跟读练习: Why Steinway Grand Pianos Are So Expensive | So Expensive - 通过视频学习英语口语
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90 句
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1
It takes about 11 months to craft just one Steinway & Sons grand piano.
制作一台施坦威三角钢琴大约需要11个月的时间。
2
And these instruments don't come cheap.
而且这些仪器的价格可不低。
3
A Model D concert piano in ebony, the most affordable finish of any Steinway piano, will cost you about $187,000.
一架乌木漆面的D型三角钢琴是施坦威钢琴中最经济实惠的漆面款式，售价约为187000美元。
4
But that's nowhere near how high prices can reach.
但这还远未达到价格可能达到的最高水平。
5
Steinway has produced two of the most expensive pianos in the world, worth over $2 million each.
施坦威生产了世界上最昂贵的两款钢琴，每架价值超过200万美元。
6
The next most expensive piano is half the price, at $1.2 million.
第二贵的钢琴价格仅为它的一半，为120万美元。
7
But with several other premium pianos on the market, is there something about Steinway's sound that stands out?
但市场上还有其他几款高端钢琴，施坦威的音色是否有什么特别出众之处？
8
And is that what makes these pianos so expensive?
难道这就是这些钢琴如此昂贵的原因吗？
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.
被英国广播公司誉为钢琴界劳斯莱斯的施坦威，160多年来一直生产着一些最受追捧的三角钢琴。
10
It's the piano of choice for Billy Joel, Lang Lang, and many other professional musicians.
它是比利·乔尔、郎朗以及许多其他专业音乐家首选的钢琴。
11
But compared to other high-end piano makers, it's often Steinway's sound that sets it apart.
但与其他高端钢琴制造商相比，施坦威的音色往往是其脱颖而出的关键。
12
As a performer, I can wear many different masks depending on the piece that I'm playing.
作为一名演奏者，我可以根据所演奏的曲目戴上许多不同的面具。
13
There's some pieces you want to be very, very diabolical, you know, enlist.
有些棋子你就是要让它们极尽诡诈，你懂的，得好好利用起来。
14
And at the same time, lightness.
与此同时，又带着轻盈之感。
15
Creating that sound starts here in New York, at one of only two Steinway factories in the world.
这种音色的创造始于纽约，这里是全球仅有的两家施坦威工厂之一。
16
Each grand piano is 5 to 9 feet long, and weighs between 540 and 990 pounds.
每架三角钢琴的长度为5至9英尺，重量在540至990磅之间。
17
Often, the bigger the piano, the pricier it will be.
通常来说，钢琴越大，价格就越高。
18
About 85% of a Steinway piano is made of wood, and one of the most crucial woods is used for the soundboard.
施坦威钢琴约85%的部件由木材制成，其中音板所用的木材是最为关键的材料之一。
19
The soundboard is the life of the instrument, the soul of the instrument.
音板是乐器的生命，是乐器的灵魂。
20
This is Alaskan Sitka spruce.
这是阿拉斯加西加云杉。
21
This is the most expensive wood that we have in the piano.
这是我们钢琴中使用的最昂贵的木材。
22
And we actually get it from the trees primarily that are on the shady side, the north-facing side of these islands.
实际上，我们主要从这些岛屿北侧背阴面的树木上获取它。
23
So they grow very little each year, and that means that we have growth rings that are very close together, not spaced apart.
所以它们每年的生长量非常小，这就意味着它们的年轮排列得非常紧密，而不是间隔很宽。
24
Sitka spruce is used in other stringed instruments like guitars.
西加云杉也用于吉他等其他弦乐器。
25
and it grows in a few areas in the northwest US.
它生长在美国西北部的几个地区。
26
But more than 50% of the Alaskan sickest spruce they source won't meet Steinway's standards.
但他们采购的阿拉斯加最优质云杉中，有超过50%达不到施坦威的标准。
27
The wood must have a very specific grain density and direction, both which can impact the quality of sound.
这种木材必须具备非常特定的纹理密度与纹理走向，这两者都会影响音质。
28
Steinway looks for closely packed, straight grains, no more than plus or minus 15 degrees off a 90-degree vertical grain.
施坦威会挑选纹理紧密、顺直的木材，纹理与90度垂直方向的偏差不超过正负15度。
29
There's a reason it's so strict about this.
它在这方面要求如此严格是有原因的。
30
That's partly why, when you press a key on a Steinway piano, you hear a distinctly long, sustained tone.
