2013年英語(yǔ)六級(jí)聽(tīng)力練習(xí)：氣候變化與小提琴

　　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(guò)你什么來(lái)著?

　　B: You're right Yaoyao.This is a beautiful piece.

　　瑤瑤，你說(shuō)的很對(duì)，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(lè)家和科學(xué)家們幾世紀(jì)以來(lái)一直試圖尋覓的東西。田納西大學(xué)和哥倫比亞大學(xué)的科學(xué)家們覺(jué)得該小提琴的獨(dú)特聲音與氣候變化有關(guān)。

　　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(jīng)了一個(gè)名為“蒙德極小期”的時(shí)期。在這期間，因?yàn)樘��?yáng)活動(dòng)減弱，天氣異常的冷。氣溫降了2℃，這足以讓樹(shù)木生長(zhǎng)的更加緩慢，產(chǎn)出更堅(jiān)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(lái)猜猜�？茖W(xué)家應(yīng)該覺(jué)得像制造“史特拉第瓦里”這樣的小提琴制造者就用了來(lái)自這些生長(zhǎng)緩慢、且木質(zhì)密度高的樹(shù)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(xué)家(的想法)是對(duì)的，那種有特殊品質(zhì)的木頭就是讓瓦里小提琴可以發(fā)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(xiàn)在的小提琴生產(chǎn)者還可能用什么技術(shù)來(lái)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 evenrecognize the sound.

　　或許吧!事實(shí)上，幾乎所有的瓦里小提琴都已經(jīng)在這幾世紀(jì)發(fā)生改變了，以至于它們現(xiàn)在的聲音并沒(méi)有像最開(kāi)始那樣好聽(tīng)。如果斯特拉迪瓦里現(xiàn)在還活著的話(huà)，他或許都不能聽(tīng)出這個(gè)聲音了吧!