Ancient Chinese musical instruments探索中国古老乐器的千年声韵

赵永彬

中国有着丰富的音乐文化传承，其悠久的历史中涌现出了许多至今仍为人所津津乐道的乐器。本文将带你穿越时光，一探古筝、箫和琵琶这三种传统乐器的发展历程和它们独特的魅力所在。

主题语境：乐器 篇幅：359词 建议用时：7分钟

1 In ancient China， people played a number of greatly unknown musical instruments.The sound of these instruments was wonderful and some of these instruments are still usedtoday.

2 Guzheng originated during the WarringStates Period more than 2500 years ago inChina. The earliest known version was constructedwith a bamboo frame and used silkstrings. Guzheng became very popular in the imperialcourt and among the common people. Bythe Tang Dynasty， the number of strings had increased from five to thirteen， and the bamboohad been replaced with wutong or paulownia wood for the frame of the instrument. Inaddition， many new forms of guzheng appeared through cultural exchanges with other Asiancountries.

3 The earliest xiao appeared during the Han Dynasty， and it was then called qiangdi，which was popular among the Qiang people in Sichuan and Gansu provinces. In the 1st centuryBC， it became popular in the Yellow River region. Later， it was developed into an instrumentwith six holes， which was extremely similar to todays xiao having six holes. Whenpeople listen to xiao， they say theyre reminded of a lonely moon highly hanging in the skyon a frosty autumn night. The sound is wonderful and it really reminds people of nature.The instruments structure is quite simple， very much like the flute， but only longer. It isusually made of bamboo. The top is sealed with bamboo. There is a mouth on the top andfive sound holes on the frontal side and one hole at the back. Besides， there are other holesthat are designed to adjust the tunes， smooth the tones， and raise the volume.

4 Pipa is about 2000 years old and one of the most popular instruments in China. Originally，pipa was held at an angle， like a guitar， but during the Tang Dynasty， an innovativemusician held his pipa upright in order to stand out in a competition. Pipa is a four?stringedlute with 30 frets and has a pear?shaped body. The musician holds the instrument uprightand plays with five small plectrums attached to each finger of the right hand.

Reading Check

1. What material was originally used for the construction of the early guzheng？

A. Metal. B. Wood. C. Plastic. D. Bamboo.

2. When did the number of strings on guzheng increase to thirteen？

A. During the Han Dynasty.

B. During the Tang Dynasty.

C. During the Warring States Period.

D. During the Qing Dynasty.

3. How has xiao been developed over time？

A. It has transitioned from a simple to a more complex instrumental design.

B. It has remained unchanged in structure since the Han Dynasty.

C. It has become less associated with nature in the sound it produces.

D. It has changed its primary material from bamboo to a variety of other woods.

4. What led to the unique way of holding pipa upright during performances？

A. An order by the emperor.

B. The construction of the instrument.

C. An innovative musician during a competition.

D. Influence from other Asian musical traditions.

Language Study

Ⅰ. 日積月累

lute n. 诗琴（拨弦乐器）

fret n.（ 吉他等指板上定音的）品

plectrum n. 琴拨

bamboo frame 竹制框架

silk string 丝质弦

imperial court 皇宫

paulownia wood 泡桐木

the Yellow River region 黄河地区

sound hole 音孔

adjust the tunes 调整曲调

smooth the tones 平滑音调

Ⅱ. 语法填空

Although the structure of the flute is simple， it has 1._________history of more than7000 years. About 4500 years ago， designers 2._________（begin） to make flutes with bambooinstead 3._________bone. During the period of the second emperor of the Han Dynasty，the flute was also called hengchui. From the 4._________（seven） century on， the holecovered by membrane has been used. 5._________the development of free verse of theSong Dynasty and the music of the Yuan Dynasty， the flute became the main part of theaccompaniment， and was also indispensable in folk and ethnic 6._________（drama）. Formany Chinese people， the melody of the bamboo flute calls to mind a picture of a countrycowherd （牧童） 7._________（ride） a bull in the spring breeze. The flute has rich performanceranges. Not only can 8._________play loud and sonorous tunes， but also cheerfuldancing music and 9._________（peace） ditties. 10._________addition， it can imitate varioussounds in nature such as the twittering of birds.