There are many talk-show hosts on American television， but there is only one Oprah. Her unique style is copied by many， from interviewers to politicians. But none has been able to match either her popularity or her income. Her combined talents and business sense make Oprah the United States’ first African-American billionaire. Her show has received over thirty Emmys and numerous other awards for achievements.
Some blame Oprah for turning daytime television into a string of shows about freaks① and terrible relationships. In spite of this charge， she is one of her country’s most beloved celebrities， and one of its most influential people.
Born on Jan. 29th， 1954 in Kosciusko， Mississippi， Winfrey was an extremely bright child. She learned to read at age 2 and a half. Her parents split when she was very young and she was sent to live with her grandmother on a farm. Young Oprah received her first pair of shoes at the age of six.
She had a tough childhood living with her mother from the age of 6 to 13. She then went to live with her father， Vernon Winfrey. He made sure that Oprah read a different book every week and required that she write a book report. Although this may have seemed harsh② at the time， it could have given her the love of books she has today.
Thanks to her father’s insistence that hard work and discipline were the only route to success. Her career as a broadcaster started at the young age of seventeen. She was hired by WVOL radio in Nashville. About two years later， she was signed on with WTVF—TV in the same town as a reporter and news anchor③. Oprah graduated from Tennessee State University with a major in Speech Communications and Performing Arts.
In 1978， Oprah was hired as a co-host of a show called “People Are Talking”， which began her career as a talk show host.
In 1984， Oprah moved to Chicago to host WLS-TV’s morning talk show， AM Chicago. In less than a year， the show expanded to one hour and was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 1986， it became the highest-rated talk show in television history.
Fame is a major factor in Oprah’s daily life， but it took her by surprise at first. She once said， “I was walking down the street the other day， and a woman bus driver pulled her bus over， jumped off it， and ran down the street to shake my hand. The bus was full， and this was five o’clock traffic， but the passengers loved it. Everyone was clapping， and I said to myself， ‘This is something. I must be a somebody！’”
In the USA， over twenty million viewers a week watch her show. She has an Internet website packed with topics of interest for her audience. Her monthly book club has changed many of her viewers from TV “couch potatoes” to avid④ readers and active members of Oprah’s Book Club. Each book she highlights on this show rockets onto the New York Times best-seller list.
How did Oprah become so successful？ She did not come from a perfect family. She was not born with wealth， not with the kind of looks that often unlock the doors of opportunity for women in television. Instead， Oprah was born with intelligence， talent and an amazing ability to be herself. No matter who the audience， Oprah still appears to be natural and open. Best of all， she can usually say what other people would like to say themselves， if only they dared. Well spoken and warm， she seems to care about people even when she is being blunt⑤ with them.
She has been called “girlfriend to the world”， because that is usually how she comes across—to the rich， famous， and ordinary people alike， even to former royalty⑥. After Sarah Ferguson， the Duchess of York， appeared on her show， Oprah told her audience， “It was like me. I would have been kicked out of the palace， too.”
In some ways， Oprah can do no wrong. When she makes mistakes， her fans like to say， “She’s only human. She’s just like the rest of us. ”When she is successful， her admirers think， “Oprah is showing me how I can succeed， too.” Often funny and frequently wise， when Oprah speaks， people listen.
① freakn. 任性的举动，怪诞的行动
② harshadj. 严厉的，严酷的，恶劣的
③ anchorn. 【美】(电台或电视台)新闻节目主播
④ avidadj. 渴望的，贪心的
⑤ bluntadj. 耿直的，直率的，直言不讳的
⑥ royaltyn. (总称)皇族或王族(成员)
脱口秀女王
美国脱口秀电视节目主持人为数不少，而奥普拉却只有一位。从采访记者到政界人物，很多人都模仿她那独特的风格，但无论从知名度还是从收入来讲，任何人都无法与之匹敌。奥普拉的综合才艺以及商业意识使她成为美国第一位非洲裔亿万富姐。她的节目已经获得30多个艾美奖和无数其他成就奖。
有人指责奥普拉把白天的电视节目变成了一系列讨论怪诞行为与恐怖人际关系的栏目。尽管受此非议，奥普拉依然是美国人最喜欢的名人之一，也是最具影响力的人物之一。
温弗瑞1954年1月29日出生于密西西比州的科修斯克，自幼聪颖过人。2岁半即会认字。年幼时，父母离异，她被送往农场，与祖母生活在一起。小奥普拉6岁时才穿上属于自己的第一双鞋。
从6岁到13岁，她与母亲生活在一起，这一段童年时光过得十分艰难。随后，她又与父亲弗农·温弗瑞生活在一起。父亲规定她每星期要读一本不同的书，并要求她写读书报告。虽然这种要求在当时看来有点苛刻，但却培养了她今天喜欢读书的习惯。
父亲一贯教导她：勤奋和自律是获得成功的惟一捷径。她的广播员生涯始于17岁，当时她被纳什维尔的WVOL电台录用。大约两年后，她又与该镇的WTVF电视台签约，成为该电视台的记者兼新闻主持人。奥普拉毕业于田纳西州立大学，专业是语言交际与表演艺术。
1978年，奥普拉受雇作“大家谈”栏目的节目主持人之一，从而开始了脱口秀主持人的生涯。
1984年，奥普拉移居芝加哥，主持WLS—TV的早间脱口秀节目—“芝加哥早晨”。不到一年时间，该节目延长到一小时，并且改名为“奥普拉·温弗瑞脱口秀”。1986年，该节目成为电视史上收视率最高的脱口秀节目。
名气是奥普拉日常生活中的重要因素，但起初还是令她吃惊不小。她曾说：“几天前，我正在街上走着，一名女公汽司机停车跳下来，沿马路跑过来要与我握手。当时，车里坐满了人，而且正值5点钟交通高峰，但乘客们喜欢这样。每个人都在鼓掌，于是我自言自语道：‘这可不一般，我一定是个大人物了！’”
在美国，每周有2千多万观众收看她的节目。她有一个网址，里面都是观众感兴趣的话题。每月一次的读书俱乐部节目把许多电视虫变成了废寝忘食的读书人，并成为“奥普拉读书俱乐部”的活跃成员。每期栏目里她重点推介的书籍都会人气飚升，入围《纽约时报》畅销书排行榜。
奥普拉是怎样获得如此成功的？她并非来自完美的家庭。她不是富家子女，长相也不足以助她开启电视行业的机会之门。然而，奥普拉拥有天生的悟性、才华和坚持自我的非凡能力。无论面对什么样的观众，奥普拉都能显得自然坦率。最难能可贵的是，她常能说出别人想说却不敢说的话。她善于辞令而且古道热肠，即便对人直言无忌时，也看得出是在关心他们。
她被称为“全世界人的女友”，因为她经常打交道的都是些富豪或名人，还有普通人，甚至有从前的王室成员。在约克公爵夫人萨拉·弗格森参加了她的节目后，奥普拉对观众说：“换了我，肯定也会被逐出王宫的。”
从某种程度上说，奥普拉永远是正确的。即使她犯错时，“粉丝”们会说：“她也是凡人，她像我们大家一样。”当她取得成功的时候，她的崇拜者会想：“奥普拉向我展示我也可以取得成功。”奥普拉话语诙谐，充满智慧，因此人们都喜欢听她说话。