Music and creativity in Ancient Greece - Tim Hansen

譯者: Ya Hui Hung 審譯者: Regina Chu

We live in a society

我們住在一個

obsessed with music.

迷戀音樂的社會。

We use music to worship,

我們用音樂來朝拜，

tell stories,

說故事，

to celebrate,

慶祝，

to work,

工作，

exercise,

運動，

declare our love

示愛

and sometimes our hatred,

和有時釋出我們的仇恨，

and, arguably most importantly,

但可以說最主要的，

to dance.

來伴舞。

And, of course, we play music ourselves

當然的，我們也做音樂演奏

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

因為這是一項娛樂。

Thousands of years ago in Ancient Greece,

在幾千年前的古希臘，

when it came to music,

就音樂而論，

things weren't much different.

跟當今的差異不大，

They might have had lyres and tunics

雖然他們是穿著丘尼卡撥奏里拉

instead of MP3 players and jeans,

而不是穿著牛仔褲聽 MP3，

but the Ancient Greeks were just as obsessed

但古希臘人對音樂的迷戀

with music as we are today.

決不亞於現代人。

In fact, music was such an important part

其實音樂是古希臘社會

of Ancient Greek society

不可或缺的一部分，

that it makes us seem tame by comparison.

比較起來我們猶如小巫見大巫。

To really understand just how integral music was

要了解音樂如何是古希臘人生活

to the Ancient Greeks,

不可或缺的一部分，

let's begin by acquainting ourselves

我們首先需要從

with a bit of their mythology.

古希臘神話說起。

In Ancient Greek mythology,

在古希臘神話中，

it was believed that human creativity

人類的創造力

was the result of divine inspiration

是來至一群稱為繆斯（Muse）的女神，

from a group of goddesses known as the Muses.

她們神聖的啟示。

While scholars have argued over the years

多年來，繆斯的總人數是

that there are anything between 3 and 13 Muses,

學者的爭論點，介於 3 到 13 之間，

the standard number accepted today is 9.

但最普遍的繆斯人數是 9 個。

Each Muse oversees her own specific area

每個繆斯有她特別監督的

of artistic expertise,

一項藝術專長，

ranging from song and dance

包括了從歌、舞

to history and astronomy.

到歷史和天文。

It might seem strange to categorize

你可能覺得將歷史和天文列為

history and astronomy as creative pursuits,

藝術學科之一有點稀奇，

but the Ancient Greeks saw these disciplines

但古希臘人對這些學科的看法

as more than just school subjects.

是超乎於我們一般的認知。

These were the hallmarks of civilization

他們認為在當時充滿野性的社會，

in what, to their eyes,

這些學科

was a pretty barbaric world.

是文明的象徵。

An educated, civilized person

一個文明受過教育的人

was expected to be proficient

必須精通

in all aspects of creative thought

所有啟示於繆斯的

inspired by the Muses,

創意思惟，

and the common medium

而最普遍使用的媒體

through which these disciplines were taught,

用來教學，

studied,

研習，

and disseminated

和傳播這些學科

was music.

是音樂。

You see, it's no coincidence

事實上，這不是一種巧合，

that the word Muse is very similar

繆斯的英文名稱 - Muse

to the word music.

類似英文的音樂單字 - music。

It's where the word originates.

Muse 是 music 的起源。

Poetry, be it a love poem

詩，不管是一首情詩

or an epic poem about a dragon-slaying hero,

或一首描述一個弒龍英雄的史詩，

was sung with a musical accompaniment.

都是由音樂伴奏唱出的。

Dancing and singing, obviously,

當然的，音樂也伴隨

were accompanied by music.

歌舞。

Theater was always a combination

戲劇通常都是

of spoken word and music.

台詞和音樂的組合。

History was recounted through song.

歷史由歌曲來講述。

Even the study of astronomy

就連天文

was linked to the same physical principles

和音樂和聲的物理原理

as musical harmony,

也密不可分，

such as the belief held by many Greek thinkers

例如很多希臘思想家相信

that each of the planets and stars

每個行星和恆星

created their own unique sound

在它們穿梭宇宙的同時

as they traveled through the cosmos,

都會發出它們獨特的聲音，

thrumming like an enormous guitar string

就像漫彈有光年之長的

light-years long.

吉他弦。

However, music pervaded more aspects of their lives

然而，音樂不限制於他們的教育

than just education.

也瀰漫了他們生活的多方面。

Ancient Greeks considered music

古希臘人認為音樂是

to be the basis for understanding

理解萬物

the fundamental interconnectedness

和宇宙緊密關係的

of all things in the universe.

基礎。

This concept of connectivity

這連通性的概念

is known as harmonia,

稱為 harmonia (和諧)

and it's where we get the word harmony.

也是英文字 harmony (和諧/和聲) 的來源。

Music was used as a form of medicine

音樂可以當"藥"

to treat illnesses and physical complaints,

來治療疾病和身體的不適，

as a vital accompaniment to sporting contests,

是體育競賽很重要的搭伴，

and as a means to keep workers in time

和用來保持工人單調的

as they toiled away on monotonous or menial tasks.

或瑣碎的工作節拍。

One of the most important applications

在古希臘社會，

of music in Ancient Greek society

音樂有一項很重要的用途，

is found in the belief

啟發於他們對音樂能影響

that music can affect a person's ethos.

個人精神氣質 (ethos) 的信仰。

A word we still use today,

Ethos 是當今仍在使用的字，

ethos is a person's guiding beliefs

這包含了個人的信仰

or personal ethics,

或個人道德，

the way that one behaves

個人對自已和他人的

towards oneself and others.

行為方式。

The Greek philosopher Plato,

希臘哲學家柏拉圖 (Plato)，

one of the most famous

當時希臘最有名

and influential Greek thinkers of the time,

和有影響力的思想家，

asserted that music had a direct effect

宣稱音樂能直接影響

on a person's ethos.

一個人的精神氣質。

Certain kinds of music

某些音樂能

could incite a person to violence

引發人的暴力

while others could placate a person

而有些音樂能安撫一個人

into a benign, unthinking stupor.

使他進入良性的無思考狀態。

According to Plato,

根據柏拉圖，

only very specific types of music

只有某些特殊類型的音樂

were beneficial to a person's ethos.

有益於個人精神氣質。

One should only listen to music

每個人應該只聽

that promotes intelligence,

能提升智能，

self-discipline,

自律，

and courage,

和膽識的音樂，

and all other kinds of music must be avoided.

和避免其他種類的音樂。

Furthermore, Plato fervently denounced

同時，柏拉圖也強烈的反對

any music that deviated

任何偏離

from established musical conventions,

傳統樂理的音樂，

fearing that doing so

他擔心非傳統音樂

would lead to the degradation

將會降低

of the standards of civilization,

文明的標準，

the corruption of youth,

使青少年墮落，

and eventually complete and utter anarchy.

甚至導致世界混亂。

While Plato's fears can seem extreme,

雖然柏拉圖的擔憂看似極端，

this argument has appeared in modern times

他的說法已被利用來

to condemn musical trends

譴責近代音樂潮流

such as jazz or punk or rap.

例如爵士樂或龐克音樂或饒舌歌曲。

What do you think Plato would say

你覺得柏拉圖對你喜愛的音樂

about the music you listen to?

會有什麼意見?

Is it beneficial to your ethos,

它們是有益於你的精神氣質，

or will it degenerate you

或是會使你墮落

into a gibbering, amoral barbarian?

成為一個口齒不清，沒道德的野蠻人?