排行榜

UK

Books

1. Book of the Dead Patricia Cornwell

2. Nineteen Minutes Jodi Picoult

3. Friend of the DevilPeter Robinson

4. The Quest Wilbur Smith

5. An Absolute ScandalPenny Vincenzi

Crime thrillers rule the roost this time around – the top three are all classic examples of the genre. Patricia Cornwell's forensic expert Kay Scarpetta is back for her 15th outing in the caustically slow Book of the Dead， which is only really worth reading if you're a fan of the series. Meanwhile， Wilbur Smith's Egypt series continues with The Quest， and Penny Vincenzi takes a look at the Lloyds Bank scandal of the 1980s in the appropriately-named An Absolute Scandal.

這次犯罪小說無處不在，榜單上前三名都是這種類型。在充滿諷刺意味的《Book of the Dead》中，法學專家Kay Scarpetta終于回來了。如果你是犯罪小說迷，那就該讀讀這本書。另外，Wilbur Smith的《Egypt》系列小說的新故事《The Quest》也新鮮出爐，而Penny Vincenzi以20世紀80年代的埃勞德銀行丑聞為模板創(chuàng)作了名如其“事”的《An Absolute Scandal》。

Movies

1. Iron Man

2. What Happens In Vegas

3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

4. Speed Racer

5. Nim's Island

Be prepared for a considerable amount of repetition in this month's movies， as Hollywood gears up for the summer blockbuster season. Across the board this month， there's been only one movie that had a chance of coming out on top. Iron Man， the eagerly awaited adaptation of the Marvel comic， is a special-effects-heavy romp through the early years of the Iron Man saga. Staying fairly true to the plot of the original comic， Iron Man follows billionaire weapons magnate Tony Stark as he gets injured by terrorists in the Middle East and builds the Iron Man armour to save his own life. Upon his escape from the terrorist clutches， he declares that he will only use the suit to fight crime… but old friends have different ideas.

現(xiàn)在是好萊塢暑期電影的季節(jié)，所以你要為看到榜單上不斷重復的影片做好心理準備。本月的榜單上只有一部影片有機會成為冠軍，那就是《Iron Man》。這部改編自驚奇漫畫的影片情節(jié)貼近原創(chuàng)，運用大量特效，講述了鋼鐵俠的傳奇故事：擁有億萬身價的軍火商Tony Stark在中東受到了恐怖分子襲擊，他為自己建造了金鋼鐵甲來保護自己，成為了鋼鐵俠。在成功逃出恐怖分子魔掌后，他宣布新身份只用來打擊犯罪，但是他的老朋友們卻不這么想。

Singles

1. 4 MinutesMadonna feat. Justin Timberlake

2. Wearing My RolexWiley

3. Black GoldSam Sparro

4. HeartbreakerWill I Am feat. Cheryl Cole

5. Love In This ClubUsher feat. Young Jeezy

Needless to say， it's no surprise Madonna ended up on top of the British charts this month - particularly when coupled with Justin Timberlake. 17 million plus hits on YouTube attest to 4 Minutes' incredible popularity. It's a bit bland for my taste， but I can see the appeal. Black Eyed Peas frontman Will I Am really doesn't need to mention Cheryl Cole for in the credits Heartbreaker – I think she sings the grand total of around fifteen words in this really rather forgettable offering from someone who can do so much better.

不用說，Madonna登上英國冠軍寶座一點都不意外，更別提她是和Justin Timberlake一起合作的了。1700萬的銷量加上在YouTube上的點擊率證明了《4 Minutes》已經(jīng)紅得不行了。雖然不大對我的口味，但我仍能感受到其中的吸引力。黑眼豆豆的主唱真不必把Cheryl Cole放在《Heartbreaker》的致謝名單中，她只在這首歌曲中唱了15個單詞，還沒讓人記住。

Albums

1. Jumping All Over The WorldScooter

2. Hard CandyMadonna

3. Rockferry Duffy

4. Sam Sparro Sam Sparro

5. Third Portishead

Then again， maybe Madonna's hold on the British public isn't as strong as I thought. Remember Scooter? Y'know， random German techno band， released the incredibly weird yet oddly catchy Logical Song a few years back? No? Don't really blame you. But still， completely out of nowhere they've crashed back onto the scene and put the Queen of Pop firmly in her place at number two. Best album of the five this month? Portishead's Third， by a long shot. It's been nearly a decade since they released any new material， and this doesn't disappoint. It's bleak， slightly creepy， and surreal， but it's a compelling album and I can't help but love it.

