James Fenimore Cooper, an early American writer, once said, "The Americans are almost ignorant of the art of music." If that was once true, you would never know it today. Most Americans--even those without a musical bone in their bodies--have a favorite style of music. Many people enjoy classical and folk music from around the world. But other popular music styles in America were "made in the U.S.A."

　　一位美国早期的作家柯柏（James Fenimore Cooper）曾说：「美国人对音乐艺术几乎可以说是相当的无知。」如果这话曾经是事实，今日你绝不会这么认为了。大部份的美国人，甚至包括那些没有音乐细胞的人，都有自己喜爱的音乐型态。许多人喜欢世界各国的古典音乐和民俗音乐，然而美国其它的流行音乐则是「在美国制造」的。

　　Country and western music lies close to the heart of many Americans. This style originated among country folks in the southern and western United States. Country music tells down-to-earth stories about love and life's hardships. Guitars, banjos and violins--also known as fiddles--give country music its characteristic sound. The home of country music is Nashville, Tennessee--Music City U.S.A. Country music even has its own theme park called "Opryland" where you can enjoy music shows and fun rides. "The Grand Ole Opry," the oldest radio show in the United States, broadcasts country music live from Opryland every weekend.

　　乡村和西部音乐深得很多美国人的人心，这种型态的音乐起源于美国南部和西部的乡村小民们。乡村音乐传述着真实不加渲染的爱情故事和生活中的艰难。吉他、五弦琴和小提琴（violin又名fiddle）可弹奏出乡村音乐的特殊音色。乡村音乐的发源地是田纳西州的纳许维尔市--美国的音乐城市。而乡村音乐甚至还有它自己的主题乐园--Opryland呢！在那儿你可以享受音乐表演以及好玩的游乐设施。美国最老牌的广播节目「The Grand Ole Opry」每个周末都实况播放Opryland的音乐。

　　Jazz music, developed by African-Americans in the late 1800s, allows performers to freely express their emotions and musical skill. Instead of just playing the melody, jazz musicians improvise different tunes using the same chords. The peak of jazz music came in the 1920s, known as "The Jazz Era." This period produced musicians like Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington. These musicians later created the "big band" sounds of the 1930s. Different styles of jazz developed in different cities, such as New Orleans, Chicago, New York and Kansas City. Composer George Gershwin brought jazz into the world of classical music with pieces like "Rhapsody in Blue."

　　爵士乐是十九世纪末期由非裔的美国人发展出来的。它让表演者自由地表现他们的情感和音乐技巧。不仅演奏旋律，爵士音乐大师用同样的和弦即兴演奏出不同的曲调。爵士乐的高峰期出现于二○年代，该时期被称为「爵士年代」。这个时期创造出来的乐手有阿姆斯特朗（Louise Armstrong），古德曼（Benny goodman）和埃林顿（Duke Ellington）。这些乐手稍后都创造了三○年代的「大乐团」之音。在不同的城市也孕育出不同的爵士风格，像是纽奥尔良、芝加哥、纽约和坎萨斯市。作曲家盖希文（George Gershwin）更以像「蓝色狂想曲」这样的作品，将爵士乐带入古典音乐的世界里。