这也正是为什么当你按下施坦威钢琴的琴键时，会听到格外悠长、延绵不绝的音色。
31
The soundboard's edge must attach perfectly to the piano's rim, the curved wooden frame of the instrument.
音板的边缘必须与钢琴的音板框——也就是该乐器的弧形木质框架——完美贴合。
32
The full rim is made up of an inner and outer rim.
全轮辋由内轮辋和外轮辋组成。
33
Some piano makers attach each of these pieces separately, but at Steinway, a team of artisans bends both together.
有些钢琴制造商会将这两个部件分别安装，但在施坦威，一组工匠会将两者一起弯折成型。
34
Steinway says this method gives the piano a stronger foundation, lowering the chances it will break.
施坦威表示，这种方法能让钢琴拥有更稳固的基础，降低其损坏的概率。
35
Steinway uses hard rock maple for both the inner and outer rims.
施坦威钢琴的内圈和外圈都采用硬枫木制作。
36
The key here is to use wood that will, again, allow sound to flow freely.
这里的关键是选用能够让声音自由传导的木材。
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.
举个例子，有些公司会用硬枫木做外框，但为了省钱，内框会用类似栾木的材料。
38
Luan is not as dense and hard as hard rock maple.
栾木的密度和硬度都不如硬枫木。
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.
当声波传入那块音板时，其中一部分会被卢恩木吸收，吸收程度比硬枫木要高一些。
40
The consistent touch of the keys is another valuable element unique to each sideway piano.
按键手感的一致性是每台卧式钢琴独有的另一项珍贵特质。
41
There are just two artisans in the entire factory, trusted with weighing off all 88 keys of every keyboard.
整个工厂只有两位工匠，负责为每台键盘的全部88个键进行配重，这是只有他们才能胜任的工作。
42
This ensures each key is balanced, so a pianist won't have to use more force to press one key over another.
这确保了每个琴键的配重均衡，因此钢琴演奏者按下不同琴键时无需使用不同的力度。
43
I used to dream about the pianos chasing me.
我以前总梦到钢琴在追我。
44
Now it's not a problem.
现在这已经不是问题了。
45
It's up to me.
这由我决定。
46
They the boss.
他们才是老大。
47
I listen, you know, I pay attention to what it wants.
我会倾听，你知道的，我会留意它想要什么。
48
The key to it is pay attention and watch that hammer.
关键是要集中注意力，盯着那把锤子。
49
That's the key to it.
这就是问题的关键所在。
50
Each key is connected to a felt hammer.
每个琴键都连接着一个毛毡琴槌。
51
When pressed, the hammer strikes the strings to create sound.
按下时，音槌敲击琴弦发出声音。
52
A key shouldn't respond to the finger's touch too quickly or too slowly.
按键的响应速度不应过快或过慢。
53
So when I go to check the return, it stays.
所以当我去查看退货情况时，它一直显示在那里。
54
You see the hesitation?
你看到那犹豫了吗？
55
It's no good.
这没用。
56
That means it'll stay up in the piano.
也就是说它会一直留在钢琴里。
57
You see how fast that one is?
你看到那家伙速度有多快了吧？
58
That's too fast.
那太快了。
59
So I take this one away.
那我把这个拿走了。
60
Then I put this one back, and it wants the small one.
然后我把这个放回去，它就想要那个小的了。
61
You see?
你看？
62
So I put the small one.
所以我放了那个小的。
63
You see how nice it is?
你看这多好啊。
64
And that tells me what it wants.
这就告诉我它想要什么了。
65
So that shows you the difference.
这就向你展示了其中的差异。
66
Everyone is different.
每个人都不一样。
67
One of the most difficult jobs is the final tone inspection.
最困难的工序之一是最终的色调检验。
68
The goal is to create a balanced tone throughout the piano by slightly adjusting the hammers as needed.
目标是根据需要略微调整琴槌，使整台钢琴的音色保持均衡。
69
From note to note, we can soften or harden these mallets, or hammers as we call them,
从一个音到另一个音，我们可以调整这些槌子——也就是我们所说的音槌——的软硬程度。
70
and balance the sound that they generate into the string.
并平衡它们传递到琴弦上的声音。
71
The quality of the piano's tone is incredibly nuanced, something only an experienced ear can decipher.
这架钢琴的音色层次极其细腻，只有经验丰富的耳朵才能分辨出其中的差别。
72
If I take this note and then soften it, In this case, I will put a needle in the hammer to soften it.