也許Madonna在英國公眾中的影響力沒我想象的那么大。記得Scooter嗎？就是那支德國電子樂樂隊，幾年前曾發(fā)行過極端怪異但又深入人心的《Logical Song》的那個樂隊，記得嗎？不記得？那也不怪你。但是他們?nèi)匀粚⒘餍刑旌髷D到亞軍的位置，重新稱霸樂壇。最好的專輯是哪張呢？我覺得是Portishead的《Third》，這可是很少有機會嘗試的成功典型。上張專輯是在10年前發(fā)行的，而這張全新之作讓人很滿意。雖然感覺有點兒陰郁、恐怖、超現(xiàn)實，但卻是張引人注目的專輯，我簡直無法控制自己對它的喜愛。

US

Books

1. The Last LectureRandy Pausch， Jeffrey Zaslow

2. Sundays At Tiffany'sJames Patterson， Gabrielle Charbonnet

3. A New EarthEckhart Tolle

4. The Good GuyDean Koontz

5. The Whole TruthDavid Baldacci

Want a real tear-jerker of a book? Then you can't fault Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture. Pausch， a terminal cancer sufferer， spells out his life， dreams and inspirations to all who care to read it. Based on a long-standing college tradition， The Last Lecture is guaranteed to make you cry， laugh and feel… well… good about yourself. Dean R. Koontz， on the other hand， gives us one of his best thrillers to date with The Good Guy – the story of a man desperately trying to save a young woman from a vicious hit man… after being paid to kill her himself.

想讀一本催人淚下的書嗎？那你就無法對Pausch的《The Last Lecture》吹毛求疵，作者Pausch是名癌癥晚期病人，他講述了關于自己的生活、夢想和靈感的故事送給那些喜歡這些故事的人。而基于悠久學院傳統(tǒng)的《The Last Lecture》保證會讓你又哭又笑，并對自己感覺良好。另一方面，Dean R. Koontz為我們呈現(xiàn)了一本最優(yōu)秀的驚悚小說《The Good Guy》。該書講述了一名男子拼命拯救被職業(yè)殺手追殺的女子……最終卻不得不親手殺死該女子的故事。

Movies

1. Iron Man

2. What Happens In Vegas

3. Speed Racer

4. Made of Honour

5. Baby Mama

Speed Racer. Just hearing the name brings back memories sat on the sofa aged 8 years old， watching Speed and Racer X duel for track supremacy. And now they've gone and made it into a movie. I really want to say how they've destroyed my memories of it， yadda yadda yadda， but， in truth， I can't. The sets may be a tad psychedelic at times， but this is a damn good movie and well worth a watch. Especially if you're aged between 18 and 35， and spent Saturday mornings as a kid watching Japanese cartoons.

《Speed Racer》，一聽到這個名字就想起8歲時坐在沙發(fā)上觀看Speed 和Racer X為了爭奪權力而廝殺的情景?，F(xiàn)在，他們被拍成了電影。我很想控訴電影是如何摧毀我之前的記憶的，咿呀咿呀，但是，事實上，我不能。雖然背景設置偶爾有點兒幼稚，但是這卻是部好片子，值得一看。尤其是對那些年齡在18到35歲之間，在周六早上童心未泯地觀看日本卡通的人而言。

Singles

1. Bleeding LoveLeona Lewis

2. LollipopLil' Wayne feat. Static Major

3. No AirJordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown

4. Love In This ClubUsher feat. Young Jeezy

5. Sexy Can IRay J. Yung Berg

Lollipop. Oh geez. I laughed when I HEARD this song… but I cracked up when I saw the video. It's not a bad song， but the lyrics are just so ludicrous I couldn't help myself. Jordin Sparks teams up with Chris Brown for the outrageously sappy yet heartfelt No Air， a soulful duet aimed at bringing on the tears. While initially I wasn't keen on Sexy Can I， it started to grow on me after a second listen. It's lighthearted RB， and unlike a lot of the rubbish I've been forced to hear of late， I actually really like it.

