The secrets of Mozart’s “Magic Flute” - Joshua Borths

翻译人员: Mengya Cai 校对人员: Ellen Tung

A boy named Prince Tamino runs through a dark wood

一个叫做塔米诺的王子

pursued by a dragon.

因为被一只大妖龙追赶而跑入一个漆黑的森林

Just as it rears up to devour him,

正当这只大妖龙即将从后面吞噬他的时候

three mysterious ladies appear

三为神秘的女人出现了

and slay the dragon with their fierce battle cry.

在激烈的 战斗口号搏斗之中将这只大妖龙斩杀

So begins Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte,"

此时沃尔夫冈·阿马德乌斯·莫扎特的音乐“Die Zauberflöte"开始响起

or "The Magic Flute."

也就是《魔笛》

This fantasy singspiel,

这部奇幻的歌唱剧

a type of folk opera with music and dialogue,

是集音乐与对白为一体的一种民族歌剧

premiered in 1791 in Vienna.

它首演于1791年维也纳

Though it may seem like a childish fairytale,

虽然也许它看起来像一部稚气未脱的神话故事

this intricate opera is full of subversive symbolism,

但这部复杂精细的歌剧充满了颠覆性象征

and it's now regarded as one of the most influential operas in history.

如今它被认作为历史上最具影响力的歌剧之一

Tamino's run in with the dragon is only the start of his journey.

塔米诺与大妖龙斗争之时仅仅是他旅程的开始

The three women summon their leader, the Queen of the Night.

这三位女人召唤出她们的领导者：夜之女王

She, in turn, sends Tamino on a quest to rescue her daughter Pamina

相应地，夜之女王委托塔米诺

from the evil sorcerer, Sarastro.

解救出她困在恶魔萨拉斯妥的女儿，帕蜜娜

And to help him on his journey, she gives him the titular magic flute.

为助他一臂之力，夜之女王赠与他了一支魔笛

Tamino eventually finds Pamina at Sarastro's temple,

塔米诺最终在萨拉斯妥的神殿中找到帕蜜娜

but behind enemy lines,

但是在敌人的防线之外

Tamino and Pamina learn that they're on the wrong side.

塔米诺和帕蜜娜意识到他们的错误形势

The Queen of Night actually wants to plunge the world into darkness.

原来夜之女王是想要将整个世界陷于黑暗之中

Everything Tamino thought he knew was wrong,

塔米诺意识到他之前知道的一切都是错误的

filling him with doubt and confusion.

这将他陷入怀疑和混淆之中

So, a new quest begins for Tamino and Pamina.

因此，一个新的任务向塔米诺和帕蜜娜开启

They must pass three trials of wisdom,

他们必须通过名为“理性“，”自然“，"智慧“这三个考验

and only then can the day vanquish the night.

只有在通过之后光明才能征服黑暗

Helped by the flute's magic power,

在具有神奇魔力的笛子帮助之下

the two youths overcome these trials and the Queen's attempts to sabotage them.

两位青年过关斩将通过层层考验，可是女王企图徒摧毁他们

They're finally initiated into the temple having restored balance to the kingdom.

他们最终进入那座神殿，恢复了王国的平衡

Many elements in this peculiar fairytale

这个独特的童话里有这许多元素

were inspired by Mozart's involvement in Freemasonry,

其灵感来自于莫扎特所参与的共济会

a network of fraternal organizations throughout Europe.

共济会是遍布整个欧洲的兄弟会组织

Much of their history, symbolism, and ritual came from the Middle Ages.

他们的历史、象征符号、和仪式大多来自于中世纪

But the Freemasons of Mozart's time

但莫扎特时期的共济会

were also influenced by 18th century European ideals -

还同时受到了18世纪欧洲思想的影响

rationalism, humanism, and skepticism towards traditional authorities,

例如理性主义、人文主义、以及对传统权威的批判怀疑主义

like monarchy and the church.

比如君主政体和教堂

The symbols of Freemasonry and these ideals of the Enlightenment

共济会的象征符号和这些启蒙运动的思想

are found throughout the opera.

都能够在整部歌剧里找到影子

If this sounds like a conspiracy theory, that's because it sort of was at the time,

假如这听起来像一个阴谋论，那是因为从某种程度上来看那个时期确实如此

but it's now taken quite seriously

但是如今大家对此持十分严谨地态度

and has been the subject of considerable scholarly publication.

