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Frédéric Chopin: Pride of Poland 肖邦：钢琴诗人．波兰之光

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

At the age of seven, Frédéric Chopin had two polonaises under his belt and was being compared to Mozart. Nearly two hundred years later, music lovers across the world continue to enjoy these Polish dances as they celebrate the prodigy’s bicentennial. Marking two centuries since the birthday of history’s best-loved Pole, 2010 is the year of Chopin; and from Paris to Taipei, he is being honored.

弗雷德里克．肖邦7岁时便创作了两首波兰舞曲，人们将之与莫扎特相提并论。将近200年后的今日，全世界音乐爱好者仍继续沉醉在这些波兰舞曲中，并庆祝这位神童的200周年诞辰。2010年是历史上最受喜爱的波兰人200岁的生日，今年绝对可说是属于肖邦的一年。从巴黎到台北，全世界都向肖邦致意。

 

By all accounts, Chopin was a quick-witted, bright, good-natured boy. It was his desire to be like his mother, a keen pianist herself, that sparked his interest in the instrument, prompting his older sister to teach little Frédéric how to play. His extraordinary talents were quickly noted, and a professional tutor took over his lessons when Chopin was six. By the age of 11, his compositions were well-received, and he had even performed in front of Tsar Alexander I.

根据许多说法，肖邦小时候是个机灵聪明且善良的男生。她的母亲是充满热忱的优秀钢琴家，这激发了肖邦对钢琴的兴趣，并促使他姊姊开始教他钢琴。他卓越的才能很快地便受到注意，在6岁时就有专业的家教接手为肖邦授课。11岁时，肖邦的作品就广受欢迎，甚至还在沙皇亚历山大一世的面前演出。

 

Studying music theory through his teens, Chopin was simultaneously exposed to the rich, authentic music of the Polish villagers. These folk influences would permeate Chopin’s work. On finishing school in 1829, Chopin indulged his desire to travel and, before he knew it, he was finding success in stylish Vienna. In 1832, Chopin settled in Paris – which would remain his home – where he charged a fortune for piano lessons and gave intimate live performances in salon bars, all the while composing. He enjoyed the company of notable artists and musicians and saw his reputation soar.

在学习音乐理论的同时，青少年时期的肖邦同时接触到波兰民族丰富真实的当地音乐。这些民族音乐对肖邦的影响充分体现在他的作品之中。1829年完成学业后，肖邦沉浸于四处旅行，很快地就红遍当时最前卫的维也纳。1832年肖邦定居巴黎，借着教导钢琴致富，并在沙龙举办小型演奏会，在此同时他也不断创作音乐。他结识了许多知名音乐家，并且声名大噪。

 

Chopin was then to meet George Sands, a French feminist novelist, and begin a love affair that would last until 1847. Throughout this time, he wrote music, but his health was falling. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and the disease claimed his life in 1849.

不久之后，肖邦认识了一位法国女性主义小说家乔治．桑，与她展开一段恋情，维持至1847年。这段期间肖邦持续创作，但他的健康每况愈下。肖邦被诊断出患有结核病，而此疾病于1849年夺走他的生命。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

under one’s belt【口】达到的; 获得的; 在以往的经历中 in one's possession or experience

-witted [ˋwɪtɪd] adj.（构成形容词）表示"智力……的

quick-witted [ˋkwɪkˋwɪtɪd] adj. 机敏的；有急智的

keen [kin] adj. 热衷的; 敏锐的

spark [spɑrk] v. 激励；鼓舞

prompt [prɑmpt] v. 促使；激励

extraordinary [ɪkˋstrɔrdn͵ɛrɪ] adj. 非凡的﹐出色的

simultaneously [saɪməlˋtenɪəslɪ] adv. 同时地

expose [ɪkˋspoz] v. 使暴露于；使接触到

intimate [ˋɪntəmɪt] adj. 个人的，私人的; 亲密的，熟悉的

compose [kəmˋpoz] v. 作（诗，曲等）

soar [sor] v. 飞腾; 骤升

diagnose [ˋdaɪəgnoz] v. 诊断

 

