2006年VOA标准英语-Musicians Bring Music of Eurasia to New York

By Amanda Cassandra
New York
17 October 2006

The Silk Road Project musical ensemble¹ recently brought its unique blend of sounds to New York as part of a museum program designed to immerse visitors in the art and sounds of regions around the Himalaya Mountains.

-----

Yo-Yo Ma

World-renowned cellist² Yo-Yo Ma founded The Silk Road Project in 1998. It is inspired by the historic traditions of cultural exchange along the ancient trade route, the Silk Road, which connected East and West.

Ma says the collaboration³ between the Rubin Museum, which houses an extensive collection of art from the Himalayan region, and the Silk Road Project encourages new thinking about the cultural exchanges that took place along the ancient trade route.

"I think what's exciting about working at the Rubin Museum is that you take a museum that celebrates the highest place on earth and what is the art that comes from that area and the thinking behind it," said Yo-Yo Ma. "And it makes us conjure⁴ up all kinds of ideas in sound as well as in image."

A network of trade routes, the Silk Road linked the people and traditions of Asia with those of Europe. From 500 B.C to 1500 A.D., material goods such as silk and spices were exchanged along the Silk Road as well as scientific ideas, cultural traditions, and religion.

Buddhism⁵ spread from India to China, Korea and Japan; Islam from the Middle East to Southeast Asia and Christianity to the Far East from Europe.

Ma says the goal of the Rubin Museum residency is to give visitors a multi-sensory experience.

"To try and see what are the connections between sight and sound, and imagination so that we can actually understand our world better," he said. "To say what are the different ways we can look at our world, so we ask a lot of questions and, hopefully, in the process of finding some answers, we're creating things that are fun, that are exciting, but that actually connect us to different parts of the world."

In 2004, the Rubin Museum opened its doors to visitors in New York with a display of objects, paintings and textiles from the vast and culturally diverse area surrounding the Himalaya Mountains.

Program director Tim McHenry says a partnership⁶ between the Rubin and Silk Road Project is both practical and logical.

"They wanted a venue⁷ in New York City where quite a number of their musicians are based, in order to explore more deeply the art and culture of Central Asia and the Silk Road region that, of course, they embody⁸ in their music," said Tim McHenry. "So marrying music and art was a long term goal of theirs and they have been able to accomplish this at this museum."

Silk Road Project Executive Director, Laura Freid says the art exhibited at the Rubin has served as a creative influence for the musicians in the ensemble.

"The Himalayas are really the roof of the world," said Laura Freid. "So much of the culture of India, China in the Silk Road can also be found in the Himalayan region and to come a museum that is totally dedicated⁹ to this one place and to be able to be inspired by the art of so many different religions that all merged¹⁰ along the Silk Road is very exciting for us."

Freid says the Silk Road Project has launched a variety of programs this year that seek new ways to explore old traditions.

"Our mission is really to connect the world's neighborhoods through the arts and through culture of the regions of the Silk Road," she said. "We are working a lot more this year with museums, both in the city of Chicago at the Art Institute of Chicago, at the Rubin Museum where we are speaking right now and we will be in Switzerland this summer and we are creating new multi-media projects this year with art and music that are very exciting."

The residency at the Rubin Museum showcased the musicians of the Silk Road Project in workshops and concerts that included the premiere of Nine Rivers, a new work by Chinese sheng player and composer Wu Tong.

The week-long series of events at the Rubin museum also included traditional dances and films dedicated to exploring the artistic¹¹ legacy¹² of the Himalayan region.

1 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

2 cellist   

n.大提琴手

参考例句：

• The cellist's bowing was very sensitive . 那位大提琴手的弓法十分细腻。 来自辞典例句
• World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma founded The Silk Road Project in 1998. 世界闻名的大提琴家马友友于1998年创建了丝路工程。 来自互联网

3 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

4 conjure   

v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法

参考例句：

• I conjure you not to betray me.我恳求你不要背弃我。
• I can't simply conjure up the money out of thin air.我是不能像变魔术似的把钱变来。

5 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

6 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

7 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

8 embody   

vt.具体表达，使具体化；包含，收录

参考例句：

• The latest locomotives embody many new features. 这些最新的机车具有许多新的特色。
• Hemingway's characters plainly embody his own values and view of life.海明威笔下的角色明确反映出他自己的价值观与人生观。

9 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

10 merged   

（使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中

参考例句：

• Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。
• The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。

11 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

12 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。