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Music on Wheels! 我的车子会唱歌

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With recycling all the rage nowadays, the more alternative uses that can be devised for products, the better. Having said this, it would take a huge stretch of the imagination to come up with the idea of constructing an orchestra of instruments from a single car. But this is exactly what American sound designer Bill Milbrodt and his 22-strong team managed to achieve.

回收再生风潮正夯，能为产品设计出越多替代用途，也就越好。话虽如此，但是要想出只用一辆汽车来制造一整支交响乐团乐器的构想，还非得要十分丰富的想象力才行。不过美国的音效设计师比尔．梅布德和他多达22人的团队却真的办到了。

The Car Music Project started over a decade ago with Milbrodt assembling some musical instruments out of the parts of his old Honda. After gaining some public attention, Milbrodt was asked by the Ford Motor Company to put his transforming talents to use in their latest advertising campaign. The resulting commercial for the Ford Focus premiered on television screens earlier this year. In it, a group of musicians perform a specially written composition on 30 different instruments, all made from Ford Focus parts.

〈汽车音乐计划〉始于十多年前，当时梅布德用他本田旧车上的零件拼装出一些乐器。在引起瞩目后，梅布德应福特汽车公司之邀，把他的改造天分运用到该公司最新的宣传活动。完成的这支福特Focus汽车广告于今年稍早在电视首播。广告中，一群音乐家演奏了一首特别谱写的乐曲，而他们用的30种不同乐器全是以福特Focus的零件制成。

Among them are a window frame harp, a clutch guitar, and a double bass assembled from fenders and part of the roof. The music these instruments produce is certainly unique and also very listenable. Indeed, the Ford Focus orchestra has proved to be a big crowd-puller, and recently hit the road for a successful tour of Europe. It just goes to show that cars are good for more than just driving!

其中包括用窗框做的竖琴、离合器做的吉他，以及用挡泥板与一部份车顶制成的低音提琴。这些乐器所演奏出来的音乐自然十分独特，同时也相当悦耳动听。的确，这支福特Focus交响乐团已证实极具群众魅力，最近更开始在欧洲成功巡回表演。这正说明了汽车可不是只能用来开而已！

−by David Vickers

Vocabulary

单词发音

alternative [ɔlˋtɝnətɪv] adj. 替代的；供选择的

orchestra [ˋɔrkɪstrə] n. 管弦乐队

assemble [əˋsɛmb!] v. 配装，装

premiere [prɪˋmjɛr] n. 初次上演

composition [͵kɑmpəˋzɪʃən] n.（大型）乐曲

More Information

片语发音

on wheels  在车轮上, 用汽车

all the rage 风行一时 to be very fashionable

having said this 不过，然而 nonetheless; nevertheless; however

stretch of the imagination  延伸的想象力  derived from “by any stretch of the imagination”: as much as anyone could imagine; as much as is imaginable

sound designer  音效设计师

strong [strɔŋ] adj.（兵员，人数）多达……的

campaign [kæmˋpen] n. 活动; 运动

commercial [kəˋmɝʃəl] n.（电视、广播中的）商业广告

window frame 窗框；窗架

harp [hɑrp] n. 竖琴

clutch [klʌtʃ] n.【机】离合器；离合器踏板

double bass【音】低音提琴

fender [ˋfɛndɚ] n.【美】（汽车等的）防护板，挡泥板

listenable [ˋlɪsnəb!] adj. 值得一听的

crowd-puller 吸引人群的人（或事物）

hit the road【口】上路; 出发 to depart; to begin one's journey, especially on a road trip; to leave for home.

Reading Questions

1.  How did Bill Milbrodt get involved with Ford?

A. He is a famous sound designer and Ford asked him to start the Car Music Project.

B. He had made commercials for Honda, and Ford hired him based on this experience.

C. Ford hired him after he had gained recognition for his Car Music Project.

D. He asked Ford to help him fund his Car Music Project, and they agreed.

2.  Which of the following statements is true?

A. The unique instruments include a guitar made out of a window frame.

B. The Ford Focus orchestra has had recent touring success.

C. The group performed a version of a famous song for the commercial.

D. The music produced by the instruments is not pleasing to the ear.

3.  What could be an alternative title for the passage?

A. Car Instruments – A Step-by-Step Introduction

B. Ford – A Reliable Company You Can Trust

C. Ford’s New Advertising Campaign

D. Sound Designer Drives Forward His Car Music Project

New Ford Focus "Beautifully Arranged"

 Answer