The World Famous Musician:Bach

廣東中山市卓雅外國語學校 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年出生于德國一個音樂世家。他父親和他所有的弟兄都是樂師。因此，約翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫希望成為音樂家也就不足為奇了，因為他是在音樂中長大的，對音樂也很感興趣。

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，小約翰像其他德國孩子一樣工作、玩耍、上學、學習音樂。在學校里，約翰學習了算術、語法、拉丁語和希臘語。同時在學校，他每周也要花幾個小時學習音樂。上音樂課時，他總是很高興。他加入了學校的唱詩班。學校唱詩班經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.

在接下來的幾年里，這個小伙子學了一些管風琴的演奏。這些年充滿了艱苦的工作，然而，這是幸福的歲月。他不再身穿白色長袍在唱詩班唱歌，而是把時間花在彈鋼琴、拉小提琴和演奏管風琴上。18歲時，他獲得了一個職位，在公爵的樂隊演奏小提琴。他對宮廷生活非常滿意。順便說一下，他的祖父也是一位音樂家，也曾住在同一個宮廷里。

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，他接受了一份在小鎮上當管風琴手的工作。從1703年到1723年，巴赫作為管風琴樂師和教師輾轉各地。有時他是教堂的管風琴手，有時他是某個貴族王子的宮廷音樂家。

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，但作為一名管風琴手，他的技巧最為嫻熟。事實上，他的名聲傳遍了整個德國。他經常去旅行，嘗試演奏新的管風琴樂。在這些旅行中，他有時為國王和貴族演奏。

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，他為王儲獨奏管風琴。王儲對巴赫的踏板獨奏非常滿意。音樂家的雙手在休息，但音樂沒有停止。這就是王儲的所見所聞。王儲表示非常驚訝。當美妙的音樂消失后，他從手指上取下一枚鑲滿寶石的戒指。他把戒指送給音樂家,說：“我從來沒有聽過這么棒的管風琴手演奏?！?/p>

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“音樂之父”逝世，享年65歲。很少有人注意到他的死。沒有唱詩班在他的葬禮上唱贊美詩，他被埋葬的地方連十字架都沒有。

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，費利克斯·門德爾松開始演奏他的音樂。于是，人們開始欣賞和喜愛這位大師。他們很遺憾沒有為他做過什么。門德爾松通過努力，在萊比錫建了一座紀念巴赫的紀念碑。

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.

即使沒有樹立紀念碑，我們也應該記住他的名字。他的作品是他最好的豐碑，只要人們熱愛音樂，他就會永垂不朽。

Notes:

musical adj.音樂的

strange adj.奇怪的

arithmetic n.算術

grammar n.語法

Latin n.拉丁文

Greek n.希臘文

choir n.合唱隊

wedding n.婚禮

organ n.管風琴

nevertheless adv.不過

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.管風琴家

fame n.名聲；名氣

spread v.傳播

pedal solo 踏板獨奏

pass away 去世；逝世

hymn n.贊美詩；圣歌

funeral n.葬禮

bury v.埋葬

appreciate v.欣賞

monument n.紀念碑

erect v.豎立；矗立

memory n.記憶；紀念

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 __________