《Lollipop》。我的天啊，當我聽到這首歌時就笑了，而當我看了視頻后就更是笑彎了腰。這首歌并不差，但是歌詞太荒謬了，我無法控制自己的情緒。Jordin Sparks和Chris Brown聯(lián)合推出了活力四射而又真切的《No Air》，這是首旨在催淚的深情對唱。雖然剛開始我并不喜歡《Sexy Can I》，但在聽了第二遍后，我開始看好它了。這是首輕快的RB，和我不得不去聽的垃圾完全不同，我真的很喜歡。

Albums

1. Hard CandyMadonna

2. E=MC2Mariah Carey

3. SpiritLeona Lewis

4. Lyfe ChangeLyfe Jennings

5. Songs From The Sparkle LoungeDef Leppard

Hm. No Scooter to beat Madonna in the US， apparently. Madge tops the charts Stateside， followed closely by RB legend Mariah Carey with her 11th studio album – and it's a damn good effort， too. Leona Lewis holds on to her chart placing once again， and Lyfe Jennings hits a career high with Lyfe Change， a motley collection of bluesy southern RB. Def Leppard's (yes， I was surprised to hear them appear in the US charts， too) Songs From The Sparkle Lounge is a satisfying blend of classic， old-school rock with some new-age rock philosophy. While not their best work， it's certainly an oddity worth checking out.

顯然，Scooter并沒有在美國擊敗Madonna。流行天后在美國本土稱王稱霸，緊隨其后的是RB傳奇人物Mariah Carey的好得出奇的第11張母帶。Leona Lewis再次保住了自己的位置，而Lyfe Jennings以《Lyfe Change》（充滿布魯斯風味的南方RB的集合）將自己推上了事業(yè)的巔峰。Def Leppard（我也很奇怪他們怎么會上美國排行榜）的《Songs From The Sparkle Lounge》是張融合了經(jīng)典的舊式搖滾和新世紀搖滾樂的專輯。雖然這不是他們最好的作品，但也還是值得一聽。

Australia

Books

1. Four IngredientsKim McCosker Rachael Bermingham

2. This Charming ManMarian Keyes

3. Change Of HeartJodi Picoult

4. Underbelly: The Gangland WarJohn Silvester Andrew Rule

5. A New Earth Eckhart Tolle

Marian Keyes' best chick-lit ever? Quite possibly. This Charming Man tells the story of how one man， Irish charmer and general all-round cad Paddy de Courcy， has changed the lives of four women. It's classic Keyes， full of high drama， moral undertones and solid storytelling. In Jodi Picoult's latest offering， she tackles that most testy of subjects – the death penalty. When a death row prisoner hears that the sister of the girl he killed needs an organ transplant， he volunteers. At the same time， events in the prison seem to start taking on a bizarre twist…

《This Charming Man》是Marian Keyes最好的作品嗎？很有可能。這本書講述了多才多藝的愛爾蘭帥哥Paddy de Courcy如何改變四名女人的生活的故事。這是本杰作，戲劇性強、隱喻道德、結構緊湊。在Jodi Picoult的新書中，她探討了最讓人惱怒的話題——死刑。當一名死囚知道他殺死的女孩的姐姐需要器官移植后，他自愿捐獻自己的器官。同時，監(jiān)獄里的事件也開始變得不尋?！?/p>

Movies

1. Iron Man

2. What Happens In Vegas

3. Made Of Honour

4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

5. The Painted Veil

You see what I mean? Out of all the potential movies there could have been in the four top fives， there are only eight across the whole spectrum. Iron Man and What Happens In Vegas make every single chart this time round. In the latter， Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz spend a night together in Reno， get obscenely drunk， marry each other， then win $3 million. Cue slapstick shenanigans as each tries to get their hands on the money and outwit their unwilling spouse. Simple， generic fun for the whole family to enjoy… just don't expect to be blown away.

