危機重重的英國女歌星

One of the UK's top young female vocalists has cancelled a series of high-profile European concerts following a short stay in hospital after suffering"severe exhaustion".

　　Smokey-voiced jazz and soul singer Amy Winehouse has backed out of a number of dates, including two concerts supporting veteran UK rockers The Rolling Stones.

　　Fears are growing for the health of the 23-year-old singer who has cancelled a number of live performances already this summer citing"exhaustion", a word often used by publicists to mask more serious problems.

　　The pressures of fame may be taking their toll on Amy who has frequently appeared in newspapers and celebrity magazines clearly the worse for wear.

　　The award-winning jazz star has admitted to battling anorexia and bulimia in the past and has appeared to be drunk while participating in television shows.

　　Amy herself has cited perfectionism as one reason for some of her recent cancellations.

　　She said:"I know it's last-minute and a bit irresponsible. But I'm a perfectionist and would rather reschedule a show than do it half-heartedly."

　　Amy is not the UK's only new female star who is becoming as famous for her party lifestyle as her music.

　　Other young artists like Lily Allen and Joss Stone have also cancelled concerts and been portrayed behaving erratically in the media.

　　Lily however has a doctor's note to prove her illness 每 she posted the note on her blog along with an entry saying she was now"back in London eating my mum＊s chicken soup".

　　GLOSSARY 詞滙表

　　female vocalists女歌唱家
　　severe exhaustion筋疲力盡
　　smokey-voiced嘶啞低沉的聲音
　　backed out of退出；謝絕
　　dates日期
　　citing措辤
　　publicists新聞發佈人士
　　mask麪具
　　pressures of fame成名的壓力
　　taking their toll付出其代價
　　the worse for wear穿得破舊不堪，（喻）精疲力盡/醉醺醺的
　　anorexia厭食症
　　bulimia貪食症
　　perfectionism完美主義者
　　last-minute最後一刻
　　half-heartedly半心半意地
　　party lifestyle派對生活方式
　　behaving erratically怪僻/反常的表現
　　doctor's note毉生証明
　　blog博客