Say what you will about the liberties the bond string quartet takes with a piece of classicalmusic, you can't fault its sexually charged performances for being off key. 1 Off color, yes. Abond concert is a melodic lap dance: the four sylphs do energetic things with their orchestralinstruments, not to mention their hips, which would compel Stradivari to order an exorcism. 2One does not learn to straddle a cello that way at a conservatory.

　　Ever since Thai-Chinese violin sensation Vanessa-Mae was featured on a 1995 album cover asif she had just won a wet-nightgown competition, record companies have been prowling3 foraccomplished female musicians capable of playing fiddle at a high, steamy pitch. In bond, U.K. -base Decca Records has found its own variation of Sex in the Symphony.

　　Released in 2000, the group's first album, Born, topped clssical music charts around the world,selling more than 1 million copies to date . The genre's popularity is due in part to the fact,with classical music," there are no language barriers. "Vanessa-Mae and her acolytes reduce thefuddy-duddy4 factor. Kids can relate . In the hand of a group like bond, a classical piecesounds like a palatable pop song that won't frighten away the folks while pulling in the kids. Itmakes the music accessible.

　　And then there are the cool clothes. Bond members deny their slinky nightclub attire andlibidinous onstage posturing has much to do with their fame. "Our success is not based on ouroutfits, "says Ecker, the quartet's lead violinist."It goes beyond our image. We play great music. "Indeed, we should give the prodigies their props. Bond's music is not warmed-over Bach. Theplaylist for their Asian tour contains but one classical cover: Tchaikovshy's 1812 Overture .

　　練習題：

　　Ⅰ. Make sentences with the following words and phrases:

　　take liberty with — prowl —slink — sneak —

　　Ⅱ. True or False:

　　1. The genre becomes popular partly because that there are no language barriers andVanessa-Mae reduces the fuddy-duddy factor.

　　2. Bond members agree that their fame has much to do with slinky nightclub attire andonstage posturing.

　　3. The play list for their Asian tour contains classical music.

　　4. Vanes-Mae is a Thai-Chinese musician capable of playing fiddle at a high and steamy pitch.

　　Ⅰ. 參見導釋

　　Ⅱ. 1. T 2. F 3 . T 4 . T

　　交響樂的性感演繹

　　不管你對辣妹四重奏自由演繹古典音樂有何看法, 你沒法指摘她們性感妖嬈的表演有失音樂水準。只是有些另類。辣妹的音樂會是一場旋律優美的性感舞蹈: 四個窈窕淑女憑著手中的管弦樂器演繹激情, 那隨音樂扭動的腰臀足以讓人著魔。音樂學院是不會教人這樣騎著大提琴演奏的。

　　轟動一時的中泰混血小提琴手陳美, 在1995 年發行的專集封面上的造型, 就好像她剛剛贏得“性感睡衣”大賽一樣。從那以后各家唱片公司一直在暗中尋覓技藝高超, 能把小提琴拉得性感而又令人興奮的女音樂家。英國的笛卡唱片公司在辣妹組合身上找到了公司自己的“性感交響樂”基調。辣妹組合2000 年發行的首張專集《誕生》, 曾打上世界古典音樂流行榜榜首, 銷量已達100 多萬張。

　　這類音樂流行的部分原因在于, 古典音樂沒有語言障礙。陳美和她的追隨者打破了古典音樂的沉悶, 青少年可以認同。辣妹之類的演奏組合, 將古典音樂演奏得像通俗的流行歌曲, 不會嚇跑年長的, 還可以吸引小孩。古典音樂變得平易近人。

　　還有酷辣的服裝。辣妹成員否認她們的成名與她們緊身的夜總會裝扮和火辣的臺風有關。“我們的成功不是基于我們的服裝, ” 第一小提琴手海莉說: “ 我們將音樂玩得極好, 超越了我們的外形。” 的確, 我們該為這些天才說句公道話: 辣妹的音樂不是炒冷飯的巴赫。她們在亞洲巡回演出的曲目只有一首是古典音樂: 柴可夫斯基的《1812 序曲》。

　　1. 注意這句話的前半個倒裝句。正常的句子順序是“What you will say about the liberties ... ”。“liberties”后面省略了“ that”。take liberties with sb. or sth. 意思是“ 放肆, 隨意”, 如: She told him tostop taking liberties. ( 她告訴他不要太隨便了。) The film take considerable liberties with the novelon which it is based. ( 影片與原作頗有距離。)

　　2. stradivari( 1644—1737) 斯特拉迪瓦里, 意大利提琴制造家, 在型號和種類上頗多創新, 制作過大提琴、中提琴、小提琴和吉他, 其制造的小提琴成為后世的楷模。exorcism n. ( 用符咒、祈禱或儀式等) 驅除邪魔, 用魔法招魂。這句話的字面意思是:“ 迫使斯特拉迪瓦里都要訂制符咒驅妖了。”

　　3. prowl v. 小心地悄悄移動, 如: wild animals prowling in the forest ( 在森林里潛行的野獸) ;burglarsprowling in the grounds of the house ( 在房子里躡足行走的竊賊) 。prowl, skulk,lurk, slink, sneak這幾個詞都有“人或動物為免受注意而做出的緩慢而無聲的動作”的意思, 但用法上還是有區別。prowl 指野獸覓食或罪犯伺機行動, 如: Wolves prowled the forest in search of prey. ( 狼在森林里潛行覓食。) skulk指含怒或含罪惡目的窺伺可乘之機, 如: He skulked around outside until the police had gone. ( 他窺探著四周, 直至見到警察走開。) slink 通常含有“ 垂頭”之意, 如: The dog slunk off to lick its wounds. ( 那狗耷拉著腦袋溜掉了, 去舔傷口。) sneak in / out 指偷偷摸摸做壞事, 但還夠不上犯罪, 如: She wascaught sneaking into the show without paying. ( 她不買票就混進場內看演出, 被當場捉住。)

　　4. fuddy-duddy n. ( 口語, 貶意, 或戲謔) 老腦筋, 老頑固, 老古董, 如: You are such an old fuddy-duddy! ( 你是個老古董。)