英语听力文摘 English Digest 460、气候变化与小提琴(在线收听) |
Why do Stradivarius violins sound so good?
A:What did i tell you? A:It should be. B:What's so special about Stradivarius violins? 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. 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. B:Let me guess. The scientists think that a violin maker like Stradivarius used wood from these slowly growing, denser trees to make violins. 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. B:Is it possible for today's violin makers to use techonology to make violins that sound just as good as Stradivarius? 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 even recognize the sound. B:瑶瑶,你说的很对,这是一首美妙的曲子。 A:它本该如此。 B:那瓦里小提琴有什么特别的呢? A:那就是音乐家和科学家们几世纪以来一直试图寻觅的东西。田纳西大学和哥伦比亚大学的科学家们觉得该小提琴的独特声音与气候变化有关。 B:让我来猜猜。科学家应该觉得像制造“史特拉第瓦里”这样的小提琴制造者就用了来自这些生长缓慢、且木质密度高的树的木头吧! A:是的!如果科学家(的想法)是对的,那种有特殊品质的木头就是让瓦里小提琴可以发出如此绝妙声音的原因之一。 B:那现在的小提琴生产者还可能用什么技术来让小提琴的声音像“史特拉第瓦里”吗
Vocabularies: Maunder Minimum:蒙德极小期,1645-1715年[顺治2年—康熙54年]太阳活动非常衰微的时期。
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原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/englishdigest/169064.html |