Jackson Dies, But The Beat Goes on 杰克逊——是非一生，余响永存

While his elaborate, stop-on-a-dime dance moves and sensual soprano may have influenced generations of musicians, Michael Jackson stood for much more than pop greatness—or tabloid weirdness.He influenced artists ranging from Justin Timberlake to Madonna, from rock to pop to R&B even to rap, across genres and groups that no other artist was able to unite.

以他忽动忽静的炫丽舞步和令人颤栗的性感高音，迈克尔·杰克逊影响了一代又一代的音乐人。这个名字所代表的，远不止是流行巨星，或小报怪人。从贾斯汀·汀布莱克到麦当娜，从摇滚到流行再到R&B甚至饶舌乐，迈克尔·杰克逊对当代歌手、音乐流派、类型风格的影响可谓无人能及。

Jackson entered the public consciousness as an impossibly cute, preteen wonder in 1969, an unbelievably precocious singer in his family band, The Jackson 5.Even then, his dance moves, borrowed from the likes of James Brown and Jackie Wilson, were exquisite, and his onstage presence outshone seasoned veterans.

杰克逊进入公众视线始于1969年，当时不满13岁的他被视为一个可爱的奇迹，是家庭乐队“杰克逊五兄弟”中天才型的早慧歌手。早在那时，他模仿詹姆斯·布朗和杰基·威尔森等歌手的舞蹈动作就近乎完美。他的舞台表演甚至让许多乐坛老将都相形见绌。

The spotlight began to dim when he entered his late teens.However, when he met producer Quincy Jones, the musical landscape changed.

然而好景不长，渐渐长大的杰克逊在20多岁时一度陷入低潮。直到遇见知名制作人昆西·琼斯，他的音乐之路才开始转变。

The album Thriller, produced by Jones, became his greatest success and his career-defining achievement.Selling more than 50 million copies, the album was the globe’s best-selling disc.The impact was measured much more than in stats.

由琼斯制作的专辑《颤栗》是杰克逊最成功的作品，也是他职业生涯的巅峰。该专辑销量超过5，000万，该唱片勇夺全球销量桂冠，但《颤栗》的影响远不止这些。

Jackson broke MTV’s color barrier.He became the first black artist to be prominently featured on that young, rock-oriented channel when the success of Billie Jean and Beat It became so overwhelming it could not be ignored.He also established a benchmark for the way videos would be made—with stunning cinematography and precision choreography that recalled great movie musicals.

杰克逊还打破了MTV的种族隔阂。专辑中歌曲《比莉·简》和《走开!》的大肆走红让以针对年轻人和摇滚乐为主的MTV频道无法忽视。因此，杰克逊成为首位登上该频道的黑人歌手。此外，他还树立了音乐电视的制作基准——要像大型歌舞片一样具备完美的摄影技术和精准的舞蹈编排。

But as Jackson’s fame grew, his eccentricities—from his strange affinity for children and childish things to his, at times, asexual image to his fascination with plastic surgery—began to dull the shine of his sparkling image.

但是，随着杰克逊名气的增长，他的很多怪癖——从对儿童和孩子气事物的迷恋，到他塑造的无性形象再到对频繁的整形手术的狂热，使他闪亮的明星光环黯淡不少。

If his plastic surgery made him disturbingly unwatchable, soon, allegations of child abuse would make him reviled by many.He was overwhelmed with legal and financial troubles and went into seclusion after the trial for child molestation ended in 2005.

如果说整形手术让他变得惨不忍睹，那么接踵而来的娈童案则让他成了众矢之的。当时的他完全被法律和财务纠纷击溃了。于是，他在2005年娈童案结束后毅然选择了隐居。几年隐居生活之后，杰克逊似乎不太可能复出乐坛了。

A comeback seemed to be most unlikely.But when he announced he’d be doing a series of comeback concerts at London’s famed O2 Arena, not only did the initial dates sell out immediately, the demand was so insatiable he was signed on for an unprecedented 50 shows.

然而，当他宣布将在伦敦著名的O2体育场举办复出演唱会后，不仅最初几场的门票即刻售空，巨大的需求缺口迫使他又加签了50场，演出场数之多，无人能及。在三月份的系列演唱会结束后，他便开始着手世界巡演了。

He was expected to embark on a worldwide tour sometime after the concert series was completed in March.

至此，不会再有他的复出演唱会了，也不会再有“杰克逊五兄弟”的团聚了，更不会有新作品与数百万粉丝一起分享了。

Of course, there will be no comeback now, no Jackson 5 reunion, no new music to share with millions of fans.But the legacy he leaves behind is so rich, so deep, that no scandal can torpedo it.The“Thriller”may be gone, but the thrill will always remain.

但是，他留给我们的回忆既丰富又深刻，任何丑闻都不能将之摧毁。那个唱着《颤栗》的“怪人”杰克逊走了，但他曾带给我们的震撼将永存人心。