贝多芬的阴谋

英语学习杂志 2013-02-06 10:05

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贝多芬的阴谋

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Beethoven is said to have described composing as ten percent talent and ninety percent work. On January 7th, 1809 he wrote from Vienna to his publisher in Leipzig suggesting that the hardest work comes after composing.

I am forced through intrigues and conspiracies and dirty tricks of all kinds to leave the Only German Fatherland. I’m going at the invitation of his majesty the King of Westphalia as the Kappellmeister with an annual salary of 800 ducats in gold.

There will probably be some abusive articles in the newspapers about my last concert. By no means do I wish everything said against me to be suppressed, but people should know that no one has more personal enemies here than I do. And that’s all the easier to understand since the state of music here is becoming worse and worse.

We have conductors who understand as little about conducting as they do about conducting themselves. At Wieden it’s the worst. I had to give my concert there, and on all sides stumbling blocks were put in my way. There was a terrible trick played out of hatred for me, for Herr Salieri threatened to expel any musician belonging to their company who played for me, but despite several flaws that I couldn’t prevent, the public received everything most enthusiastically. Nevertheless, scribblers will not fail to write wretched stuff against me in the newspapers.

The musicians were particularly enraged that careless mistakes cropped up in the simplest, plainest piece. I abruptly called out to them in a loud voice to stop and begin again. Nothing like that had ever happened before. The public made its delight know.

据说,贝多芬曾如此描述谱曲工作:(成功的)谱曲需要一分天才外加九分的勤奋。但1809年1月7日,他在维也纳给远在(德国)莱比锡城的出版商写信,告诉他最艰难的工作其实是在谱曲之后:

由于各种阴谋、诡计和肮脏的花招,我被迫离开了祖国德国。我在腓德南国王阁下邀请下前去担任合唱团的总指挥,年薪为800金币。

关于我的上一次音乐会,可能会有一些报纸文章对我进行辱骂。任何对我诋毁中伤之辞,我绝对无意隐瞒。然而人们应该知道,在这里没有一个人比我的敌人更多。这一现象也不难理解:这个地方的音乐正变得越来越糟糕。

我们见过这样的指挥,他们对指挥一知半解,他们的言行举止也不怎样。在文登情况最为恶劣。我不得不在此地举行我的音乐会。方方面面,诸多不顺。出于对我的仇恨,还有一个可怕的小阴谋。沙利瑞先生威胁他们剧团的乐师,谁要是和我合作将会被开除。然而尽管出现了几个我无法克服的小瑕疵,观众们反应还是非常热烈。不过,那些拙劣的文人们仍然会在报纸上用低劣的文章诋毁我。

音乐家对出现在最简单、最平淡乐章里的粗心错误特别恼火。我会猛然大声提醒他们:中止,重来一遍!这样的情况前所未有,而观众们却将此传为佳话。

(来源:英语学习杂志 编辑:丹妮)

Vocabulary:

1. Beethoven: 贝多芬(1770—1827),德国伟大音乐家。主要作品:交响曲《英雄》、《命运》;序曲《格蒙特》;钢琴奏鸣曲《悲怆》、《月光》、《暴风雨》、《热情》等等;conspiracy: 诡计。

2. intrigue: 诡计;trick: 花招;Only German Fatherland: 祖国德国。一般情况下人们称祖国为“motherland”,但德国人却说“fatherland”。

3. Kappellmeister: 〈德〉管弦乐队的队长或总指挥;ducat: 硬币。

4. abusive: 辱骂的,滥用的。

5. by no means: 绝不。

6. conductor: 乐队指挥。conduct是其动词形式,意为“指挥”;conduct oneself: 行为举止。

7. Herr: 〈德〉先生,绅士;company: 乐团,剧团。

8. scribbler: 拙劣文人,三流作家。

9. enrage: 愤怒;crop up: 突然出现;piece: 曲子。

 

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