译林版高中英语（2020年12月第一版）选择性必修第一册第二单元Reading 板块
Understanding Culture through Music
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From |
Alice Duncan |
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To |
Lucy Becker |
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Subject |
Butterfly Lovers |
Hi Lucy,
So glad to get your email. I hope everything is fine with you. Last night, I watched a performance of Butterfly Lovers, a beautiful violin concerto composed by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang. It's a piece that really deserves to be heard.
The music took me through the twists and turns of a classic story about a young couple torn apart by their families. When the two lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, first meet, the music is light and pleasant, as if whispering to the audience. It is followed by a fast and cheerful section which represents their three happy years of school. Then the music gets dramatic with heavier notes and that is when the lovers are separated because Zhu's father forces her to marry another man. Angry and sad, Liang falls sick and dies. Zhu weeps bitterly over the loss of her love. Overcome with sorrow, she jumps into his grave. Finally, during the most exciting part, the music takes a softer turn and ends on a bittersweet note, telling us how the couple transform into butterflies and fly away to be together forever. It is an amazing journey!
Butterfly Lovers combines Chinese and Western musical elements: it is played on Western instruments such as the violin, but more significantly, much of the music has its roots in Chinese Yue Opera. This unique combination has made me realize that music is indeed a universal language. You should definitely listen to Butterfly Lovers —I bet you'll like it!
All the best,
Alice
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To |
Stephen Lin |
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From |
Harry Yu |
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Subject |
Country music |
Dear Stephen,
Life here in Nashville is as interesting as I thought it would be. My host family are big fans of country music, so I can always rely on them to introduce me to some great songs. I love learning about country music and I keep asking them questions about it all the time!
It turns out that country music became popular right here in the south of America in the 1940s and then spread across the nation. It grew out of such music types as the blues and folk music, so the musicians use many similar instruments, such as the guitar. The tunes are easy to sing, and the lyrics often leave you deep in thought. Most of the songs are about hardship and heartbreak, but also about hope — with plenty of humour thrown in for good measure. You can feel an emotional connection between you and the musicians.
Country music shows the peaceful green fields and simple life of the countryside. Obviously I don't know what it's truly like to grow up in rural America, but the masters of country music, like John Denver, can make you feel like you're there. The simple tunes and beautiful natural images are often very suggestive of countryside surroundings:
Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountain, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze
(From “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver)
Why don't you try to listen to some great country music? I guarantee you'll enjoy it!
Best wishes,
Harry