More Information

单词发音

 

Chopin [ˈʃoʊpæn] 肖邦

polonaise [͵poləˋnez] n. 波洛奈兹舞〔19世纪盛行的一种波兰慢步舞〕

prodigy [ˋprɑdədʒɪ] n. 奇才，天才

bicentennial [͵baɪsɛnˋtɛnɪəl] adj. 二百周年纪念的

Pole [pol] n. 波兰人

by all accounts 据说; 根据报导 according to what everyone is saying

good-natured [ˋgʊdˋnetʃɚd] adj. 和蔼的，温厚的

take over 接管, 继任 to assume the control or management of or the responsibility for

composition [͵kɑmpəˋzɪʃən] n. 作曲; 作品

well-received 受到欢迎的 getting a good reaction from people

tsar [tsɑr] n.〔1917年以前统治俄国的〕沙皇

authentic [ɔˋθɛntɪk] adj. 正宗的; 原汁原味的

folk [fok] n. 民间音乐；民俗音乐 Informal short for folk music

permeate [ˋpɝmɪ͵et] v. 浸透；充满；弥漫

indulge [ɪnˋdʌldʒ] v. 沉迷；放纵自己

Vienna [vɪˋɛnə] n. 维也纳（奥地利首都）

charge [tʃɑrdʒ] v. 索价; 收费

all the while 一直, 始终 for all of a period of time

tuberculosis [tju͵bɝkjəˋlosɪs] n.【医】结核病

claim [klem] v.（疾病，意外）夺去（生命）

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

Chopin wrote for the piano not as an accompaniment, but as a solo instrument. As an extremely gifted pianist himself, his compositions are technically challenging and demand great skill from their performers. However, they are far more than piano studies. Written from the heart, they have a depth of expression and poetic quality that stand Chopin apart.

肖邦的作品将钢琴作为独奏，而非伴奏乐器。由于他本身便是位极具天赋的钢琴家，所以他的作品演奏起来相当艰难，高度考验着表演者的技巧。然而肖邦的作品不只是技巧的练习。他的音乐出自内心，有着深沉细腻的情感与诗意，这才是肖邦出众之处。

 

Chopin’s great range makes it hard to generalize his music. Where Schumann heard “dissonances,” Liszt heard a “gentle, harmonious genius.” But one thing that seems to characterize Chopin’s work is his nationalism. Indeed, Sands described him as “more Polish than Poland,” and this passion defines the sound of the composer. The long history of his oppressed homeland, and the peasant folk songs of his past, influenced his polonaises and his mazurkas. In turn, this pride was picked up on by other composers, particularly in Eastern Europe, who for the first time felt free to reflect their heritage in their music.

肖邦创作范围之广让人们很难为他的音乐作简单概述。舒曼从他音乐听见了「不和谐」，但在李斯特耳中他却是个「温柔协调的天才」。不过似乎有某一元素贯穿了肖邦所有的作品：民族主义。的确，乔治．桑描述肖邦为「比波兰更波兰」，对波兰的感情充分定义了肖邦的音乐。他的家乡长久以来被压迫的历史，以及小时候接触到的民族音乐，都深深影响了他的波兰舞曲和马祖卡舞曲。此后许多作曲家都注意到这种民族的荣耀性，特别是东欧的音乐家。他们首次感到能自由地将自身的文化遗产融入自己的音乐当中。

 

Many musicians thank Chopin for revolutionizing or reinventing different piano genres. He is particularly famed for the unique sense of rhythm he possessed as a musician and incorporated into his work as a composer. An expert in rubato, Chopin was able to increase or decrease the tempo of a piece to convey emotion. This makes the work of Chopin notoriously difficult to master.

