介绍:
Dear Christoph, I have visited the
place where Beethoven was born.亲爱的Christoph，我参观了贝多芬出生的地方。
It seems that the family is well
remembered there.
贝多芬一家似乎都在当地很有名气。
They say that the grandfather
was a musician -in charge of all
the music at the palace here.
当地人说他的爷爷是一位音乐家——当地宫殿音乐的掌管人。
And Mr. Beethoven's father was a
musician, too.
贝多芬先生的父亲也是一位音乐家。
But, Christoph, Mr. Beethoven
was not a happy child.
但是，Christoph，贝多芬先生的童年并不快乐。
People who lived nearby
remember hearing music, coming
from the attic late at night.
住在他家附近的人记得总是能在深夜听到阁楼里传来乐曲声。
Beethoven's father was an
unhappy man who took to drink.
贝多芬的父亲是个不快乐的人，他父亲染上了酗酒的恶习。
Sometimes at night he would
come home long after dark and
get his little boy out of bed.
有时，他很晚才回家。回家后，就叫贝多芬起床。
He would make him practice his
piano until dawn.
他让贝多芬练琴直至黎明。
And so the little Beethoven would
practise all night, tired and cold,
and crying as he played.
所以小时候的贝多芬彻夜练琴，很疲惫，很冷。他练琴时会大喊大叫。
Finally, as the sun came up,
Beethoven would go to bed to the sound of morning bells.
最后，太阳出来了。他在早上的钟声响起时，回到床上。
Dear Uncle, Mr. Beethoven has on his desk all sorts of bells.
亲爱的叔叔，在贝多芬先生的桌子上堆满了各种各样的铃铛。
He has four ear trumpets as well.
他还有四个耳朵形状的助听器。
But you don't play music on them.They're to help him hear.
但是你不能在助听器上弹奏乐曲。它们是帮助他的听觉的。
He puts one end in his ear and
then you're supposed to talk in
the other end SO HE CAN HEAR
YOU.
他把其中的一个放在耳边，然后你用另外一个助听器边上说话这样他就能够听见你了。
but his nephew told me they
really don't work.
但是他的侄子告诉我助听器其实没有多大作用。
He came by today when Mr.
Beethoven was out.
今天贝多芬先生出去了，他的侄儿来了。
He wanted his uncle to take him
to "The Dog of Montargis".
他想让他叔叔带他去看《蒙日塔小狗表演》。
It's a famous show right now -its
star is a dog who dances the
minuet.
现在，这个表演很火爆——表演明星是只狗，它会跳小步舞曲。
Dear Christoph, How much
happier you sound.
亲爱的Christoph，你似乎变得开心了许多。
And I think I have some news that
you might like to hear.
我有件事儿，你可能会很乐意听。
I spoke today with a man who
said Mr. Beethoven sometimes
moves as often as three times a
year.
我今天和一个人谈话，他告诉我贝多芬先生有时候一年会搬家三次。
He has a restless nature.
他是那种停不下来的人。
So perhaps before too long you will have your wish, and quieter people living up the stairs.
所以可能不久以后你的愿望就会实现了，更安静的人会搬来楼上住。
But, in the meantime, tell me ... is
it true, as I also heard, that Mr.
Beethoven has three pianos in his
room?
但是现在，告诉我……我听说贝多芬先生的房间里有三台钢琴，这是真的么？
Dear Uncle, no, it is not true that
Mr. Beethoven has three pianos.
He has four!
亲爱的叔叔，不是三台，贝多芬先生有四台钢琴。
And you should see them! To
begin with, his pianos have no legs.
你应该看看这些钢琴。一开始，他的钢琴就没有琴腿。
He takes the legs off to move
them and also so he can play
them when he is sitting on the
floor.
他把琴腿给拆了，他就可以坐在地上弹琴了。
That way he can feel his playing
through the floor.
这样就可以通过地板感受自己的弹奏了。
But it's surprising his pianos can
be played at all.
但是很惊讶的是所有的钢琴全都能弹。
Inside, many of the strings are
broken and curled up.
在钢琴里面，很多琴弦都坏了，卷曲了。
They look like a bird's nest made
of wire.
它们看起来就像是用金属丝做的鸟巢。
And the pianos are stained black
inside from the times he's
knocked the inkwell with his
sleeve.
每台钢琴里面都有黑色的污垢，那是贝多芬先生袖子弄翻墨水时留下的。
And Uncle, one more thing.
叔叔，还有一件事。
The man who made the ear
trumpets made Mr. Beethoven a
metronome.
那个给贝多芬先生做助听器的人，又给贝多芬先生做了个节拍器。
大家还在听