这也成为大量的学术研究对象

For example, some Mozart scholars believe the Queen of the Night

举一个例子，有些研究莫扎特的学者们认为这部歌剧里的夜之女王

symbolizes Maria Theresa, the Empress of the Holy Roman Empire

象征着圣罗马帝国的皇后玛利亚特瑞莎，

who opposed Freemasonry and banned it in Austria.

这位皇后反对共济会并在下令禁止出现在奥地利

While there continues to be debate as to the specific meaning,

即使这些具体含义，

interpretation,

阐释

and location of these masonic references,

以及音乐中象征共济会的地方都有待商榷

scholars agree that they're there and are fully intentional.

学者们都一致认为这些确实存在于《魔笛》中，而且是有意为之

One of these symbols is the number three,

其标志之一是数字”三“

which represented balance and order to Freemasons.

这个数字对于共济会来说意味着平衡和秩序

Now the number three is, of course, easy to find in any work of storytelling,

当然了，如今任何故事作品中都很容易找到数字”三“

but it's particularly prominent in "The Magic Flute":

然而这在《魔笛》中尤为突出

three trials,

三个考验

three ladies,

三位侍女

three spirits,

三种精神

and three doors,

和三个门

much of the music is written in E-flat major,

其中许多音乐都是降E大调

which has three flats in its key signature,

这个调有三个降号

and historically, masonic rituals began with three knocks.

从历史角度来看，共济会的新人入会仪式通常开始于三次敲门声

The opera references them by opening with three majestic chords

这部歌剧的开场始于三个宏伟的和弦

complete with dramatic pauses.

止于戏剧性的停顿

Those chords, which reoccur throughout the opera,

而这三个和弦在整部歌剧中反复出现

serve another purpose.

它们另有目的

They capture the dramatic arc of the opera in miniature.

这些和弦是歌剧的缩影，抓住了其戏剧性

The first chord, E-flat major, is in its most natural root position,

第一个和弦降是E大调，是最自然的根音和弦

simple and unadorned.

简单且朴素

It echoes the child-like Prince Tamino,

它就像少年塔米诺王子

who, in his naiveté, accepts everything the Queen and her ladies say

因为他的天真

without question.

而轻信了夜之女王和侍女所说的一切

The second chord is C minor,

第二个和弦是C小调

a sour sonority that mirrors Tamino's sadness and doubt

这一个酸涩的音响效果仿佛映照了

in the middle of the opera.

歌剧中部塔米诺的悲伤和疑虑

That's when his world and notions of good and evil get turned on their heads.

那个时候正是善与恶的世界和意识在他的脑海中轮番出现

And good and evil are just two of the opera's extreme opposites.

善与恶正是这部歌剧中两个极端

It features some of the highest and lowest notes in opera,

他们分别在歌剧中以最高音和最低音的形式表现出来

day and night,

歌剧中的白天与黑夜

simple hummable melodies and complicated forward-looking music.

分别通过简单人性化的旋律和复杂前卫的音乐对比表现出来

The opera's central theme concerns balancing these extremes

这部歌剧的中心主题正是为了平衡这些极端因素

to achieve perfect harmony.

从而达到最佳和谐状态

To reflect this,

为了反映出这个目的

the final chord in the opening restores musical order.

歌剧序曲的最后一个和弦恢复了音乐秩序：

It returns to the triumphant E-flat major,

回到了令人欢欣鼓舞的降E大调

the same chord it started with but inverted,

与开篇的和弦相同，不过是降E大调的转位和弦

meaning Mozart moved the bottom note to the top.

转位和弦的意思是莫扎特将本身位于和弦最底部的音移到了最上面

Although it retains its original harmony, the chord sounds higher,

它既保留了原位和弦的和谐，且听起来音高更高了

pointing towards enlightenment.

带有启蒙主义的指向性

That's similar to Tamino,

这和塔米诺有些相似：

who in passing his trials restores balance to the kingdom

当他成功通过层层考验后恢复王国的平衡之时

while growing stronger, wiser, and more complete.

此时的塔米诺，更加强壮、聪明和完整