenditures that bankrupted the Soviet Union and put an end to the Cold War. As leader of the Free World during those years when his country turned to obstinate commercialism, he showed the world what America is all about。
Best quote: “America is too great to dream small dreams。”
埃尔维斯·普雷斯利(猫王)
他去世以后，人们仍然能在杂货店、加油站和小饭店里见到他的形象；这一点，无可辩驳地证明了歌迷对他永恒的爱，他们至今仍不愿接受他去世的事实。1935年1月8日，埃尔维斯出生了，他幸运地活了下来，而他的双胞胎弟弟却不幸夭折。他在密西西比州图珀洛的一个贫穷、信教的家庭里长大，从小就自学吉他。
中学毕业后，他为母亲录制了一首歌。这首歌引起了一位三流制作人的注意。接着埃尔维斯录制了几张乡村摇滚的单曲唱片，在当地引起了不小的轰动。随后他和一家全国性的唱片公司签了约，并开始在电视上露面。1956年，他在“苏利文综艺秀”上的表演震惊了全国——美国人对这种表演闻所未闻，见所未见。尽管他也是一位电影明星，演过《蓝色夏威夷》、《码头搬运工》等，但人们永远铭记的，还是他摇滚天王的身份。1977年8月16日，人们发现他在位于孟菲斯的被称作雅园的住所里去世。
著名言论：“我对音乐一窍不通。干我这一行，你不需要懂音乐。”
约翰·韦恩
“公爵”约翰·韦恩出生时的原名叫马里恩·迈克尔·莫里森，由于一次受伤，他不得不离开足球赛场，被迫结束了自己的大学生活。之后他一直在福克斯制片厂打零工，直到最后被制片人发现。他在一部大制作的影片中扮演了一个主要角色，但却未能一举成名，之后他就开始在一些低预算电影中露面。
让韦恩大放异彩的影片是1939年的《驿站马车》，由约翰·福特执导。韦恩后来和福特一直长期合作。公爵以在西部片和战争片中扮演“硬汉”形象而出名。他是那个时代美国人的典范，一个孤僻、诚实、实干的人。
著名言论：“我从来不信任一个不喝酒的人。”
弗兰克·辛纳特拉
弗兰克·辛纳特拉，美国唯一最受欢迎的低音歌手，最早的志向是想成为一名记者。在做体育记者的同时，他开始时了他的第二职业——唱歌。不久，他就和一支管弦乐队一起巡回演出，并在1942年开始了独唱生涯。他的歌唱引起了巨大的轰动，唱片销量供不应求。
50年代末，辛纳特拉组建了“鼠帮”乐队，一个非官方的娱乐团体，成员包括小萨米？戴维斯，狄恩·马丁，乔伊·毕夏普和皮特·劳福德。他本人魅力十足，生活放荡不羁。作为二十世纪最伟大的艺人，辛纳特拉是当之无愧的美国偶像。
著名言论：“朋友永远不是负担。”
欧内斯特·海明威
海明威出生于1899年7月21日，被认为是20世纪美国最伟大的小说家。在第一次世界大战期间，他是一名救护车司机，在西班牙内战和第二次世界大战期间，他成了一名战地记者。作为一个漂泊在外的美国人，他在20世纪20年代曾寄居过巴黎，在非洲打过猎，在古巴钓过鱼，他把这些经历都写进了他的小说。
直白、简洁的写作方式是海明威的招牌风格，常常为他人所效法。他的作品曾为他赢得普利策和诺贝尔两大文学奖。他被认为是美国历史上最杰出的文学大使。
著名言论：“所有的罪恶都始于清白。”
罗纳德·里根
里根以第40届美国总统的身份闻名于世，但他最初的工作是电台播音员和好莱坞电影演员，演过五十余部电影。有些专家认为，正是里根政府为军备竞赛投入的庞大的开支拖垮了苏联，结束了冷战。作为自由世界的领袖，在美国顽固地转向重商主义的年代，里根向世界表明了什么是美国精神。
著名言论：“美国是个伟大的国家，就该有伟大的梦想。”
责任编辑：刘小蜗
