中國網(wǎng)站品牌欄目（頻道）
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The farmer tramping over his grounds in Medfield, Massachusetts had a keen ear for nature that served him well in his other job as one of America’s leading composers.[1] Charles Martin Loeffler had come to America from Alsace in 1881 at the age of twenty.[2] For twenty years he played in the first violin section of the Boston Symphony, then devoted himself to[3] composing and farming. One friend recounts[4] that Loeffler’s sense of nature was as keen as his ear for music. Walking through his woods immersed in conversation, the composer would break off in mid-sentence and whisper, “see that fox!”[5] Or, passing a pond, take his companion by the arm and say, “watch that turtle raise his head.” Loeffler’s friend recalls that on a hot summer day in 1914 the composer and his wife and friends were gathered around the dinner table when Loeffler jumped up and said, “Listen to that bird! She’s in distress[6] —it must be a snake!” A hasty investigation found the bird fluttering frantically at the front door, which was adorned with leafy vines that hid a nest full of young birds.[7] One of Loeffler’s helpers reached into the vine and pulled out a long black snake. Once the snake had been killed, the mother bird flew back to comfort her agitated brood.[8] On one occasion, however, Leffler’s hearing was not so acute[9]. Word had it that a band of gypsies had been stealing things in the neighborhood. Loeffler swore that he would shoot the first trespasser he encountered on his property.[10] On a still and moonless night he was awakened by the sound of hooves[11] on the road that approached his house. Loeffler jumped from his bed, gun in hand, leaned out of the open window, and shouted at the unseen intruders, commanding them to respond at once and turn back[12] or be shot. On cue, out of the darkness, came the reply—a long, familiar moo.[13] Maybe it was keen senses—plus a touch of[14] imagination—that enabled Martin Loeffler to become one of America’s great composers. |
一位農(nóng)夫正行走在馬薩諸塞州梅菲鎮(zhèn)的田野上，他敏銳地聆聽著大自然的聲音。這種靈敏的聽覺也使他在自己的另一份職業(yè)上大有作為——成為美國最重要的作曲家之一。 1881年，20歲的查爾斯?馬丁?羅伊弗雷從阿爾薩斯來到美國。20年來，他一直在波士頓交響樂團擔(dān)任首席小提琴手，之后又從事作曲和農(nóng)耕。據(jù)一位朋友講述：羅伊弗雷對大自然和音樂都有著同樣敏感的聽力。走在樹林里，即使沉浸在交談中，這位作曲家也會突然中途停止談話，悄聲說：“快看那只狐貍！”或是經(jīng)過池塘?xí)r，他會突然抓住同伴的手臂說：“快看，那只烏龜抬起頭來了?！?/p> 羅伊弗雷的朋友回憶說，在1914年炎熱夏季的一天里，作曲家和他的妻子，還有幾個朋友，正圍坐在餐桌前，突然羅伊弗雷跳起來，他說：“聽，有只鳥在叫！她那么悲傷，周圍一定有蛇！”大家很快前去查看，發(fā)現(xiàn)一只鳥在前門處正瘋狂地拍打著翅膀，前門周圍纏繞著茂密的葡萄藤，里面藏有一個載滿雛鳥的鳥巢。羅伊弗雷的一個幫手把手伸進葡萄藤里，果真拽出了一條長長的黑蛇。蛇被殺死后，鳥媽媽飛回鳥巢安慰她那窩受驚的小鳥。 然而，有一次，羅伊弗雷的聽覺卻不那么靈敏了。據(jù)說，一伙吉普賽人一直在附近行竊。羅伊弗雷發(fā)誓要開槍打死第一個在自己地盤上碰到的闖入者。在一個寧靜而漆黑的夜晚，他被路上響起的蹄聲吵醒，響聲正朝他家靠近。羅伊弗雷從床上跳起來，手里拿槍，靠在敞開的窗戶上，沖著看不見的闖入者們大喊起來，命令他們立刻做出回應(yīng)，并停止向前，否則就開槍了。恰在此時，從黑暗中傳來了回應(yīng)——長長而熟悉的一聲牛哞。 或許正是這種敏銳的聽覺，再加上一些想象力，才使得馬丁?羅伊弗雷成為了美國偉大的作曲家之一。 （來源：英語學(xué)習(xí)雜志） |
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Vocabulary: 1. tramp: 步行，長途跋涉；serve: 對……有用，促進。 2. Charles Martin Loeffler: 查爾斯?馬丁?羅伊弗雷 (1861—1935)，美國著名作曲家。主要作品：《交響樂團的詩》、《我的童年》和《五個愛爾蘭幻想》等；Alsace: 阿爾薩斯，法國東北部一地區(qū)。 3. devote to: 從事……。 4. recount: 詳細(xì)敘述，描述。 5. immerse: 沉浸，深陷于；break off: 突然停止，突然住口。 6. distress: 悲傷。 7. flutter: 振翅；frantically: 瘋狂地；be adorned with: 用……裝飾；vine: 葡萄藤。 8. agitated: 受驚的；brood: 一窩孵出的雛鳥（或雛雞等）。 9. acute: 敏銳的。 10. trespasser: 擅自侵入者，闖入者；property: （包括工地上所建房屋在內(nèi)的）地產(chǎn)，房地產(chǎn)。 11. hoof: （馬等有蹄動物的）蹄。 12. turn back: 停止向前，折回，往回走。 13. on cue: 恰好在這時候；moo: 哞（指牛叫聲）。 14. a touch of: 少許，一點。 |
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