Music and creativity in Ancient Greece - Tim Hansen

翻译人员: Xue Mei 校对人员: Peipei Xiang

We live in a society

我们生活的社会

obsessed with music.

对音乐无比着迷

We use music to worship,

伴随着音乐，我们举行宗教仪式

tell stories,

讲述故事

to celebrate,

庆祝

to work,

工作

exercise,

锻炼

declare our love

表达爱意

and sometimes our hatred,

有时也表达愤恨

and, arguably most importantly,

而最重要的也许是

to dance.

跳舞

And, of course, we play music ourselves

当然，我们也弹奏音乐

because, well, it's a pleasant thing to do.

因为，这是件愉悦的事

Thousands of years ago in Ancient Greece,

几千年前，在古希腊

when it came to music,

提起音乐

things weren't much different.

和今天并无二致

They might have had lyres and tunics

他们有的可能是里拉琴和长罩衫

instead of MP3 players and jeans,

而不是MP3和牛仔裤

but the Ancient Greeks were just as obsessed

但古希腊也和当今社会一样

with music as we are today.

音乐无处不在

In fact, music was such an important part

实际上，音乐之于古希腊社会

of Ancient Greek society

的重要程度

that it makes us seem tame by comparison.

让我们觉得相形见绌

To really understand just how integral music was

要理解为什么音乐对于古希腊

to the Ancient Greeks,

如此不可或缺

let's begin by acquainting ourselves

我们首先来

with a bit of their mythology.

了解他们的神话

In Ancient Greek mythology,

在古希腊神话中

it was believed that human creativity

人们相信创造力

was the result of divine inspiration

是神灵启发的

from a group of goddesses known as the Muses.

这些神灵就是今天所指的缪斯

While scholars have argued over the years

学者一直在讨论

that there are anything between 3 and 13 Muses,

到底有3个还是13个缪斯

the standard number accepted today is 9.

今天广为接受的标准数字为9个

Each Muse oversees her own specific area

缪斯们在其各自的艺术专业领域

of artistic expertise,

各司其职

ranging from song and dance

从唱歌到跳舞

to history and astronomy.

到历史和天文

It might seem strange to categorize

这种分类看起来也许有点儿奇怪

history and astronomy as creative pursuits,

历史和天文被当作一种创造性的学科

but the Ancient Greeks saw these disciplines

但是古希腊人认为这些领域

as more than just school subjects.

不仅仅是一种学科

These were the hallmarks of civilization

它们被当作是文明的特征

in what, to their eyes,

在他们看来

was a pretty barbaric world.

世界是很野蛮的

An educated, civilized person

每一个受过教育的文明人

was expected to be proficient

都应该精通

in all aspects of creative thought

所有由缪斯启迪的

inspired by the Muses,

创造性思想

and the common medium

其中的常见媒介

through which these disciplines were taught,

即传授

studied,

学习

and disseminated

和传播的介质

was music.

便是音乐

You see, it's no coincidence

你看，缪斯（Muse）

that the word Muse is very similar

和音乐（Music）单词十分形似

to the word music.

并非偶然

It's where the word originates.

而是该单词的词源

Poetry, be it a love poem

诗歌，无论是爱情诗

or an epic poem about a dragon-slaying hero,

还是刺杀巨龙的英雄史诗

was sung with a musical accompaniment.

都在音乐伴奏下吟唱

Dancing and singing, obviously,

当然，跳舞和唱歌

were accompanied by music.

也离不开音乐伴奏

Theater was always a combination

戏剧就是

of spoken word and music.

口头语言和音乐的结合

History was recounted through song.

历史通过歌曲讲述

Even the study of astronomy

甚至天文学研究

was linked to the same physical principles

都和音乐和声的物理法则

as musical harmony,

紧密相连

such as the belief held by many Greek thinkers

很多希腊思想家认为

that each of the planets and stars

每个行星和恒星

created their own unique sound

都创造了自己的音调

as they traveled through the cosmos,

当它们在宇宙运动时

thrumming like an enormous guitar string

就像在弹拨无数的吉他弦

light-years long.

琴弦有数光年长

However, music pervaded more aspects of their lives

音乐对他们生活的渗透

than just education.

不仅仅局限于教育

Ancient Greeks considered music

古希腊人认为音乐

to be the basis for understanding

是理解

the fundamental interconnectedness

宇宙万物相互运动的

of all things in the universe.

基本

This concept of connectivity

这种万物相关联的思想

is known as harmonia,

就是和声

and it's where we get the word harmony.

也是词语和谐的来源

Music was used as a form of medicine

音乐也曾被当作良药

to treat illnesses and physical complaints,

用来治疗疾病和生理疼痛

as a vital accompaniment to sporting contests,

如体育比赛时热闹的伴唱

and as a means to keep workers in time

也用来协调工人

as they toiled away on monotonous or menial tasks.

从事单调或繁重的劳役

One of the most important applications

古希腊社会

of music in Ancient Greek society

音乐最重要的应用之一

is found in the belief

就是认为

that music can affect a person's ethos.

音乐可以影响气质

A word we still use today,

我们今天仍然用这个词

ethos is a person's guiding beliefs

气质是人的信仰

or personal ethics,

或个人的伦理观

the way that one behaves

是他们独处

towards oneself and others.

或和他人相处的方式

The Greek philosopher Plato,

希腊哲学家柏拉图

one of the most famous

那个时期

and influential Greek thinkers of the time,

希腊最富盛名和影响力的希腊思想家

asserted that music had a direct effect

坚称音乐

on a person's ethos.

对个人气质有直接影响力

Certain kinds of music

某几种音乐

could incite a person to violence

可以煽动暴力

while others could placate a person

而有些音乐可以麻木心智

into a benign, unthinking stupor.

让人精神恍惚，没有灵魂

According to Plato,

柏拉图说

only very specific types of music

只有特定的几种音乐

were beneficial to a person's ethos.

对人气质有益

One should only listen to music

人们应该只听

that promotes intelligence,

对促进智力

self-discipline,

自律

and courage,

和勇气有益的音乐

and all other kinds of music must be avoided.

应该回避其他所有音乐

Furthermore, Plato fervently denounced

此外，柏拉图热切的公开指责

any music that deviated

任何背离

from established musical conventions,

已成型的音乐惯例的音乐

fearing that doing so

担心这样的音乐

would lead to the degradation

将导致

of the standards of civilization,

文明标准的堕落

the corruption of youth,

青少年的腐化

and eventually complete and utter anarchy.

最终导致彻底的无政府状态

While Plato's fears can seem extreme,

柏拉图的担忧也许很极端

this argument has appeared in modern times

现代也有此类争论

to condemn musical trends

有些音乐潮流受到谴责

such as jazz or punk or rap.

如爵士、朋克或Rap

What do you think Plato would say

你觉得柏拉图对你

about the music you listen to?

所听的音乐会有什么见解呢

Is it beneficial to your ethos,

这有助于提升你的个人气质吗

or will it degenerate you

还是会导致你堕落

into a gibbering, amoral barbarian?

成为愚蠢、不道德的野蛮人呢