第八篇

An Early Form of Jazz Music

Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. At the turn of the last century, __ 1      jazz was born, America had no prominent   2   of its own. No one knows exactly when was invented or by whom. But it began to be  3    in the early 1890s. Jazz is America's contribution to    4     music. In contrast to classical music, which __5__ formal European traditions, jazz is spontaneous and free in form¹. It bubbles with energy, __6__ the moods, interests, and emotions of the people. In the' 1920s jazz _7__ like America. And so it does today. The __8__ of the music are as interesting as the music itself. American Negroes, or blacks, as they are called today, were the jazz pioneers. They were brought to the Southern states __9__ slaves. They were sold to plantation owners and forced to work long hours. When a Negro died his friends and relatives __ 10      a procession to carry to body to the cemetery. In New Orleans, a band often accompanied the 　　11      . On the way to the cemetery the band played slow, solemn music, suited to the occasion. __12__ on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Death had removed one of their number², but the living were glad to be    13__. The band played 　　14　　 music, improvising on both the harmony and the melody of the tunes³ 15 __ at the funeral. This music made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz.

词汇：

Jazz n. 爵士乐

spontaneous adj.自发的

bubble v. 充溢

Negro n. 黑人

plantation n.种植园

procession n. 行列、队伍

cemetery  n.公墓

improvise v. 即兴

注释：

1. jazz is spontaneous and free in form 爵士乐是自发的，布局形式

2. Death had removed one of their number 死亡带走了他们中的一员，number这里是（人或单位的）总和、全体

3 …improvising on both the harmony and the melody of the tunes 根据曲调的和声和旋律即兴演奏