阅读训练

Sex In The Symphony

Say what you will about the liberties the bond string quartet takes with a piece of classical music, you can't fault its sexually charged performances for being off key. 1 Off color, yes. A bond concert is a melodic lap dance: the four sylphs do energetic things with their orchestral instruments, not to mention their hips, which would compel Stradivari to order an exorcism. 2 One does not learn to straddle a cello that way at a conservatory.

Ever since Thai-Chinese violin sensation Vanessa-Mae was featured on a 1995 album cover as if she had just won a wet-nightgown competition, record companies have been prowling3 for accomplished female musicians capable of playing fiddle at a high, steamy pitch. In bond, U. K. -base Decca Records has found its own variation of Sex in the Symphony.

Released in 2000, the group's first album, Born, topped clssical music charts around the world, selling more than 1 million copies to date . The genre's popularity is due in part to the fact, with classical music," there are no language barriers. "Vanessa-Mae and her acolytes reduce the fuddy-duddy4 factor. Kids can relate . In the hand of a group like bond, a classical piece sounds like a palatable pop song that won't frighten away the folks while pulling in the kids. It makes the music accessible.

And then there are the cool clothes. Bond members deny their slinky nightclub attire and libidinous onstage posturing has much to do with their fame. "Our success is not based on our outfits, "says Ecker, the quartet's lead violinist."It goes beyond our image. We play great music. "Indeed, we should give the prodigies their props. Bond's music is not warmed-over Bach. The playlist for their Asian tour contains but one classical cover: Tchaikovshy's 1812 Overture .

练习题：

Ⅰ. Make sentences with the following words and phrases:

take liberty with — prowl —slink — sneak —

Ⅱ. True or False:

1. The genre becomes popular partly because that there are no language barriers and Vanessa-Mae reduces the fuddy-duddy factor.

2. Bond members agree that their fame has much to do with slinky nightclub attire and onstage posturing.

3. The play list for their Asian tour contains classical music.

4. Vanes-Mae is a Thai-Chinese musician capable of playing fiddle at a high and steamy pitch.

参考答案

Ⅰ. 参见导释

Ⅱ. 1. T 2. F 3 . T 4 . T

参考译文

交响乐的性感演绎

不管你对辣妹四重奏自由演绎古典音乐有何看法, 你没法指摘她们性感妖娆的表演有失音乐水准。只是有些另类。辣妹的音乐会是一场旋律优美的性感舞蹈: 四个窈窕淑女凭着手中的管弦乐器演绎激情, 那随音乐扭动的腰臀足以让人着魔。音乐学院是不会教人这样骑着大提琴演奏的。

轰动一时的中泰混血小提琴手陈美, 在1995 年发行的专集封面上的造型, 就好像她刚刚赢得“性感睡衣”大赛一样。从那以后各家唱片公司一直在暗中寻觅技艺高超, 能把小提琴拉得性感而又令人兴奋的女音乐家。英国的笛卡唱片公司在辣妹组合身上找到了公司自己的“性感交响乐”基调。辣妹组合2000 年发行的首张专集《诞生》, 曾打上世界古典音乐流行榜榜首, 销量已达100 多万张。

这类音乐流行的部分原因在于, 古典音乐没有语言障碍。陈美和她的追随者打破了古典音乐的沉闷, 青少年可以认同。辣妹之类的演奏组合, 将古典音乐演奏得像通俗的流行歌曲, 不会吓跑年长的, 还可以吸引小孩。古典音乐变得平易近人。

还有酷辣的服装。辣妹成员否认她们的成名与她们紧身的夜总会装扮和火辣的台风有关。“我们的成功不是基于我们的服装, ” 第一小提琴手海莉说: “ 我们将音乐玩得极好, 超越了我们的外形。” 的确, 我们该为这些天才说句公道话: 辣妹的音乐不是炒冷饭的巴赫。她们在亚洲巡回演出的曲目只有一首是古典音乐: 柴可夫斯基的《1812 序曲》。

阅读解释

1. 注意这句话的前半个倒装句。正常的句子顺序是“What you will say about the liberties ... ”。“ liberties”后面省略了“ that”。take liberties with sb. or sth. 意思是“ 放肆, 随意”, 如: She told him to stop taking liberties. ( 她告诉他不要太随便了。) The film take considerable liberties with the novel on which it is based. ( 影片与原作颇有距离。)

2. stradivari( 1644—1737) 斯特拉迪瓦里, 意大利提琴制造家, 在型号和种类上颇多创新, 制作过大提琴、中提琴、小提琴和吉他, 其制造的小提琴成为后世的楷模。exorcism n. ( 用符咒、祈祷或仪式等) 驱除邪魔, 用魔法招魂。这句话的字面意思是:“ 迫使斯特拉迪瓦里都要订制符咒驱妖了。”

3. prowl v. 小心地悄悄移动, 如: wild animals prowling in the forest ( 在森林里潜行的野兽) ;burglars prowling in the grounds of the house ( 在房子里蹑足行走的窃贼) 。prowl, skulk,lurk, slink, sneak 这几个词都有“人或动物为免受注意而做出的缓慢而无声的动作”的意思, 但用法上还是有区别。prowl 指野兽觅食或罪犯伺机行动, 如: Wolves prowled the forest in search of prey. ( 狼在森林里潜行觅食。) skulk 指含怒或含罪恶目的窥伺可乘之机, 如: He skulked around outside until the police had gone. ( 他窥探着四周, 直至见到警察走开。) slink 通常含有“ 垂头”之意, 如: The dog slunk off to lick its wounds. ( 那狗耷拉着脑袋溜掉了, 去舔伤口。) sneak in / out 指偷偷摸摸做坏事, 但还够不上犯罪, 如: She was caught sneaking into the show without paying. ( 她不买票就混进场内看演出, 被当场捉住。)

4. fuddy-duddy n. ( 口语, 贬意, 或戏谑) 老脑筋, 老顽固, 老古董, 如: You are such an old fuddy-duddy! ( 你是个老古董。)