VOA慢速英语2015 犹太人和阿拉伯人通过音乐建立友谊

Jews and Arabs Form Friendships Through Music 犹太人和阿拉伯人通过音乐建立友谊

In Israel, music is bringing young people together and to make more than beautiful sounds.

Four young musicians – two Israeli Jews, two Israeli Arabs – perform under the name the Polyphony Quartet. The Israel-based Polyphony Foundation formed the group.

Revital Bendersky and Shir Chyat play the violin. They are Jewish.  Palestinian Christian¹ Feras Machour is also a violinist and plays the viola. Cello² player Mahdi Saadi is Muslim.

Polyphony began in 2006 at a small school in Nazareth to bring classical music to Arab children. Nabeel Abboud-Ashkar is the founder³ and music director. He says the chance for classical music education was not available to Arab children.

“There was never a real, proper opportunity for young Arab children to learn classical music. And this is what we were able to change. We showed everyone that there’s no reason why an Arab kid shouldn’t be able to play classical music on a high standard.”

The school grew as teachers -- most of them Israeli Jews -- drove two hours from Tel Aviv to teach the children. Then, Polyphony was formed with two goals: further music education, and bring together young Palestinian and Jewish classical music students to perform.

Friendships developed among people who would have no reason to meet without Polyphony. Mahdhi Saadi says the experience made a major difference in his life.

"It changed all my thinking and how I see people, how to accept them and how to be accepted also. I never had the Jewish friend before, and I never thought that I will have."

Revital Bendersky feels similarly.

“I started looking at things a bit differently. And like Mahdi said, I never had Arab friends before, and it started only with Polyphony.”

The relationships grow and deepen⁴ through shared goals, as Mahdi Saadi describes.

"For example, rehearsals⁵, we do rehearsals, we start to know each other more, and we start to trust each other in the concerts. In case somebody makes a mistake, we always need somebody to help us, to support. So, we are more as a family team -- a family music team."

The project's musicians visited New York City recently to perform. At New York’s Unitarian Church of All Souls, Polyphony Quartet played a piece by Mozart.

Among those listening were Craig and Debora Cogut, co-founders of Polyphony. Their financial support has expanded the program to train 130 teachers. And this year, Polyphony's music education programs in elementary schools and kindergartens are projected to reach 10,000 other young, Israeli Arabs.

Words in This Story

classical – adj. relating to music in a European tradition that includes opera and symphony⁶ and that is generally considered more serious than other kinds of music

quartet – n. a group of four singers or musicians who perform together

standard – n. a level of quality or achievement that is considered acceptable⁷ or desirable

bit – n. a small amount or piece

project – v.  to plan, calculate, or estimate something for a time in the future

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 cello   

n.大提琴

参考例句：

• The cello is a member of the violin family.大提琴是提琴家族的一员。
• She plays a melodious cello.她拉着一手悦耳的大提琴。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 deepen   

vt./vi.加深，(使)变深，加重，加浓

参考例句：

• We'll have to deepen the well if we want more water.如果我们想要更多的水，就得把井加深。
• Her wrinkles deepen with age.她的皱纹随年龄增长而变深。

5 rehearsals   

n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复

参考例句：

• The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。
• She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 symphony   

n.交响乐（曲），（色彩等的）和谐

参考例句：

• The Ninth Symphony of Beethoven is a famous one.贝多芬的第九交响乐非常有名。
• They play over the whole symphony.他们把整个交响乐重新演奏了一遍。

7 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。