许多音乐家都很感念肖邦对不同音乐类别的改革或再造。肖邦最著名的是他独特的节奏感，并将这种技巧融会在作品之中。身为「弹性速度」的专家，肖邦能充分运用速度的增减来表达情绪。这也让他的作品出了名地难精通。

 

Although Chopin died in Paris and was buried there, his heart was returned to his beloved Poland, as he requested in his will. While his Paris grave is, to this day, covered in flowers, his heart, preserved in alcohol, is buried in a Polish church beneath an inscription from the Bible: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

虽然肖邦逝世于巴黎并埋葬在那里，他的心脏却依照他的遗嘱被送回到他深爱的波兰。直至今日，肖邦位于巴黎的坟墓盖满鲜花，而他的心脏则被保存于酒精之中，埋在波兰一间教堂的柱子中，上头刻着圣经中的一段文字：「因为你的财宝在那里、你的心也在那里。」

 

−by Alice Davis

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

extremely [ɪkˋstrimlɪ] adv. 极其；非常

gifted [ˋgɪftɪd] adj. 有天资的，有天赋的

poetic [poˋɛtɪk] adj. 充满诗意的

generalize [ˋdʒɛnərəl͵aɪz] v. 归纳，概括

harmonious [hɑrˋmonɪəs] adj. 音调和谐的﹐悦耳的

oppressed [ɑˋprɛst] adj. 受压迫的﹐受压制的

heritage [ˋhɛrətɪdʒ] n. 遗产

possess [pəˋzɛs] v. 拥有，持有；具有

decrease [dɪˋkris] v. 减少；降低

convey [kənˋve] v. 传达; 表达〔想法﹑感情〕

beloved [bɪˋlʌvɪd] adj. 心爱的﹐钟爱的﹐喜爱的

 

More Information

单词发音

 

accompaniment [əˋkʌmpənɪmənt] n.【音】伴奏

stand apart 超然 to appear clearly different from other things or people

dissonance [ˋdɪsənəns] n. 不和谐音；不一致

nationalism [ˋnæʃən!ɪzəm] n. 民族主义

peasant [ˋpɛznt] n.〔贫穷国家的或从前的〕农民﹐农夫

mazurka [məˋzɝkə] n. 马厝卡舞曲

pick up on 【美】【口】了解到; 注意到 to notice

rubato [ruˋbɑto] n.【音】弹性速度

tempo [ˋtɛmpo] n. 速度，拍子

notoriously [noˋtɔrɪəslɪ] adv. [坏的方面] 有名地

inscription [ɪnˋskrɪpʃən] n. 铭刻；铭文；碑文

 

 

Reading Questions

 

1. Why did Chopin become interested in playing the piano?

A. His older sister wanted to teach him to play.

B. He wanted to be like his idol, Mozart.

C. He desired to be rich and famous one day.

D. He was influenced by his mother’s piano playing.

 

2. Which of the following is NOT true about Chopin?

A. Chopin played in front of famous world leaders.

B. Chopin taught himself to play piano at a young age.

C. Chopin lived in Paris as an adult.

D. Chopin’s music is still popular today.

 

3. According to the article, what can we say about Chopin’s music?

A. His compositions were clever, yet easy to play.

B. Chopin used a classical style that was somewhat limited.

C. He preferred to have people recite poems as he played.

D. Most of Chopin’s songs for piano did not feature other instruments.

 

4. What is the main idea of this article?

A. Chopin was a musical genius who is a source of pride for Polish people.

B. Although he was misunderstood, Chopin will never be forgotten.

C. Playing Chopin’s songs is still an extremely difficult task.

D. Chopin’s popularity soared a few years after his death.

 

 

Chopin Horowitz Polonaise N 2 Op 53 Moscou

 

Chopin Mazurka Op.17 No.4 (Horowitz)

 

Mazurka

 

Chopin Biography (BBC)

 

 

 

 

Answer

1. ( D )

2. ( B )

3. ( D )

4. ( A )