跟讀練習: Why Steinway Grand Pianos Are So Expensive | So Expensive - 通過影片學習英語口語
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90 句
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1
It takes about 11 months to craft just one Steinway & Sons grand piano.
製作一臺施坦威三角鋼琴大約需要11個月的時間。
2
And these instruments don't come cheap.
而且這些儀器的價格可不低。
3
A Model D concert piano in ebony, the most affordable finish of any Steinway piano, will cost you about $187,000.
一架烏木漆面的D型三角鋼琴是施坦威鋼琴中最經濟實惠的漆面款式，售價約為187000美元。
4
But that's nowhere near how high prices can reach.
但這還遠未達到價格可能達到的最高水平。
5
Steinway has produced two of the most expensive pianos in the world, worth over $2 million each.
施坦威生產了世界上最昂貴的兩款鋼琴，每架價值超過200萬美元。
6
The next most expensive piano is half the price, at $1.2 million.
第二貴的鋼琴價格僅為它的一半，為120萬美元。
7
But with several other premium pianos on the market, is there something about Steinway's sound that stands out?
但市場上還有其他幾款高階鋼琴，施坦威的音色是否有什麼特別出眾之處？
8
And is that what makes these pianos so expensive?
難道這就是這些鋼琴如此昂貴的原因嗎？
9
Named the Rolls Royce of pianos by the BBC, Steinway has produced some of the most sought-after grand pianos for over 160 years.
被英國廣播公司譽為鋼琴界勞斯萊斯的施坦威，160多年來一直生產著一些最受追捧的三角鋼琴。
10
It's the piano of choice for Billy Joel, Lang Lang, and many other professional musicians.
它是比利·喬爾、郎朗以及許多其他專業音樂家首選的鋼琴。
11
But compared to other high-end piano makers, it's often Steinway's sound that sets it apart.
但與其他高階鋼琴製造商相比，施坦威的音色往往是其脫穎而出的關鍵。
12
As a performer, I can wear many different masks depending on the piece that I'm playing.
作為一名演奏者，我可以根據所演奏的曲目戴上許多不同的面具。
13
There's some pieces you want to be very, very diabolical, you know, enlist.
有些棋子你就是要讓它們極盡詭詐，你懂的，得好好利用起來。
14
And at the same time, lightness.
與此同時，又帶著輕盈之感。
15
Creating that sound starts here in New York, at one of only two Steinway factories in the world.
這種音色的創造始於紐約，這裡是全球僅有的兩家施坦威工廠之一。
16
Each grand piano is 5 to 9 feet long, and weighs between 540 and 990 pounds.
每架三角鋼琴的長度為5至9英尺，重量在540至990磅之間。
17
Often, the bigger the piano, the pricier it will be.
通常來說，鋼琴越大，價格就越高。
18
About 85% of a Steinway piano is made of wood, and one of the most crucial woods is used for the soundboard.
施坦威鋼琴約85%的部件由木材製成，其中音板所用的木材是最為關鍵的材料之一。
19
The soundboard is the life of the instrument, the soul of the instrument.
音板是樂器的生命，是樂器的靈魂。
20
This is Alaskan Sitka spruce.
這是阿拉斯加西加雲杉。
21
This is the most expensive wood that we have in the piano.
這是我們鋼琴中使用的最昂貴的木材。
22
And we actually get it from the trees primarily that are on the shady side, the north-facing side of these islands.
實際上，我們主要從這些島嶼北側背陰面的樹木上獲取它。
23
So they grow very little each year, and that means that we have growth rings that are very close together, not spaced apart.
所以它們每年的生長量非常小，這就意味著它們的年輪排列得非常緊密，而不是間隔很寬。
24
Sitka spruce is used in other stringed instruments like guitars.
西加雲杉也用於吉他等其他絃樂器。
25
and it grows in a few areas in the northwest US.
它生長在美國西北部的幾個地區。
26
But more than 50% of the Alaskan sickest spruce they source won't meet Steinway's standards.
但他們採購的阿拉斯加最優質雲杉中，有超過50%達不到施坦威的標準。
27
The wood must have a very specific grain density and direction, both which can impact the quality of sound.
這種木材必須具備非常特定的紋理密度與紋理走向，這兩者都會影響音質。
28
Steinway looks for closely packed, straight grains, no more than plus or minus 15 degrees off a 90-degree vertical grain.
施坦威會挑選紋理緊密、順直的木材，紋理與90度垂直方向的偏差不超過正負15度。
29
There's a reason it's so strict about this.
它在這方面要求如此嚴格是有原因的。
30
That's partly why, when you press a key on a Steinway piano, you hear a distinctly long, sustained tone.
這也正是為什麼當你按下施坦威鋼琴的琴鍵時，會聽到格外悠長、延綿不絕的音色。
31
The soundboard's edge must attach perfectly to the piano's rim, the curved wooden frame of the instrument.
