Fans all over the world gathered at the Los  Angeles cemetery where Michael Jackson, one of the most stunning musicians of all time, is at rest, paying tribute to him on 25th June, the second anniversary of his death.

  Truth be told, everything really changed for die-hard fans of Michael Jackson after he passed away two years ago. The sorrow resulting from the fact that he’s truly dead gradually fades as time goes by, while love and worship  of him  are everlasting.

  Looking back at the history of popular culture, few entertainers have triggered as  much praise and criticism as Michael Jackson . Now let’s just take a glimpse at his legendary yet controversial life.

  As we all know, Michael Jackson climbed to great fame at an early age. He debuted along with his brothers in a group  called The Jackson 5.  in  1971 he launched his solo career.  Michael Jackson is regarded as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guiness World Records. His music videos enjoy popularity among millions of people, with the album Thriller, released in 1982, being the best-selling  in history. Tickets to his live concerts were hard to get since  so many fans were  making every possible effort  to get one. In particular, Michael Jackson initiated a series of dance techniques through performances, many of which are quite familiar , such as  the robot and the moonwalk. Whenever Michael Jackson was onstage , people would scream at the top of their lungs, and some even got  so excited that they passed out. With his unique singing and dance style, Michael Jackson  profoundly influenced  countless entertainers.

  Owing to his amazing achievements in music, Michael Jackson  won various awards. He is one of the few who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame.  In addition, he is also a Guinness World Records holder and the winner of 13 Grammy Awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. What’s more, he won  a record-shattering 26 American Music Awards including Artist of the Century.

  Michael Jackson was also a humanitarian  who did a lot of charity work, which is another  reason why he was well-respected. He raised and donated a huge amount of money to charity organizations to help people in need. It’s estimated that he gave a total of hundreds of millions of dollars for beneficial causes. Also, he donated a great deal of  money  anonymously . In addition, he  visited hospitals to encourage seriously ill children and asked doctors or nurses what he could do to help them better recover. As some of his friends recall, Michael Jackson would never hesitate to buy whatever medical equipment was needed no matter how expensive it was.

  As a matter of fact, his enthusiasm toward charity was also revealed by songs he composed. In 1991, the song “Heal the World” was released, which was from his hit album Dangerous. In the lyrics, Michael Jackson shared with us his belief that we’ll find there is no need to cry if we really try and in this place we’ll feel there is no hurt and sorrow. Furthermore, we can easily sense his willingness to help turn this world into a better place. The music video of this song features children from  poverty-stricken countries who greatly suffered from starvation and sickness. Michael Jackson dedicated this song to spectators in a halftime show for the Super  Bowl  in 1993,  an unforgettable memory for those who always adore him.

  In an online chat with fans in 2001, Michael Jackson expressed that “Heal the World” was the song he felt most proud of among all he ever created. He also set up the Heal the World Foundation aimed at improving the lives of children. This organization also tried to spread the conception that we need to help others among children. “Betterment for all”  became an indispensable part of the HIStory World Tour.  

  It can’t be denied that there  were scandals about Michael Jackson’s personal life , including his changing appearance, relationships and so forth. The most astonishing one is that he was accused of child sexual abuse  in 1993 and 2005, which was described as the biggest lie that has ever been told by his mother in an interview on May 5, 2011.

  On  June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson was found dead while he was preparing for the concert series This Is It. His fans  were all grieved when this news was  made known. His memorial service was held at the Staples Center in Los Angels on  June 7, ending up with a group performance of “Heal the World”.. One billion people watched on television.

  Luckily enough, the world is surely becoming better as Michael Jackson always wished despite occasional battles and disasters in some countries. He can not be with us any longer, which we might feel sad about, but the desire for a better future remains.

