Why do Stradivarius violins sound so good?

为什么史特拉第瓦里小提琴声音那么美妙?

A: What did I tell you?

我告诉过你什么来着?

B: You’re right Yaoyao.This is a beautiful piece.

瑶瑶，你说的很对，这是一首美妙的曲子。

A: It should be.

它本该如此。

B: What’s so special about Stradivarius violins?

那瓦里小提琴有什么特别的呢?

A: That’s something that musicians and scientists have been trying to figure out for centuries. Scientists at the University of Tennessee and Columbia University think that the violins’ unique sound has to do with climate change.

那就是音乐家和科学家们几世纪以来一直试图寻觅的东西。田纳西大学和哥伦比亚大学的科学家们觉得该小提琴的独特声音与气候变化有关。

Between 1645 and 1715 Western Europe experienced what’s known as the "Maunder Minimum," a period of unusually cold weather due to the sun’s reduced activity during the time. Temperatures may have dropped by two degrees Celsius, which was enough to make trees grow more slowly. Slower tree growth produces stronger, denser wood.

在1645年至1715年期间，西欧历经了一个名为“蒙德极小期”的时期。在这期间，因为太阳活动减弱，天气异常的冷。气温降了2℃，这足以让树木生长的更加缓慢，产出更坚硬，密度更大的木头。

B: Let me guess. The scientists think that a violin maker like Stradivarius used wood from these slowly growing, denser trees to make violins.

让我来猜猜。科学家应该觉得像制造“史特拉第瓦里”这样的小提琴制造者就用了来自这些生长缓慢、且木质密度高的树的木头吧!

A: Right! If the scientists are correct, the special quality of the wood is one factor that allows a Stradivarius violin to produce such brilliant tones.

是的!如果科学家(的想法)是对的，那种有特殊品质的木头就是让瓦里小提琴可以发出如此绝妙声音的原因之一。

B: Is it possible for today’s violin makers to use techonology to make violins that sound just as good as Stradivarius?

那现在的小提琴生产者还可能用什么技术来让小提琴的声音像“史特拉第瓦里”吗?

A: Maybe.In fact, nearly all Stradivarius violins have been modified over the centuries so that they don’t sound much like they did originally. If Stradivarius were alive today, he might not evenrecognize the sound.

或许吧!事实上，几乎所有的瓦里小提琴都已经在这几世纪发生改变了，以至于它们现在的声音并没有像最开始那样好听。如果斯特拉迪瓦里现在还活着的话，他或许都不能听出这个声音了吧!