如果我取这个音然后让它变得柔和，在这种情况下，我会在琴槌里插入一根针来柔化音色。
73
Then you'll hear that tone change.
然后你就会听到那个语气的变化了。
74
It's a little bit smaller.
它稍微小了一点。
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、一点一点地排查，找出那些音量过大、音色过亮的音符，然后把它们调低。
76
Well, I'm 58, and I started when I was 28, so that's 30 years and counting.
嗯，我今年58岁，28岁开始做这行，到现在已经30年了，而且还在继续。
77
I'm still learning how to do this.
我还在学习怎么做这件事。
78
It never stops.
这事儿根本停不下来。
79
Unlike the ways you can customize a Rolls Royce car, you can do similarly with a Steinway piano.
和定制劳斯莱斯汽车的方式类似，施坦威钢琴也可以进行同样的定制。
80
Depending on special editions, veneers, and wood finishes, prices for a single piece can reach $500,000,
根据特别版、贴面材质和木材饰面的不同，单件价格可达50万美元。
81
like these pianos designed for Steinway by Lenny Kravitz.
就像莱尼·克拉维茨为施坦威设计的这些钢琴一样。
82
In the piano vault underneath the factory, Steinway houses one of the most expensive pianos it's ever produced, worth $2.5 million.
在工厂地下的钢琴库房里，施坦威存放着其有史以来生产的最昂贵的钢琴之一，价值250万美元。
83
On average, the price of a new Steinway piano increases about 4% every year.
平均而言，一架全新施坦威钢琴的价格每年上涨约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云杉的成本上涨速度高于通胀率。
85
And while the new pieces get more expensive, old ones become more valuable too.
而且随着新作品的价格越来越高，老作品的价值也在不断攀升。
86
A Steinway piano can last several decades with the required touch-ups and restorations.
施坦威钢琴经过必要的维护和修复，使用寿命可达数十年。
87
A 1965 Steinway Model D piano is worth over $98,000 today.
一架1965年的施坦威D型钢琴如今价值超过98000美元。
88
That's more than 13 times what it likely sold for.
这比它当初的售价高出了13倍还多。
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.
尽管有多种因素会极大影响价格，但钢琴对他们而言的价值最终还是由音乐家自己决定。
90
Thank you.
谢谢。
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关于本课
在本课中，您将通过观看一段关于斯坦威钢琴的YouTube视频，练习英语口语。您将了解斯坦威钢琴的制作过程及其为何如此昂贵。此外，您将学习一些与钢琴相关的重要词汇和短语，通过模仿视频中的发音和语调，增强您的语言表达能力。通过这种“影子演讲”（shadow speech）的方式，您可以提高自己的英语口语流利度。
关键词汇与短语
- 高档钢琴 (high-end piano)
- 音板 (soundboard)
- 木材 (wood)
- 独特的声音 (distinct sound)
- 工匠 (artisan)
- 键盘 (keyboard)
- 平衡 (balance)
- 声音波 (sound waves)
练习技巧
进行影子演讲时，您可以尝试慢慢跟读视频中的每一个句子。此视频的速度适中，您可以在观看时暂停，充分模仿发音和语调。开始时可以选择重复短句，这样帮助您在发音时能更加自信。在您熟练后，可以逐渐加快速度，帮助自己增强语速的灵活性。在模仿时，注意节奏和停顿，这将帮助您更好地掌握英语的语调和情感表达。此外，您还可以在脑海中回放视频中的场景，同时搭配“看YouTube学英语”的方式，加深对内容的理解和记忆。
视频中的语法
说话人最常用的结构，并附上视频中的原话：
| 结构 | 视频中的用法 |
|---|---|
| 被动语态 be + 过去分词 — 强调发生了什么，而不是谁做的 | is made · is used · being absorbed |
| 现在完成时 have/has + 过去分词 — 过去发生但与现在仍有关联的事 | has produced |
什么是跟读法？
跟读法 (Shadowing) 是一种有科学依据的语言学习技巧，最初开发用于专业口译员的培训，并由多语言者Alexander Arguelles博士普及。这个方法简单而强大：您在听英语母语原声的同时立即大声重复——就像是一个延迟1-2秒紧跟说话者的影子。与被动听力或语法练习不同，跟读法强迫您的大脑和口腔肌肉同时处理并模仿真实的讲话模式。研究表明它能显着提高发音准确性，语调，节奏，连读，听力理解和口语流利度——使其成为雅思口语备考和真实英语交流最有效的方法之一。