Unit-9-Song-of-Defiance課文翻譯大學(xué)英語(yǔ)三

Unit9SongofDefianceTheyconfrontedtheNaziswiththeonlyweapontheyhad:theirvoices.Whenyouwalkthecobbledmist-shroudedstreetsofTerezinintheCzechRepublic,yourmindfillswithimagesofthevillagesixtyyearsago,whenitwasaNaziconcentrationcamppackedwithdesperateanddyingJews.ButTerezinwasnotonlyaplaceofsuffering.Itwasalsoasceneoftriumph.Terezinhadbeenaperversekindofshowcase.IncontrasttoAuschwitz,Treblinkaandotherexterminationcamps,theNazisdesignedthetownnearPraguetofooltheworld.FormuchofWorldWarII,NazipropagandasuggestedthatJewsthereenjoyedalifeofleisure,evenusingcaptiveJewishfilmmakerstocraftamovieshowing"happy"Jewslisteningtolecturesandbaskinginthesun.Therealitywashorriblydifferent.Asmanyas58,000Jewswerestuffedintoatownthathadoriginallyheld7,000.Medicalsupplieswerealmostnonexistent,bedswereinfestedwithverminandtoiletsoverflowed.Ofthe150,000prisonerswhopassedthroughTerezin,35,000diedthere,mostlyfromdiseaseandhunger.Yetthecampmadeconcessionsforpropagandapurposes.SStroopswerepostedoutsidethefortress,whiledailyactivitywasoverseenbyaJewish“CouncilofElders,”whichturnedablindeyetoinmates’activities,unlesstheymightattractNaziattention.So,amidthepervasiveatmosphereofdeath,writersmanagedtowrite,painterstopaint,andcomposerstocompose.AmongthemwasRafaelSchaechter,aconductorinhismid-30s.Charismatic,withastrikingfaceandwavy,darkhair,SchaechterwasjustbeginningtomakeanameforhimselfintherichculturalmixofprewarPrague.HehadscarcelythoughtofhimselfasJewishatall,untilhewasseizedbytheNazis.Ashismonthsinthecampstretchedintoyears,andmoreandmoreJewsdisappearedeastwardonNazitransports.Schaechter’sfuryathiscaptorssteadilygrew.Andthenhethoughtofadaringplan.Heconfessedhisideatohisroommateinasinglesentence:“WecansingtoNaziswhatwecan’tsaytothem.”TheirweaponwastobeVerdi’sRequiem.EverythingthatSchaechterwantedtosaylaycamouflagedwithintheLatinwordsoftheRequiem,withitsthemesofGod’swrathandhumanliberation.Schaechterhadaccesstonomusicalinstrumentsexceptabrokenharmoniumfoundinarubbishheap.Otherthanthat,hehadonlyhumanvoicestoworkwith.Throwinghimselfintotheplan,hemanagedtorecruit150singers.Amongthegroupwasabrown-eyedteenagernamedMriankaMay.Duringher12-hourworkday,shelaboredeverythingfromscrubbingwindowstomakingtobaccopouchesforGermansoldiers.Atnight,sheslippedawaytojointhechoir,whereshefeltliftedupbyVerdi’smusicandSchaechter’spassion.“WithoutRafiSchaechter,we’dneverhavesurvived,”saysMay,oneofthetinyhandfulofchorusmemberstolivethroughthewar.“Hesavedusthroughthismusic.”Achingwithhunger,sopranosandaltos,tenorsandbasseswouldtaketheirplaces,whileSchaechterpoundedoutVerdi’stoweringthemesontheharmonium.Sincetherewasonlyasinglescore,thesingershadtomemorizetheirparts,inLatin,alanguagethatfewbesidesSchaechterunderstood.Whentheyrehearsedthekeysectioncalled“DayofWrath,”SchaechterexplainedthatitmeantGodwouldjudgeallmen—includingtheNazis—bytheirdeedsandtheywouldonedaypayfortheircrimesagainsttheJews.“Weareputtingamirrortothem,”hesaid,“Theirfateissealed.”AlthoughtheGermanshadspiesamongtheprisoners,Schaechtermanagedtokeeptherealmeaningbehindthechorus’srehearsalsasecret.Still,thecamp’sJewishelderswereupset.“TheGermanwilldeportyourwholechorus,andhangyou,”theywarnedSchaechteratastormymeeting.ThatnightSchaechtertoldhischorus,“Whatwearedoingisdangerous.Ifanyonewantstoleave,youmaygo.”Nooneleft.Atlast,intheautumnof1943,allwasready.Thefirstperformancetookplaceforprisonersgatheredinaformergymnasium.Someonehadfoundanoldpianomissingalegandproppeditonacrate.Duringtheperformance,atechniciankeptitintunewithapairofpliers.Verdi’smusicburnedthroughtheaudiencelikeanelectricalcharge,andmanyrememberitasoneofthemostpowerfuleventsoftheirlives.TheRequiemwaslikefoodputinfrontofthem.Theygnawedatitfromsheerhunger.Overtheensuingmonths,theRequiemwasrepeatedseveraltimesforadditionalaudiencesofprisoners.ThenSchaechterreceivedanorderfromthecamp’scommandanttostageacommandperformanceoftheRequiem.Thiswouldbe“inhonour”ofavisitbyRedCrossrepresentativeswho,fooledbytheNazis,wouldnotoriouslyreportthattheJewswerelivingincomfortatTerezin.TherewouldalsobehighNaziofficialspresent—amongthem,anSSlieutenantcolonelnamedAdolfEichmann.Thescenewassetforaface-to-faceconfrontationbetweendefiantJewsandthemanbehindtheFinalSolution.還有納粹的高官們，其中一位是名叫阿道夫·艾希曼的黨衛(wèi)隊(duì)的陸軍中校。于是演出便成了無(wú)畏的猶太人與操縱滅絕猶太人計(jì)劃者之間的一場(chǎng)面對(duì)面的對(duì)抗。盡管作了最大努力，沙克特只能召集到60名合唱歌手。骨瘦如柴的他們聚集在小小的舞臺(tái)上，艾希曼身著納粹的全副戎裝坐在前排。猶太人的目光直逼納粹們，他們?cè)匠郊ぐ海簯嵟盏絹?lái)之際必將這世界化為灰燼……審判來(lái)到之時(shí)顫栗吧……有仇必報(bào)。演出結(jié)束，