经济学人404:星光灿烂 英格兰的冥想

 　　Books and Arts; Opera Review; Damon Albarn’s new opera;

　　文艺；歌剧评论；戴蒙·亚邦的新音乐剧；

　　Star light, star bright;A meditation¹ on England;

　　星光灿烂；英格兰的冥想；

　　In 1572 a new star blazed through the sky. It was a cataclysmic event for scholars, who believed at the time that the universe was unchanging. From his home in Mortlake, now in the London borough² of Richmond upon Thames, John Dee gazed up through the still untainted night as his certainties slipped away.

　　1572年天空中出现了一颗闪烁的新星。这对于当时那些认为宇宙是永恒不变的学者来说是一场灾难性的事情。约翰迪伊过去住在摩特雷克，现在住在泰晤士河畔里士满区。无论他住在哪里，都会举首凝望那仍然纯净无暇的夜空，而他所确信的观点也渐渐有所动摇。

　　Cartographer, cryptographer, mathematician³, astronomer⁴, astrologer and imperialist (he came up with the idea of a “British empire”), Dee was a trusted adviser⁵ to Queen Elizabeth I, even setting the date for her coronation. The appearance of the star was a pivotal moment in his life. It is also the turning point in “Dr Dee”, a new opera composed by Damon Albarn, frontman of the British pop bands Blur⁶ and Gorillaz. Dee’s desire to “know what was knowable in the world”, spurred by that star, leads him to occultism and, ultimately, to his downfall. Science was not so far from magic.

　　约翰迪伊是一位地图绘制者、密码破解者、数学家、天文学家、占星学家、帝国主义者（“大英帝国”一词就是他提出的），他还是深受女王伊丽莎白一世信赖的顾问，连她加冕的日期都是他挑选的。这颗星星的出现是他人生中关键的时刻，也是“迪伊博士”中的转折点。“迪伊博士”是一部由英国摇滚乐队布勒和街头霸王的主唱戴蒙亚邦推出的新音乐剧。迪伊的愿望是“通晓世界上一切可知的事物”，正是那颗星星促使并引领他走向神秘学的道路不过最终也导致他的垮台。科学和魔法仅仅一步之遥。

　　“Dr Dee” was commissioned by the Manchester International Festival, where it had its première last year, as well as the English National Opera, where it runs until July 7th, and the London 2012 Festival, of which it is part. First “cooked up” over eight weeks, “Dr Dee” has been polished since. The result is a spectacular production that combines Mr Albarn’s haunting music with dramatic staging and mesmerising video.

　　“迪伊博士”这部音乐剧去年在曼彻斯特国际音乐节上进行了首次公演，并在英国国家剧院一直上演到七月七日，还是伦敦2012年文化节的组成部分。其首次“计划公演期”超过八周，“迪伊博士”也因此而大放异彩。结果产生了一部精彩的作品，它把亚邦先生那萦绕心头的音乐与激动人心的演出风格以及令人着迷的视觉效果融合在了一起。

　　The notion of Englishness, and what has become of it, is at the heart of “Dr Dee”. The opera looks almost longingly⁷ at an age before England had reached its peak. The production sees a magnificent Queen Elizabeth I float above her realm (pictured). A great fleet flying the flag of St George sails across the stage. But “Dr Dee” does not dwell on these days of glory. Instead, it considers Dee from a 21st-century perspective. Mr Albarn and his troupe⁸ of musicians sit suspended above the proceedings⁹, observing everything from the vantage of what Rufus Norris, the director, calls “a nation in decline”. This fine opera is both a celebration of England and a lament¹⁰ for a nation whose star is on the wane¹¹.

　　英伦风的概念，以及其演变过程正是“迪伊博士”的核心所在。在英格兰到达鼎盛时期之前，这部歌剧看起来几乎令人无比神往。从作品中可以看到衣着华贵的女王伊丽莎白一世漂浮在她的领土之上（见图）。挂着圣乔治旗帜的庞大舰队横渡舞台。不过“迪伊博士”音乐剧并没有局限于这些荣耀的年代。相反，它是从21世纪的眼光角度审视迪伊这个人。亚邦先生和他的音乐剧团俯视整个进程并且从导演鲁夫斯诺里斯称作“正在衰败的民族”的角度来看待每一件事。这部精彩的音乐剧既是英国的歌颂，又是对一个国家的星光逐渐黯淡的挽歌。

1 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

2 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

3 mathematician   

n.数学家

参考例句：

• The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。
• The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。

4 astronomer   

n.天文学家

参考例句：

• A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
• He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 blur   

n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚

参考例句：

• The houses appeared as a blur in the mist.房子在薄雾中隐隐约约看不清。
• If you move your eyes and your head,the picture will blur.如果你的眼睛或头动了，图像就会变得模糊不清。

7 longingly   

adv. 渴望地 热望地

参考例句：

• He looked longingly at the food on the table. 他眼巴巴地盯着桌上的食物。
• Over drinks,he speaks longingly of his trip to Latin America. 他带着留恋的心情，一边喝酒一边叙述他的拉丁美洲之行。

8 troupe   

n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团

参考例句：

• The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。
• The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

9 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

10 lament   

n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹

参考例句：

• Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
• We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

11 wane   

n.衰微，亏缺，变弱；v.变小，亏缺，呈下弦

参考例句：

• The moon is on the wane.月亮渐亏。
• Her enthusiasm for him was beginning to wane.她对他的热情在开始减退。