The World Famous Musician:Bach

廣東中山市卓雅外國(guó)語(yǔ)學(xué)校 蘭方晨

John Sebastian Bach was born in amusicalfamily in Germany in 1685.His father and all his relatives were all musicians.So it is notstrangethat the John Sebastian Bach wished to become a musician too,as he grew up in a musical family and was interested in music.

約翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫1685年出生于德國(guó)一個(gè)音樂(lè)世家。他父親和他所有的弟兄都是樂(lè)師。因此，約翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫希望成為音樂(lè)家也就不足為奇了，因?yàn)樗窃谝魳?lè)中長(zhǎng)大的，對(duì)音樂(lè)也很感興趣。

In his native village,little John worked and played,went to school,and studied music as much as the other German children did.At school,John studiedarithmetic,grammar,Latin,andGreek.There,too,several hours each week were spent in the study of music.He was always happy when the time for music came.He joined the schoolchoir.The school choir often sang at church services andweddings.Clearer and sweeter than any other could be heard the voice of little John.

在他的家鄉(xiāng)，小約翰像其他德國(guó)孩子一樣工作、玩耍、上學(xué)、學(xué)習(xí)音樂(lè)。在學(xué)校里，約翰學(xué)習(xí)了算術(shù)、語(yǔ)法、拉丁語(yǔ)和希臘語(yǔ)。同時(shí)在學(xué)校，他每周也要花幾個(gè)小時(shí)學(xué)習(xí)音樂(lè)。上音樂(lè)課時(shí)，他總是很高興。他加入了學(xué)校的唱詩(shī)班。學(xué)校唱詩(shī)班經(jīng)常在教堂禮拜儀式和婚禮上演唱。小約翰的聲音比任何人的聲音都更清晰、更甜美。

Little John learned something aboutorganplaying during the next few years.These were the years filled with hard work;but they were happy years,nevertheless.Heno longersang in the white-robed choir,butdevotedhis time to the piano,violin,and organ.When he was eighteen,heobtained a positionwhere he played the violin in the duke’s band.He was greatly pleased withcourtlife.By the way,his grandfather,a musician,too,had once lived at the same court.

在接下來(lái)的幾年里，這個(gè)小伙子學(xué)了一些管風(fēng)琴的演奏。這些年充滿了艱苦的工作，然而，這是幸福的歲月。他不再身穿白色長(zhǎng)袍在唱詩(shī)班唱歌，而是把時(shí)間花在彈鋼琴、拉小提琴和演奏管風(fēng)琴上。18歲時(shí)，他獲得了一個(gè)職位，在公爵的樂(lè)隊(duì)演奏小提琴。他對(duì)宮廷生活非常滿意。順便說(shuō)一下，他的祖父也是一位音樂(lè)家，也曾住在同一個(gè)宮廷里。

Young Bach did not remain a year in the service of the duke.At the end of summer,he accepted a position as organist in a small town.From 1703 until 1723,Bach went from place to place as an organist and teacher.Sometimes he was a church organist.Sometimes he was a court musician for somenoble prince.

年輕的巴赫在公爵手下待了不到一年。夏末時(shí)，他接受了一份在小鎮(zhèn)上當(dāng)管風(fēng)琴手的工作。從1703年到1723年，巴赫作為管風(fēng)琴樂(lè)師和教師輾轉(zhuǎn)各地。有時(shí)他是教堂的管風(fēng)琴手，有時(shí)他是某個(gè)貴族王子的宮廷音樂(lè)家。

Although Bach played the violin and the piano well,he was mostskillfulas anorganist.Hisfamewasspreadingthroughout all Germany.He often went on journeys to try new organs.On those trips,he sometimes played for kings and nobles.

雖然巴赫的小提琴和鋼琴演奏得很好，但作為一名管風(fēng)琴手，他的技巧最為嫻熟。事實(shí)上，他的名聲傳遍了整個(gè)德國(guó)。他經(jīng)常去旅行，嘗試演奏新的管風(fēng)琴樂(lè)。在這些旅行中，他有時(shí)為國(guó)王和貴族演奏。

Once,he played an organ solo for the crown prince.The crown prince was greatly pleased with Bach’spedal solo.The hands of the musician at rest but the music didn’t stop.That was what the prince heard and saw.The crown prince expressed great surprise.When the beautiful music had died away,he drew from his finger a ring set with precious stones.He gave it to the musician,saying,“I have never listened to such a wonderful organist before.”

