伦敦酷炫音乐厅
近日,英国政府宣布,伦敦交响乐团新音乐厅建设计划取消,这一消息让英国音乐家们感到很扎心,因为疫情之下,他们的线下演出被纷纷叫停,英国脱欧也让他们出国演出的难度系数变高,炫酷音乐厅计划的流产无疑让他们的艰难处境雪上加霜。音乐厅计划到底为何流产?一起来听今天的讲解。
英文原文
Scrapped Plans for London Concert Hall Sour Mood for U.K. Musicians
伦敦音乐厅计划告吹,英国音乐家感到沮丧
By Alex Marshall
Back in 2017, London music fans had high hopes for a reinvigoration of the city’s classical music scene. That year, the architects behind the High Line in New York, were appointed to design a world-class 2,000-seat concert hall in the city.
早在2017年的时候,伦敦的乐迷们热切地希望古典乐坛能够在伦敦重振旗鼓。同年,伦敦计划建成一个能够容纳两千人的世界级音乐厅,设计工作由纽约高线公园的建筑师担任。
Now, the situation couldn’t be more different. London officials announced that plans for the new hall had been scrapped. The announcement was not unexpected. Few private funders came forward for the project, and Britain’s government was reluctant to back the project, which critics had decried as elitist, after years of cuts to basic services.
现在的情况则截然不同。伦敦市政府的官员们宣布,新音乐厅的建设计划已被取消。这个声明并没有令人感到意外。因为近年来基础服务的经费一度被削减,英国政府表示不再支持该项目,也很少有私人捐赠者愿意出资,此前还有评论家谴责这个计划有精英化倾向。
But some musical experts say the news is a blow to Britain’s classical musicians, already suffering from a pandemic-induced shutdown of their work, and Brexit, which has raised fears about their ability to perform abroad.
但是一些音乐专家表示,这一消息对英国的古典音乐家来说是一个打击。受疫情影响,他们已经饱受无法线下演出之苦。而英国脱欧,也让他们很担心出国演出是否会受阻。
The mood among musicians is low, especially because of changes to the rules governing European tours that came about because of Brexit. Before Britain left the European Union, classical musicians and singers could work in most European countries without needing visas or work permits, and many took last-minute bookings, jumping on low-cost flights to make concerts at short notice. Classical musicians now require costly and time-consuming visas to work in some European countries.
音乐家感到心情低落,主要是因为脱欧之后,英国公民在欧洲旅行的相关管理规定发生了变化。在英国脱欧之前,古典音乐家和歌手无需签证和工作许可,就可以到大多数欧洲国家工作。很多人可以随时动身参加音乐会演出,他们临时订票,赶乘廉价航班。现在,他们为了到别的欧洲国家工作,需要费时又费力地办签证。
【内容拓展】
生词好句
1.scrap
英 [skræp] 美 [skræp]
vt. to cancel
拓展:
Plans for the new hospital have been scrapped.
建新医院的计划被取消了。
After seven months of debate, the proposal was scrapped.
经过7个月的争论,这项提议被取消了。
2.sour
英 [saʊə] 美 [saʊər]
Sour usually means a flavor in a food or drink, but as a verb, it can mean to become unpleasant.
拓展:
Her mood soured when she saw the exam results.
当看到考试成绩时,她的心情变糟了。
3.high hopes
If you have high hopes for something, you have a strong feeling that something good will happen or that someone/something is going to be successful.
拓展:
We had high hopes of winning the game.
我们很有希望赢得这场比赛。
The students are doing very well, I have very high hopes for them.
学生们做得很好,我对他们有很高的期望。
4.reinvigoration
n. revitalization, an improvement
拓展:
reinvigorate sth/sb: to give new energy or strength to sth/sb
5.couldn't be more + adj.
It means the maximum level of the adjective.
拓展:
I couldn't be more satisfied with my exam result.
我对我的考试成绩再满意不过了。
"couldn't be more different" means "it's as different as possible, totally different, completely different"
Their opinions couldn't be more different.
他们的意见截然不同。
6.not unexpected
If something is not unexpected, it is expected.
拓展:
We can use "not plus an adjective, or an adverb with a negative prefix un & in/im".
Your request is not unreasonable.
你的要求并非不合理。
7.come forward
to offer your help, services, etc.
8.decry
英 [dɪˈkraɪ] 美 [dɪˈkraɪ]
vt. to criticize something as bad, without value, or unnecessary
9.elitist
英 [iˈliːtɪst] 美 [iˈliːtɪst]
adj. If something is elitist, it only has benefits for a small group of people.
拓展:
At my school, sport was very elitist, focusing only on those students who were good at it.
在我的学校里,体育活动是非常精英化的,只关注那些擅长体育的学生。
Many people think that private schools are too elitist.
许多人认为私立学校太精英化了。
10.induce
英 [ɪnˈdjuːs] 美 [ɪnˈduːs]
vt. to cause something to happen
拓展:
a sunburn-induced headache
因晒伤导致的头疼
11.raise fears about
If something raises fears, it causes people to be worried or afraid.
拓展:
The rising cost of the project has raised fears about profits.
项目成本增加引发了人们对利润的担忧。
The new outbreak of sickness has raised fears about food safety.
新的疾病爆发引发了人们对食品安全的担忧。