田纳西州位于美国东南部，东起北卡罗来纳州州界的阿巴拉契亚山脉(Appalachian Mountain)，南临佐治亚州、亚拉巴马州、密西西比州， 西止密苏里州和阿肯色州东边的密西西比河(Mississippi River)，北临肯塔基州和弗吉尼亚州，地势东高西低。长约432英里，州面积109,150平方公里。首府纳什维尔(Nashville)，州内还有美国乡村音乐的中心孟菲斯。

美国田纳西州别名「志愿者之州」(Volunteer State)的田纳西于1796年加入联邦，成为美国第16州。它是第一个由联邦宪法批准加入的州。在成为州前，田纳西又名「俄亥俄河的南部地区」(Territory South of the River Ohio)。田纳西一字源自于却洛奇族(Cherokee)的村落Tanasi。现在，田纳西的首府是被称做乡村音乐中心的那什维尔(Nashville)，而曼菲斯(Memphis)则是田纳西的第一大城，这儿也是猫王(Elvis Presley)传奇音乐生涯的开始。田纳西的州花是鸢尾花。

田纳西州英文介绍

Called the "Volunteer State," Tennessee became the 16th state of the Union in 1796. It was the first territory admitted as a state under the federal Constitution. Before statehood, it was known as the Territory South of the River Ohio. The name Tennessee is derived from the name of a Cherokee village, Tanasi. Today, the capital, Nashville, is known as a center for country music. Memphis, the largest city in the state, is the place where Elvis Presley first began his legendary musical career. The state flower is the iris.

鄉村音樂的發源地

乡村音乐源起何处?假如您回答那什维尔，那您就答错了。

正确答桉是田纳西的布里斯托(Bristol)。布里斯托位于田纳西及维吉尼亚州的边界上，此处的阿帕拉契山(Appalachian)民族音乐广受欢迎，而且已经流传好几世代。当地的许多小提琴旋律及歌曲风格都来自于1700年代的不列颠群岛(British Isles)。

唱片工业兴起于1900年代早期，但大部分的音乐家都会远至纽约录製他们的音乐。1927年时，胜者唱片(Victor Records)的罗夫皮尔(Ralph Peer)决定要嚐试一些不同的。他来到田纳西的布里斯托录製当地音乐家的音乐，他认为可以在布里斯托找到演奏怀旧时光及山区民歌的音乐家。当时有两个当地的表演团体签署了唱片合约，一为来自维吉尼亚的卡特家族(Carter Family)，另一个则是来自于北卡罗来纳州的前铁路工人杰米罗杰斯(Jimmie Rodgers)。当卡特家族在演奏怀旧时光的山区音乐时，罗杰斯就负责使用一种名为约德尔调的唱腔来吟唱民歌，他们成功的打进全国市场。后来，连续好几代的流行乡村音乐家都以卡特家族的音乐为他们的核心音乐，而罗杰斯于1928年录製的「蓝调约德尔」(Blue Yodel)唱片成为第一张销售百万的乡村唱片!

这些早期的布里斯托唱片为后来绝大部分的乡村音乐铺下基石。因为一般人不会将布里斯托视为乡村音乐的发源地，所以对布里斯托的居民来说，美国国会认可布里斯托对音乐史的贡献是很重要的一件事。1998年时，国会通过了一项决议，决议中即正式承认布里斯托为「乡村音乐的发源地」。

Where was country music born? If you said Nashville, you'd be wrong.

The right answer is Bristol, Tennessee. Bristol is on the Tennessee and Virginia border, where Appalachian mountain folk music has been popular for generations. Many of the fiddle tunes and song styles came over from the British Isles in the 1700s.

By the early 1900s, the recording industry had begun, but most musicians had to travel to New York City to record their music. In 1927, Ralph Peer of Victor Records decided to try something different. He went to Bristol, Tennessee, to record local musicians. He thought that old-time and "hillbilly" musicians could be found there. Two local acts signed recording contracts -- the Carter Family from Virginia and former railroad worker Jimmie Rodgers of North Carolina. While the Carter Family played old-time mountain music, Jimmie Rodgers sang ballads and used a singing style called yodeling. They both became successful nationwide. The Carter Family formed the core of several generations of popular country musicians, and Rodgers's 1928 recording of "Blue Yodel" became one of the first country records to sell a million copies!

These early Bristol recordings laid the groundwork for much of the country music that followed. Because Bristol is not usually thought of as the place where country music began, it was especially important that the U.S. Congress recognized Bristol's contribution to music history. In 1998, Congress passed a resolution recognizing Bristol as the "Birthplace of County Music."