VOA常速英语2013--总统肯尼迪葬礼上的号兵五十年后仍被铭记（在线收听）

Bugler at President Kennedy’s Funeral Remembered 50 Years Later 总统肯尼迪葬礼上的号兵五十年后仍被铭记

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY — Military and state funerals include the playing of Taps, usually by a lone bugler. There is a shortage of buglers today, however, so the solemn music often is performed on other instruments or even from a recording. Fifty years ago, the world experienced the emotional power of Taps being played, as President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. This week, a group called Taps for Veterans honored the man who played Taps at that ceremony, in the process, highlighting the importance of buglers.

阿灵顿国家公墓---军人和国家级葬礼上的音乐通常是仅仅由一个人演奏的。然而，现在缺乏号兵，因此这种庄严的音乐通常是由其它乐器代替或者放录音。五十年前，总统约翰肯尼迪在维吉尼亚的阿灵顿国家公墓下葬时，整个世界都感受到了号声的强大力量。这个星期，一群老练的号手纪念在肯尼迪总统葬礼上的号兵，在此过程中，他们还重点强调了号兵的重要性。

At Arlington National Cemetery, a bugler plays Taps at the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death. The event also honored Army Sergeant Keith Clark, who played the solemn melody at the president’s funeral. Clark was an experienced and polished musician, who faltered once during the 24-note piece.

在阿灵顿国家公墓，一名号兵在总统约翰肯尼迪的墓碑前吹号来纪念他的五十年祭日。这个纪念日还纪念了军人凯斯克拉克，他在总统的葬礼上演奏出了庄严地旋律。克拉克是一名有经验并且精炼的音乐家，他曾经在音乐中慢慢探索。

To some it was a flawed performance, but to others, it sounded mournful and reflected the sadness of the nation.  

对一些人说，他演奏的音乐有瑕疵，但是，对其他人来说，他的演奏是如此的悲恸，反映出了整个国家的悲伤情绪。

Bugler honored

被纪念的号兵

Clark died several years ago. But members of his family came to the commemoration, including his 90-year-old wife, Marjorie.

克拉克几年前去世了，但是他家庭里的其他成员继续来参加纪念日，其中包括他九十岁高龄的妻子，马乔里。

“Well, we looked at it as a normal mistake a trumpeter can make, combined with the cold and the pressure and the length of time he had to stand,” she said.

“我们把这个看做一名号兵犯的一个正常的错误，并且把寒冷，压力和长时间的站立考虑在内。“她说。

Afterward, Sergeant Clark received letters of support, including from Eddie Hunter, who was then a 10-year-old learning to play the trumpet. Clark wrote back. Today, Hunter meets members of Clark’s family for the first time.  

后来，军士克拉克接受了证明信，包括来自艾迪汉特的信件，艾迪学吹号已经学了十年。克拉克回了信。今天，汉特第一次见到克拉克的家人。

“Being here, it’s a little bit overwhelming, it’s very emotional for me and to meet Sergeant Clark’s family. It’s just great,” said Hunter.

“来到这里，有一点激动，对我来说见到克拉克的家人很激动，真的太棒了。“汉特说道。

The tribute was led by retired military bugler Jari Villanueva. He’s with Taps for Veterans, a group that finds and arranges for buglers to perform Taps at military funerals and ceremonies. He said it's sometimes difficult.

颂词由退役的号兵杰瑞维兰纽瓦诵读。他还与一群熟练地号手共同演奏，这群人为在军中葬礼和典礼中演奏而建立。他说这是很困难的。

“The military has been downsizing, and as a result of that downsizing, military bands have been cut. So there’s a lack of active duty military buglers to sound taps at funerals,” said Villanueva.

“军队中已经裁员了，结果，军队中的乐队被裁掉了。因此葬礼中缺乏号兵吹号。”维兰纽瓦说。

Storied song

传奇的歌

Taps was first played during the American Civil War 150 years ago. A general wanted a different lights out call for the troops.

一百五十年前，在美国内战中第一次演奏号。一个将军想要一个不同的光来号召军队。

"The general was not very pleased with the call that was being sounded and decided to change it. What he did was to revise an earlier bugle call into these 24 notes that we know today as Taps. And it soon caught on as a bugle call of the evening and then became used at military funerals," said Villanueva.

“这个将军不喜欢当时的通知声，想要换掉它。因此他将早期的喇叭声改为了24个音符，也就是我们现在所知道的号。很快它成为了军队傍晚的号声，然后在军中葬礼上使用。”维兰纽瓦说道。

David Michel plays bugle at Civil War re-enactments and wants to preserve the tradition of Taps. “That’s why so many civilian horn players are trying to take up the call to fill the gap for important ceremonies, for the burial of veterans, and other things as well.”

戴维迈克在内战中吹奏号来表演希望可以保留吹号的传统。“这就是为什么内战时典礼中很多喇叭手试着吹喇叭来填补空缺，还有老练的号兵的葬礼哈其他的一些重要场合。”

Villanueva said Taps isn’t the same without the bugle. “When you have a live bugler sounding taps, it’s a piece of music that actually comes from the heart and a recording just can’t really replicate that sound.”

维兰纽瓦说没有号声的背景听起来很不一样。“有号兵演奏的时候，那种音乐是发自内心的，录下来的音乐不能够复制那种感觉。”

That sound brings him to tears, said bugler and military policeman, Gregory Simms, expressing a sentiment held by many.

号兵和军中的警察格雷戈里西姆斯说，那种音乐让他潸然泪下，他的表达了很多人都有的一种敏感。

“It is possibly one of the most stirring pieces of music I’ve ever heard,” he said.

他说：“这很可能时候我听到的最有感觉的音乐之一。”