    6月25日，在Michael Jackson逝世两周年的那，世界各地的粉丝聚集在位于洛杉矶的墓地旁，向这位有史以来最伟大的音乐家之一寄托哀思。

    坦白说，即使是对于最死忠的歌迷，一切都没有不一样，他的离开给我们带来的悲痛随着时间的推移已经淡去，但是对他的爱和敬仰却是永恒。

    纵观流行文化发展的历史，我们很难找到另外一个人可以像Michael Jackson那样引发那么多的赞许和批评。现在就让我们一起回顾一下他富有传奇色彩又饱受争议的人生吧。

    众所周知，Michael Jackson早年就名声鹊起。他最初登台演出是跟自己的兄弟一起组成名为The Jackson 5的团体。然后在1974年他独自踏上了演艺的道路。在这之后，Michael Jackson被认为是40多年里最成功的艺人。他的音乐录影带广受欢迎，其中他在1982年发行的专辑Thriller是迄今为止最畅销的。大家都极尽所能想去他的演唱会所以一票难求。尤其要说的是，Michael Jackson在表演中首创一系列专属的舞步，这当中有一些为我们所熟知，比如机器舞和太空步。每当Michael Jackson站在舞台上，大家都会声嘶力竭地叫喊，很多人还会因为过分激动晕死过去。凭着自己独树一帜的歌唱和舞蹈方式，Michael Jackson影响了无数艺人。

    因为自己在音乐方面的突出成绩，Michael Jackson一生的荣誉不胜枚举。他是为数不多的同时入选摇滚名人堂和舞蹈名人堂的艺人之一。另外，他也是多项吉尼斯世界纪录的保持者，13个格莱美奖包括格莱美终生成就奖的获得者。他破纪录地赢下了26项美国音乐大奖，并当选世纪艺人。

    Michael Jackson 还是一位乐善好施的慈善家，这也是他受人尊重的另外一个原因。他筹集并捐赠了大量的善款来帮助各国需要帮助的人。据统计，他一共捐出上亿美元，这还不包括他匿名捐出的。除此之外，他奔波于医院之间去拜访病重的孩子们，他问医生或者护士为了帮助孩子们更好的恢复他可以做些什么。据他的一些朋友回忆，他在采购医疗设备这个事情上Michael Jackson从不犹豫，不管要花多少钱。

    事实上，他对慈善的热忱通过他所写的一些歌可以得以表现。1991年，Heal the World这首歌作为热卖的专辑Dangerous的一部分震撼问世。在歌词中，Michael Jackson向我们表达了这样的信念：只要我们齐心协力，这个世界就没有伤痛和难过，我们就不会哭泣。另外，我们能够很明显地感受到他希望这个世界变得更美好的意愿。在音乐录影带中，我们能看到一群来自贫困地区的孩子，他们极大地遭受着饥饿和疾病的摧残。在1993年超级碗决赛中场休息的时候，Michael Jackson把这首歌献给了观众，这也成为崇拜他的歌迷的永远的回忆。

    2001年跟歌迷的一次在线聊天中，Michael Jackson说Heal the World是他所有创作的歌曲当中最得意的一首。他还成立了同名的基金会，旨在改善儿童的生活。这个组织试着在儿童中间传递这样一个理念，我们应该更多地帮助别人。“为了所有人更好的明天”也成为了随后他世界巡演不可缺失的部分。

    不可否认，关于Michael Jackson私生活的丑闻不断传出，包括他整容以及人际关系不好等等。而最让人意外的是他于1993年和2005年两次被指控娈童。在2011年5月5日的一次采访中，他的母亲说，这是一个弥天大谎。

    2009年6月25日，Michael Jackson去世，当时他正在为自己名为This Is It的系列演唱会做的准备。消息传出，举世同悲。他的哀悼仪式于6月7日在斯台普斯中心举行，为这次活动画上句号的正是Heal the World的集体演出。哀悼仪式在电视上直播，观众达到10亿之多。

    幸运的是，尽管在一些国家还偶有战争和灾害，我们的世界正在像Michael Jackson希望的一样变得更加美好。他已经不可能和我们同在了，我们也许会因此而难过，但是对于未来的憧憬永远不变。
 

聂长浩：新航道综合英语部口语讲师、学得快个性化学习中心雅思口语讲师。语言驾驭能力强，对口语教学有独到见解。授课轻松高效，条理清晰，极富创造力 和亲和力。深刻了解英语学习需要pressure和pleasure相结合，枯燥无味的课堂教学只会窒息了学生活泼的求知欲和学习兴趣。