The Royal Festival Hall 皇家节日音乐厅
A celebration of London's rich musical heritage
John: Hello, this is On The Town from BBC Learning English where we take you out on the streets of London to explore some of the big landmarks 1. With me is Oliver.
Oliver: Hi John, where are we going today?
John: OK, we’re off to The Royal Festival Hall.
Oliver: Right, so what’s that? 皇家节日音乐厅在哪里，有什么用途呢The Royal Festival Hall.
John: This is arguably London’s premier 2 music venue 3 for all kinds of music, classical.
Oliver: 古典音乐。
John: Contemporary.
Oliver: 现代音乐。
John: Popular, or pop.
Oliver: 流行音乐。
John: And alternative music.
Oliver: 非主流音乐。
John: Also some jazz. It’s also a venue for everyone, and when it first opened it was known as The People’s Palace.
Oliver: 没错儿，这也是当初建造这个音乐厅的一个目的之一。就是将这里变成一个面对所有人的活动场所，不管贫穷的还是富有的，任何阶层的人都可以来这里一起欣赏各种不同类型的音乐。正是因为这个原因，让这个地方很快有了一个昵称，人民的宫殿 the People’s Palace。
John: We’re going to take you back to 1951 now when the Festival Hall first opened, here’s the BBC’s Winford Vaughan Thomas, who was one of the first journalists to enter the building. Have a listen to his description of it.
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For the first time we are seeing the Hall as it was designed to be. Full of light, crowds and fine dresses, music. It’s come splendidly to life and all around me four great stairways lead up to the promenades 4 that surround the auditorium 5 and I’ve got straight away an impression of great space.
John: And that’s what the Royal Festival Hall looks like today – it has been returned to the way it looked like when Winford Vaughan Thomas described it first in 1951.
Oliver: 在我们刚刚听到的这段历史录音里，记者 Winford 介绍说这是一个非常棒的地方。整个音乐厅都被游廊围绕着，游廊包围着演出大厅 the auditorium。
John: Now the Hall was built as part of the 1951 Festival of Britain, a big celebration held that year to try and boost the morale 6 of the country following the Second World War.
Oliver: 在二战后，一个为鼓舞英国人民心而举办的艺术节，it boosted people’s morale。
John: We spoke 7 to Jude Kelly, who is the Artistic 8 Director of the cultural area of London known as The South Bank. It’s here that The Royal Festival Hall is located – on The South Bank of the River Thames.
Oliver: Jude Kelly 为我们介绍了在1951年举办英国艺术节时的情景。她是伦敦南岸中心的艺术总监，the Artistic Director, 南岸中心是英国伦敦著名的文化艺术中心， 也是皇家节日音乐厅的所在地。
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Well, the more I understand about The Festival of Britain, the more I think what an amazing achievement. You know they did it all in eighteen months, and they really were trying to re-emerge from the war, and it wasn’t just actually have a party lets have some fun, it was really a great commitment along with health, welfare and education to the idea of arts and culture and creativity which we now all take for granted, but it was such a massive statement then.
John: Well let’s explain some of that because it's important, I think, to look at the historical context in which the Festival was built.
Oliver: 我们会回顾一下在音乐厅建造的时候的历史背景， the historical context.
John: Jude Kelly said she thought the Festival of Britain was an amazing achievement. There was a real commitment to celebrating a new way of life that was about to happen in the Britain.
Oliver: 就是说艺术节是一个英国展示战后新生事物的地方，a showcase, Jude Kelly 说艺术节非常成功，取得了令人惊异的成就，an amazing achievement。 艺术节希望向人们展示健康 health, 安宁welfare, 和教育 education, 将会成为未来英国人生活的中心和重点。
John: So we could say that The Royal Festival Hall symbolises a time of optimism in Britain.
Oliver: Optimism 乐观主义。
John: And that’s why so many people like the Hall and wanted it restored. Well that’s it for this edition of On The Town, join us again soon for more. Bye!
Oliver: 再见!
- The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句
- The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
- He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。
- The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
- The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。
- He often promenades his wife along the Thames Embankment. 他常常带太太沿着泰晤士河堤防散步。 来自辞典例句
- Stoas lined marketplaces and sanctuaries and formed places of Business and public promenades. 柱廊围绕在市场和神庙的四周，是交易和公众散步的场所。 来自互联网
- The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
- The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出，伸入观众席。
- The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
- He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。