音板的邊緣必須與鋼琴的音板框——也就是該樂器的弧形木質框架——完美貼合。
32
The full rim is made up of an inner and outer rim.
全輪輞由內輪輞和外輪輞組成。
33
Some piano makers attach each of these pieces separately, but at Steinway, a team of artisans bends both together.
有些鋼琴製造商會將這兩個部件分別安裝，但在施坦威，一組工匠會將兩者一起彎折成型。
34
Steinway says this method gives the piano a stronger foundation, lowering the chances it will break.
施坦威表示，這種方法能讓鋼琴擁有更穩固的基礎，降低其損壞的機率。
35
Steinway uses hard rock maple for both the inner and outer rims.
施坦威鋼琴的內圈和外圈都採用硬楓木製作。
36
The key here is to use wood that will, again, allow sound to flow freely.
這裡的關鍵是選用能夠讓聲音自由傳導的木材。
37
Some companies, as an example, will have hard rock maple for the outside rim, but the inside rim, to save money, they'll use something like Luan.
舉個例子，有些公司會用硬楓木做外框，但為了省錢，內框會用類似欒木的材料。
38
Luan is not as dense and hard as hard rock maple.
欒木的密度和硬度都不如硬楓木。
39
And when you have your sound waves in that soundboard, some of them are being absorbed a little bit by that luon, more than they would be by hard rock maple.
當聲波傳入那塊音板時，其中一部分會被盧恩木吸收，吸收程度比硬楓木要高一些。
40
The consistent touch of the keys is another valuable element unique to each sideway piano.
按鍵手感的一致性是每臺臥式鋼琴獨有的另一項珍貴特質。
41
There are just two artisans in the entire factory, trusted with weighing off all 88 keys of every keyboard.
整個工廠只有兩位工匠，負責為每臺鍵盤的全部88個鍵進行配重，這是隻有他們才能勝任的工作。
42
This ensures each key is balanced, so a pianist won't have to use more force to press one key over another.
這確保了每個琴鍵的配重均衡，因此鋼琴演奏者按下不同琴鍵時無需使用不同的力度。
43
I used to dream about the pianos chasing me.
我以前總夢到鋼琴在追我。
44
Now it's not a problem.
現在這已經不是問題了。
45
It's up to me.
這由我決定。
46
They the boss.
他們才是老大。
47
I listen, you know, I pay attention to what it wants.
我會傾聽，你知道的，我會留意它想要什麼。
48
The key to it is pay attention and watch that hammer.
關鍵是要集中注意力，盯著那把錘子。
49
That's the key to it.
這就是問題的關鍵所在。
50
Each key is connected to a felt hammer.
每個琴鍵都連線著一個毛氈琴槌。
51
When pressed, the hammer strikes the strings to create sound.
按下時，音槌敲擊琴絃發出聲音。
52
A key shouldn't respond to the finger's touch too quickly or too slowly.
按鍵的響應速度不應過快或過慢。
53
So when I go to check the return, it stays.
所以當我去檢視退貨情況時，它一直顯示在那裡。
54
You see the hesitation?
你看到那猶豫了嗎？
55
It's no good.
這沒用。
56
That means it'll stay up in the piano.
也就是說它會一直留在鋼琴裡。
57
You see how fast that one is?
你看到那傢伙速度有多快了吧？
58
That's too fast.
那太快了。
59
So I take this one away.
那我把這個拿走了。
60
Then I put this one back, and it wants the small one.
然後我把這個放回去，它就想要那個小的了。
61
You see?
你看？
62
So I put the small one.
所以我放了那個小的。
63
You see how nice it is?
你看這多好啊。
64
And that tells me what it wants.
這就告訴我它想要什麼了。
65
So that shows you the difference.
這就向你展示了其中的差異。
66
Everyone is different.
每個人都不一樣。
67
One of the most difficult jobs is the final tone inspection.
最困難的工序之一是最終的色調檢驗。
68
The goal is to create a balanced tone throughout the piano by slightly adjusting the hammers as needed.
目標是根據需要略微調整琴槌，使整臺鋼琴的音色保持均衡。
69
From note to note, we can soften or harden these mallets, or hammers as we call them,
從一個音到另一個音，我們可以調整這些槌子——也就是我們所說的音槌——的軟硬程度。
70
and balance the sound that they generate into the string.
並平衡它們傳遞到琴絃上的聲音。
71
The quality of the piano's tone is incredibly nuanced, something only an experienced ear can decipher.
這架鋼琴的音色層次極其細膩，只有經驗豐富的耳朵才能分辨出其中的差別。
72
If I take this note and then soften it, In this case, I will put a needle in the hammer to soften it.
如果我取這個音然後讓它變得柔和，在這種情況下，我會在琴槌裡插入一根針來柔化音色。
73
Then you'll hear that tone change.