有一次，他為王儲(chǔ)獨(dú)奏管風(fēng)琴。王儲(chǔ)對(duì)巴赫的踏板獨(dú)奏非常滿意。音樂(lè)家的雙手在休息，但音樂(lè)沒(méi)有停止。這就是王儲(chǔ)的所見(jiàn)所聞。王儲(chǔ)表示非常驚訝。當(dāng)美妙的音樂(lè)消失后，他從手指上取下一枚鑲滿寶石的戒指。他把戒指送給音樂(lè)家,說(shuō)：“我從來(lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)過(guò)這么棒的管風(fēng)琴手演奏。”

On the 30th of July,1750,at the age of sixty-five,the“Father of Music”passed away.Very little notice was taken of his death.No choir sanghymnsat hisfuneral,even no cross marked the spot where he wasburied.

1750年7月30日，這位“音樂(lè)之父”逝世，享年65歲。很少有人注意到他的死。沒(méi)有唱詩(shī)班在他的葬禮上唱贊美詩(shī)，他被埋葬的地方連十字架都沒(méi)有。

Almost a hundred years after Bach’s death,Felix Mendelssohn began to play his music.Then people began toappreciateand love the old master.They were sorry that so little had been done for him.Through the efforts of Mendelssohn,amonumentwaserectedin Leipzig to Bach’smemory.

在巴赫去世將近100年后，費(fèi)利克斯·門(mén)德?tīng)査砷_(kāi)始演奏他的音樂(lè)。于是，人們開(kāi)始欣賞和喜愛(ài)這位大師。他們很遺憾沒(méi)有為他做過(guò)什么。門(mén)德?tīng)査赏ㄟ^(guò)努力，在萊比錫建了一座紀(jì)念巴赫的紀(jì)念碑。

Even if no monument had been erected,we should honor his name.His works are his best monument and will last as long as people love music.

即使沒(méi)有樹(shù)立紀(jì)念碑，我們也應(yīng)該記住他的名字。他的作品是他最好的豐碑，只要人們熱愛(ài)音樂(lè)，他就會(huì)永垂不朽。

Notes:

musical adj.音樂(lè)的

strange adj.奇怪的

arithmetic n.算術(shù)

grammar n.語(yǔ)法

Latin n.拉丁文

Greek n.希臘文

choir n.合唱隊(duì)

wedding n.婚禮

organ n.管風(fēng)琴

nevertheless adv.不過(guò)

no longer 不再；再也不

devote to 致力于

obtain v.獲得

position n.職位

court n.宮廷

noble n.貴族

prince n.王子

skillful adj.技藝精湛的

organist n.管風(fēng)琴家

fame n.名聲；名氣

spread v.傳播

pedal solo 踏板獨(dú)奏

pass away 去世；逝世

hymn n.贊美詩(shī)；圣歌

funeral n.葬禮

bury v.埋葬

appreciate v.欣賞

monument n.紀(jì)念碑

erect v.豎立；矗立

memory n.記憶；紀(jì)念

I.Choose the correct option A,B or C.

( ) 1.John Sebastian Bach was born in ______.

A.Russia B.Italy C.Germany

( ) 2.John Sebastian Bach wished to become a ______,when was a small boy.

A.professor B.musician C.pilot

( ) 3.John Sebastian Bach was always ______,when the time for music came.

A.happy B.angry C.excited

( ) 4.When John Sebastian Bach was 18,he obtained a position where he played the ______in a band.

A.piano B.guitar C.violin

( ) 5.John Sebastian Bach died in ______.

A.1685 B.1750 C.1723

II.Put the following into Chinese.

1.a musical family ________

2.grow up _______________

3.study grammar __________

4.as much as _____________

5.hard work ______________

6.no longer ______________

7.at the end of ____________

8.pass away ______________

9.great surprise ___________

10.play the organ __________