你知道我之前的意思了吧？在四大排行榜上，翻來覆去的只有8部電影。《Iron Man》和《What Happens In Vegas》在所有的排行榜上都露臉了。在《What Happens In Vegas》中，Ashton Kutcher和Cameron Diaz在里諾呆了一晚，爛醉如泥后，二人結婚了并贏得了300萬美元。在這部妙趣橫生的鬧劇中，兩個人都想獨吞這筆錢并想瞞騙令自己不滿意的配偶。簡單、有趣，值得全家一起觀看……只是別期望會被折服。

Singles

1. Psycho TeddyPsycho Teddy

2. Sweet About MeGabriella Cilmi

3. 4 MinutesMadonna feat. Justin Timberlake

4. LowFlo Rida feat. T-pain

5. PerfectVanessa Amorosi

Okay， Australia， stop. Please. The last few months have had me crying with laughter when I come to your singles charts， and I'm starting to get funny looks in the office. First you give us the genius that is Mr. G， and now， now you drop Psycho Teddy on an unsuspecting world. For the uninitiated， Psycho Teddy is an animated， Crazy Frog-esque techno anthem-stroke-mobile ringtone， accompanied by a cute， cuddly bear animation who， for the chorus， flips out and becomes the ubiquitous Psycho Teddy. I…I really can't explain. Just go online， find the video， and see for yourself.

行了，澳大利亞，求求你停止吧。上幾個月里你的單曲排行榜已經(jīng)讓我捧腹大笑，并讓我成為了辦公室中面帶滑稽表情的人。之前你為我們推薦了一個天才——Mr. G，現(xiàn)在你帶來了Psycho Teddy。最初《Psycho Teddy》就是個卡通來電鈴聲，由可愛、讓人想擁抱的Psycho Teddy演繹，在演唱的過程中，Psycho Teddy神經(jīng)錯亂，結果成為無處不在的Psycho Teddy。我不知道該如何解釋。你自己上網(wǎng)去看看吧。

Albums

1. Waltzing MatildaAndre Rieu Mirusia

2. Catch the WindDamien Leith

3. Hard CandyMadonna

4. Rattlin' BonesKasey Chambers Shane Nicholson

5. The RiseCarl Riseley

Andre Rieu can't do anything wrong down under， can he? The violinist par excellence is enjoying his second month in the top five – with totally different albums. This time around， it's his tribute to Oz that has him bumped to the top of the charts， along with Mirusia， a Brisbane-based singer with a voice to die for. Chambers and Nicholson's Rattlin' Bones is a deep， harsh bluegrass country-rock gem that deserves to be recognised for the great album that it is.

Andre Rieu在澳大利亞做什么都是對的，難道不是嗎？該小提琴家的par excellence（法語詞，佳作的意思）已經(jīng)和其它不同類型的專輯一起在排行榜上呆了2個月。這次，他和Mirusia（布里斯班歌手，擁有令人神往的妙嗓）合作向Oz致敬的專輯躍上了榜首。而Chambers和Nicholson那帶有強烈蘭草音樂特色的鄉(xiāng)村音樂也絕對配得上“優(yōu)質(zhì)”二字。

Canada

Books

1. A New EarthEckhart Tolle

2. The HollowNora Roberts

3. The Battle Of The LabyrinthRick Riordan

4. The HostStephanie Meyer

5. Late Nights On AirElizabeth Hay

A demon， an alien parasite and an ancient Greek inventor all make appearances this month. The Hollow continues Nora Roberts' dark， chilling Sign Of The Seven series， in which six friends battle to fight an evil spirit that haunts their town every year. The Host is the story of a race of mind-stealing space aliens， who take over host bodies and feed on their emotions. When one of the hosts resists and goes to search for her love， the alien inside her goes along for the ride… and promptly falls for her host's beau. In Battle Of The Labyrinth， teen adventurer Percy Jackson and his friends have to brave the Labyrinth of Crete in an attempt to find the inventor Daedalus and stop the labyrinth coming under the control of the villain. As far as kids books go， it's a good read… even if the author does need to brush up on his Greek mythology.

