美麗心靈晨讀英語(yǔ)美文27: American's Music Taste 美國(guó)人的音樂(lè)品味

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27 美國(guó)人的音樂(lè)品味

James Fenimore Cooper, an early American writer, once said, "The All1eri-cans are almost ignorant of the art of music." If that was once true, you would never know it today. Most Americans -even those without a musical bone in their bodies -have a favorite style of music. Many people enjoy classical and folk music from around the world. But other popular music styles in America were "made in the U.S.A."

一位美國(guó)早期的作家柯柏曾說(shuō)美國(guó)人對(duì)音樂(lè)藝術(shù)幾乎可以說(shuō)是相當(dāng)?shù)臒o(wú)知。"如采這話曾經(jīng)是事實(shí)，今日你絕不會(huì)這么認(rèn)為了。大部份的美國(guó)人，甚至包括那些沒(méi)有音樂(lè)細(xì)胞的人，都有自己喜愛(ài)的音樂(lè)形態(tài)。許多人喜歡世界各國(guó)的古典音樂(lè)和民俗音樂(lè)，然而美國(guó)其它的流行音樂(lè)則是"在美國(guó)制造"的。

The 1950s saw the development of an explosive new music style: rock 'n' roll. Performers like Elvis Presley and songs like Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" made rock music widely popular. This powerful music style addresses issues like love, sex, drugs, politics and death. Often it rebels against the accepted values of society. Rock concerts, featuring loud music and sometimes weird stage acts, have become a major part of American youth culture. Music videos on television have spread the message of rock to the far comers of the globe.

五零年代見證了一種爆炸性新樂(lè)風(fēng)的發(fā)展:搖滾樂(lè)。像貓王這樣的歌手以及像哈利的這樣的歌，使搖滾音樂(lè)普遍地受到歡迎。這種極具震撼力的音樂(lè)形態(tài)探討了愛(ài)情、性、吸毒、政治及死亡等的主題。它常常叛離社會(huì)所接受的價(jià)值標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。標(biāo)榜大聲的音樂(lè)、甚至怪異的舞臺(tái)表演的搖滾音樂(lè)會(huì)，已成為美國(guó)年輕人文化主要的一部分。而MTV已將這股搖滾的風(fēng)潮傳到世界最遠(yuǎn)的角落了。

And the beat goes on. Pop music represents popular styles- like the music of Karen Carpenter -that have wide appeal. "Golden oldies" from the past bring back pleasant memories for many. Rap music, which burst onto the music scene in the 1970s, is actually more like a rhyming chant. Rappers give a strong -sometimes vulgar -message about life in the streets.

音樂(lè)的節(jié)奏繼續(xù)延伸下去。通俗樂(lè)代表了受大眾喜愛(ài)的音樂(lè)風(fēng)格，像卡朋特兄妹的音樂(lè)即吸引廣大的群眾。這些過(guò)去歲月中的遺留下來(lái)的"黃金老歌為許多人帶來(lái)愉快的回憶。饒舌音樂(lè)在七零年代快速躍上音樂(lè)的舞臺(tái)，它事實(shí)上很像是極具節(jié)奏性的唱話。饒舌歌手傳達(dá)出強(qiáng)烈、有時(shí)是低俗的街頭生活信息。

Americans have always been a religious people, and music has long been a part of their religious experience, as well. From colonial days, hymns and praise songs have enhanced worship. Negro spiritual" such as "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen," reflect hope in God in the midst of suffering. Today's Christian styles fit all rnusical tastes - from country to jazz to pop to rock to rap.

美國(guó)人一向是相當(dāng)宗教性的民族，而音樂(lè)長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)也是生他們宗教經(jīng)驗(yàn)中的一部份。自殖民時(shí)期開始，詩(shī)歌和贊美詩(shī)都日提升了敬拜的層次。像"無(wú)人知道我的困難"這樣的黑人靈歌，反映出苦難中對(duì)上帝的盼望。今天的基督教音樂(lè)包含了各式的樂(lè)風(fēng)——從鄉(xiāng)村、到爵士、到通俗、到搖滾、再到饒舌歌。

In America, music is a shared experience. People grow up with piano lessons, chorus classes and marching band practices. They can talk about their tastes in music when there isn't anything else to talk about. If James Fenimore Cooper were here today, he would surely have to change his tune.

在美國(guó)，音樂(lè)是一種大家共有的經(jīng)驗(yàn)。人們?cè)阡撉僬n、合唱課程和參與游行樂(lè)隊(duì)的演練經(jīng)驗(yàn)中成長(zhǎng)。當(dāng)無(wú)話可談的時(shí)候，他們就可以談?wù)勛约簩?duì)音樂(lè)的喜好。如采今天柯柏還在世的話，他就得改變他的論調(diào)了。

注釋：

folk ：adj. 民間的

例句：Do you like folk music?
你喜歡民間音樂(lè)嗎?

Rappers：說(shuō)唱歌手、饒舌歌手

例句：Rappers give a strong--sometimes vulgar--message about life in the streets.
饒舌歌手傳達(dá)出強(qiáng)烈、有時(shí)是低俗的街頭生活信息。

hymns ：n. 贊美詩(shī);圣詩(shī)

例句：I like singing hymns.
我喜歡唱圣歌。