評論
打印
Why do Stradivarius violins sound so good?
為什么史特拉第瓦里小提琴聲音那么美妙？
A: What did I tell you？
我告訴過你什么來著？
B: You're right Yaoyao.This is a beautiful piece.
瑤瑤，你說的很對，這是一首美妙的曲子。
A: It should be.
它本該如此。
B: What's so special about Stradivarius violins?
那瓦里小提琴有什么特別的呢？
A: That's something that musicians and scientists have been trying to figure out for centuries. Scientists at the University of Tennessee and Columbia University think that the violins' unique sound has to do with climate change.
那就是音樂家和科學家們幾世紀以來一直試圖尋覓的東西。田納西大學和哥倫比亞大學的科學家們覺得該小提琴的獨特聲音與氣候變化有關。
Between 1645 and 1715 Western Europe experienced what's known as the "Maunder Minimum," a period of unusually cold weather due to the sun's reduced activity during the time. Temperatures may have dropped by two degrees Celsius, which was enough to make trees grow more slowly. Slower tree growth produces stronger, denser wood.
在1645年至1715年期間，西歐歷經了一個名為“蒙德極小期”的時期。在這期間，因為太陽活動減弱，天氣異常的冷。氣溫降了2℃，這足以讓樹木生長的更加緩慢，產出更堅硬，密度更大的木頭。
B: Let me guess. The scientists think that a violin maker like Stradivarius used wood from these slowly growing, denser trees to make violins.
讓我來猜猜。科學家應該覺得像制造“史特拉第瓦里”這樣的小提琴制造者就用了來自這些生長緩慢、且木質密度高的樹的木頭吧！
A: Right! If the scientists are correct, the special quality of the wood is one factor that allows a Stradivarius violin to produce such brilliant tones.
是的！如果科學家（的想法）是對的，那種有特殊品質的木頭就是讓瓦里小提琴可以發出如此絕妙聲音的原因之一。
B: Is it possible for today's violin makers to use techonology to make violins that sound just as good as Stradivarius?
那現在的小提琴生產者還可能用什么技術來讓小提琴的聲音像“史特拉第瓦里”嗎？
A: Maybe.In fact, nearly all Stradivarius violins have been modified over the centuries so that they don't sound much like they did originally. If Stradivarius were alive today, he might not even recognize the sound.
或許吧！事實上，幾乎所有的瓦里小提琴都已經在這幾世紀發生改變了，以至于它們現在的聲音并沒有像最開始那樣好聽。如果斯特拉迪瓦里現在還活著的話，他或許都不能聽出這個聲音了吧！