然後你就會聽到那個語氣的變化了。
74
It's a little bit smaller.
它稍微小了一點。
75
And in increments, small steps, I can go through and find the notes that are too big, too bright, and step them down.
我可以逐步、一點一點地排查，找出那些音量過大、音色過亮的音符，然後把它們調低。
76
Well, I'm 58, and I started when I was 28, so that's 30 years and counting.
嗯，我今年58歲，28歲開始做這行，到現在已經30年了，而且還在繼續。
77
I'm still learning how to do this.
我還在學習怎麼做這件事。
78
It never stops.
這事兒根本停不下來。
79
Unlike the ways you can customize a Rolls Royce car, you can do similarly with a Steinway piano.
和定製勞斯萊斯汽車的方式類似，施坦威鋼琴也可以進行同樣的定製。
80
Depending on special editions, veneers, and wood finishes, prices for a single piece can reach $500,000,
根據特別版、貼面材質和木材飾面的不同，單件價格可達50萬美元。
81
like these pianos designed for Steinway by Lenny Kravitz.
就像萊尼·克拉維茨為施坦威設計的這些鋼琴一樣。
82
In the piano vault underneath the factory, Steinway houses one of the most expensive pianos it's ever produced, worth $2.5 million.
在工廠地下的鋼琴庫房裡，施坦威存放著其有史以來生產的最昂貴的鋼琴之一，價值250萬美元。
83
On average, the price of a new Steinway piano increases about 4% every year.
平均而言，一架全新施坦威鋼琴的價格每年上漲約4%。
84
This is partly because the cost of Alaskan Sitka spruce increases at a higher rate than inflation, according to Steinway.
施坦威表示，部分原因是阿拉斯加西加雲杉的成本上漲速度高於通脹率。
85
And while the new pieces get more expensive, old ones become more valuable too.
而且隨著新作品的價格越來越高，老作品的價值也在不斷攀升。
86
A Steinway piano can last several decades with the required touch-ups and restorations.
施坦威鋼琴經過必要的維護和修復，使用壽命可達數十年。
87
A 1965 Steinway Model D piano is worth over $98,000 today.
一架1965年的施坦威D型鋼琴如今價值超過98000美元。
88
That's more than 13 times what it likely sold for.
這比它當初的售價高出了13倍還多。
89
And although there are several elements that greatly impact the price, it's the musician who ultimately decides what the piano is worth to them.
儘管有多種因素會極大影響價格，但鋼琴對他們而言的價值最終還是由音樂家自己決定。
90
Thank you.
謝謝。
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關於本課
在本課中，您將通過觀看一段關於斯坦威鋼琴的YouTube影片，練習英語口語。您將瞭解斯坦威鋼琴的製作過程及其為何如此昂貴。此外，您將學習一些與鋼琴相關的重要詞彙和短語，通過模仿影片中的發音和語調，增強您的語言表達能力。通過這種“影子演講”（shadow speech）的方式，您可以提高自己的英語口語流利度。
關鍵詞彙與短語
- 高檔鋼琴 (high-end piano)
- 音板 (soundboard)
- 木材 (wood)
- 獨特的聲音 (distinct sound)
- 工匠 (artisan)
- 鍵盤 (keyboard)
- 平衡 (balance)
- 聲音波 (sound waves)
練習技巧
進行影子演講時，您可以嘗試慢慢跟讀影片中的每一個句子。此影片的速度適中，您可以在觀看時暫停，充分模仿發音和語調。開始時可以選擇重複短句，這樣幫助您在發音時能更加自信。在您熟練後，可以逐漸加快速度，幫助自己增強語速的靈活性。在模仿時，注意節奏和停頓，這將幫助您更好地掌握英語的語調和情感表達。此外，您還可以在腦海中回放影片中的場景，同時搭配“看YouTube學英語”的方式，加深對內容的理解和記憶。
影片中的語法
說話人最常用的結構，並附上影片中的原話：
| 結構 | 影片中的用法 |
|---|---|
| 被動語態 be + 過去分詞 — 強調發生了什麼，而不是誰做的 | is made · being absorbed · is balanced |
| 現在完成時 have/has + 過去分詞 — 過去發生但與現在仍有關聯的事 | has produced |
什麼是跟讀法？
跟讀法 (Shadowing) 是一種有科學依據的語言學習技巧，最初開發用於專業口譯員的培訓，並由多語言者Alexander Arguelles博士普及。這個方法簡單而強大：您在聽英語母語原聲的同時立即大聲重複——就像是一個延遲1-2秒緊跟說話者的影子。與被動聽力或語法練習不同，跟讀法強迫您的大腦和口腔肌肉同時處理並模模擬實的講話模式。研究表明它能顯著提高發音準確性，語調，節奏，連讀，聽力理解和口語流利度——使其成為雅思口語備考和真實英語交流最有效的方法之一。