惡魔、外星寄生蟲和古希臘發(fā)明家這次齊聚加拿大?！禩he Hollow》秉承了Nora Roberts《Sign Of The Seven》系列黑暗、驚悚的風格，講述了6個朋友和每年都騷擾他們小鎮(zhèn)的邪靈作戰(zhàn)的故事。而《The Host》則是關于偷取思想、占領寄主來滿足自己的外星生物的故事。當其中的一名寄主反抗并去尋找自己的愛人時，她體內(nèi)的外星生物也與她同行并迅速愛上了寄主的情郎。在《The Battle Of The Labyrinth》中，少年探險家Percy Jackson和他的朋友們不得不向克里特島的迷宮挑戰(zhàn)，希望找到發(fā)明家Daedalus并阻止迷宮被壞人控制。作為一本兒童書籍，這是本好書……雖然作者需要溫習下希臘神話。

Movies

1. Iron Man

2. What Happens In Vegas

3. Speed Racer

4. Made of Honour

5. Baby Mama

And so we round off this month's highly undiverse showing with a look at Made Of Honour… a kind of cross-dressing My Best Friend's Wedding. In short: Man loves girl， girl is engaged to other guy. Girl asks man to be maid of honour (Don't ask). Man accepts， leaving himself open to abject humiliation in an attempt to stop the wedding. Does he succeed? Watch it and find out. Patrick Dempsey hams this one up nicely， and even manages to breathe some life into the somewhat clichéd plot.

讓我們來看看本月的電影《Made of Honour》吧，它幾乎是男人版的《My Best Friend's Wedding》?；緞∏槭牵阂粋€男人愛上了一個女人，而這個女人和另一個男人訂婚了。然后這個女人要求這個男人做伴郎（你可千萬別這么做）。男人接受了，但是暗地里試圖阻止這場婚姻。他成功了嗎？自己看吧。Patrick Dempsey對這種戲駕輕就熟，他甚至想為這種老套的情節(jié)帶點新鮮的空氣來。

Singles

1. The LifeProdigy

2. ShineAnna Nalick

3. Don't You EvahSpoon

4. A Song For YouBizzy Bone

5. Never Wanted To DanceMindless Self-Indulgence

Anna Nalick gets knocked off the top spot by Prodigy's The Life， a stereotypical exposition about how hard life in Harlem and Brooklyn can be. It's nothing we haven't heard before， but Prodigy gives a solid performance and gives this song a credibility that this type of hip-hop doesn't normally achieve. American indie popsters Spoon also make their way in to the charts with Don't You Evah， a quirky pop ballad that can't quite work out what exactly it's trying to say.

Anna Nalick的冠軍位置被Prodigy的《The Life》（歌曲內(nèi)容是關于黑人住宅區(qū)和布魯克林的艱難生活）取代。這并不是什么新鮮的歌曲，但是Prodigy扎實的表演和唱功是這類嘻哈音樂所沒有的。美國獨立流行歌手Spoon也以《Don't You Evah》在排行榜上闖出了自己的天地，但是詭異得實在讓人摸不著頭腦。

Albums

1. Hard CandyMadonna

2. Rarities， B-side and Other Stuff Vol.2Sarah Mclachlan

3. ThirdPortishead

4. SpiritLeona Lewis

5. Ma PeauEric Lapointe

Madonna. Again. Need we say more? It's not that this is a bad album， there's just nothing here that hasn't already been done to death by just about everyone， Madonna included. The only albums really worthy of note are Third， Spirit and outsider Eric Lapointe's Ma Peau， a Francophonic album that mixes hard rock with heartfelt emotional lyrics and a fair helping of attitude.

又是Madonna，還需要我們說什么嗎？我不是說這張專輯不好，而是這里的排行榜毫無新意。值得注意的專輯是《Third》、《Spirit》和Eric Lapointe的《Ma Peau》。其中，《Ma Peau》是張法語專輯，硬搖滾旋律混合了感人肺腑的歌詞和有益的觀點。