PETS-2語法講解 (226)

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The tenor always gets the girls.
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    Angus: If I had a really good voice, I'd like to be a bass.
    Hugh: Why? There aren't so many great bass parts in opera.
    Angus: I know, but I just love the sound of a bass voice - it's so powerful.
    Hugh: It's not my favorite, I'd much rather be a tenor.
    Angus: I suppose because they have all the best arias.
    Hugh: Partly that, but mainly because the tenor always gets the girl.
    安格斯:假如我有一副好嗓子,我想唱低音。
    休:為什么?歌劇里重要的低音角色不多。
    安格斯:我知道,但我喜歡低音 - 聽起來很雄渾有力。
    休:我可不愛唱低音;唱高音愜意多了。
    安格斯:我想,這是因?yàn)閮?yōu)美的歌曲,都由高音演員唱吧?
    休:這是原因之一,但主要原因是唱高音的演員,總有美人相許。
    說音階,男聲高音叫tenor,中音叫baritone,低音則叫bass;女聲高音叫soprano,中音叫mezzo-soprano或mezzo,低音則叫alto或contralto。這些字除了指歌聲,也可以指歌手,例如:(1) He sang tenor in the chorus(他在合唱團(tuán)里唱高音)。(2) The tenor sang a duet with the soprano(男女高音合唱了一首二重唱曲)。這一課對話里的休說:I would much rather be a tenor。Would rather是‘寧愿’的意思,和had rather同義,但had rather今天并不常用。另一同義語是would sooner。這三個詞組(phrase)之后,都可直接原形動詞(infinitive);假如接受詞(object),則和有些說愿望的句式一樣,須用過去式動詞說現(xiàn)在或未來的事,而用過去完成式動詞說過去的事,例如:(1) I would rather/sooner watch television than go to the movies(我寧愿看電視,也不去看電影)。(2) I would rather/sooner you didn't tell him for the time being(我寧愿你暫時不要告訴他)。(3) I would rather/sooner you hadn't told him(假使你當(dāng)時沒有告訴他就好了)。
    后似應(yīng)解釋一下對話里arias和bass parts二詞。Aria是歌劇的獨(dú)唱曲,part則可解作‘角色’,和role同義,例如:(1) She sang arias from well-known operas all evening(她唱歌劇的獨(dú)唱曲,唱了整夜)。(2) He is going to play the part/role of Romeo(他將飾演羅密歐的角色)。