The World Famous Musician:Bach

广东中山市卓雅外国语学校 兰方晨

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.

约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫1685年出生于德国一个音乐世家。他父亲和他所有的弟兄都是乐师。因此，约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫希望成为音乐家也就不足为奇了，因为他是在音乐中长大的，对音乐也很感兴趣。

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.

在他的家乡，小约翰像其他德国孩子一样工作、玩耍、上学、学习音乐。在学校里，约翰学习了算术、语法、拉丁语和希腊语。同时在学校，他每周也要花几个小时学习音乐。上音乐课时，他总是很高兴。他加入了学校的唱诗班。学校唱诗班经常在教堂礼拜仪式和婚礼上演唱。小约翰的声音比任何人的声音都更清晰、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.

在接下来的几年里，这个小伙子学了一些管风琴的演奏。这些年充满了艰苦的工作，然而，这是幸福的岁月。他不再身穿白色长袍在唱诗班唱歌，而是把时间花在弹钢琴、拉小提琴和演奏管风琴上。18岁时，他获得了一个职位，在公爵的乐队演奏小提琴。他对宫廷生活非常满意。顺便说一下，他的祖父也是一位音乐家，也曾住在同一个宫廷里。

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.

年轻的巴赫在公爵手下待了不到一年。夏末时，他接受了一份在小镇上当管风琴手的工作。从1703年到1723年，巴赫作为管风琴乐师和教师辗转各地。有时他是教堂的管风琴手，有时他是某个贵族王子的宫廷音乐家。

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.

虽然巴赫的小提琴和钢琴演奏得很好，但作为一名管风琴手，他的技巧最为娴熟。事实上，他的名声传遍了整个德国。他经常去旅行，尝试演奏新的管风琴乐。在这些旅行中，他有时为国王和贵族演奏。

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，他为王储独奏管风琴。王储对巴赫的踏板独奏非常满意。音乐家的双手在休息，但音乐没有停止。这就是王储的所见所闻。王储表示非常惊讶。当美妙的音乐消失后，他从手指上取下一枚镶满宝石的戒指。他把戒指送给音乐家,说：“我从来没有听过这么棒的管风琴手演奏。”

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，这位“音乐之父”逝世，享年65岁。很少有人注意到他的死。没有唱诗班在他的葬礼上唱赞美诗，他被埋葬的地方连十字架都没有。

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.

在巴赫去世将近100年后，费利克斯·门德尔松开始演奏他的音乐。于是，人们开始欣赏和喜爱这位大师。他们很遗憾没有为他做过什么。门德尔松通过努力，在莱比锡建了一座纪念巴赫的纪念碑。

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.

即使没有树立纪念碑，我们也应该记住他的名字。他的作品是他最好的丰碑，只要人们热爱音乐，他就会永垂不朽。

Notes:

musical adj.音乐的

strange adj.奇怪的

arithmetic n.算术

grammar n.语法

Latin n.拉丁文

Greek n.希腊文

choir n.合唱队

wedding n.婚礼

organ n.管风琴

nevertheless adv.不过

no longer 不再；再也不

devote to 致力于

obtain v.获得

position n.职位

court n.宫廷

noble n.贵族

prince n.王子

skillful adj.技艺精湛的

organist n.管风琴家

fame n.名声；名气

spread v.传播

pedal solo 踏板独奏

pass away 去世；逝世

hymn n.赞美诗；圣歌

funeral n.葬礼

bury v.埋葬

appreciate v.欣赏

monument n.纪念碑

erect v.竖立；矗立

memory n.记忆；纪念

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 __________