论和谐――托马斯-布朗
It is my temper, and I like it the better, to affect all harmony: and sure there is musick even in the beauty, and the silent note which Cupid strikes, far sweeter than the sound of an instrument. For there is a musick where ever there is a harmony, order, or proportion: and thus far we may maintain the music of the Sphears; for those well-ordered motions, and regular paces, though they give no sound unto the ear, yet to the understanding they strike a note most full of harmony. Whatsoever is harmonically composed delights in harmony; which makes me much distrust the symmetry of those heads which declaim against all Church-Musick. For my self, not only for my obedience, but my particular Genius, I do embrace it: for even that vulgar and Tavern-Musick, which makes one man merry, another mad, strikes in me a deep fit of devotion, and a profound contemplation of the First Composer. There is something in it of Divinity more than the ear discovers: it is an Hieroglyphical and shadowed lesson of the whole World, and creatures of GOD; such a melody to the ear, as the whole World, well understood, would afford the understanding. In brief, it is a sensible fit of that harmony which intellectually sounds in the ears of GOD.
注释:
1、harmony:n. 融洽、和谐、协调2、temper:n. 性情、脾气3、note:n. 音符4、Cupid:爱神丘比特5、whatsoever:无论什么6、compose:v. 著、撰、组成7、distrust:v. 不信任8、symmetry:n. 对称、匀称9、obedience:n. 服从、顺从10、contemplation:n. 沉思11、divinity:n. 神、神性12、hieroglyphical:n. 象形文字13、melody:n. 悦耳的音调
中文:
我生性耽爱一切之和谐,于此,我且颇以自得;确实,甚至在鸩彼得所奏放的无声音籁之中与美感之内,无不有音乐的存在,其吐音之佳妙迥出一般乐器之上。此亦缘音乐即在和谐、秩序与比例匀称之中,而星际乐声一说至少可以此为部分依据;其秩序井然之动作,节拍分明之步武,此在常人耳中虽悄无声息,然在颖慧者听来,确乃和谐无艺之妙乐。大凡和谐构成之物,必喜和谐,据此,则彼辈攻击一切教堂音乐者,其头脑之中是否尚有匀称二字,我实不能不深致疑虑。至于我自己,我对上述之音乐确实服膺无已,此固与我之虔诚信仰有关,亦系我的特殊禀赋所致;甚即通常旅店之俚俗音乐,所叙不出嬉乐激切之情,尚能使我对那最初制曲人于胸臆之中顿生仰慕之忱与遥深之想;其中圣洁处有非人耳所能察觉者。它是茫茫世界芸芸众生的一篇佶屈恢诡的天启,使上下尘寰彻悟之后捧供识者聆赏的一阙悠扬的妙乐。要言之,它是上彻天听的玲珑曼妙的仙籁的阵阵和谐。论和谐――托马斯-布朗
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