Beethoven
I must live almost alone like one who has been banished, I can mix with society only as much as true necessity demands. If I approach near to people a hot terror seizes upon me and I fear being exposed to1 the danger that my condition might be noticed. Thus it has been during the last six months which I have spent in the country...what a humiliation for me when someone standing next to me heard a flute in the distance and I heard nothing, or someone heard a shepherd singing and again I heard nothing. Such incidents drove me almost to despair,2 a little more of that and3 I would have ended my life — it was only my art that held me back. Ah, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had brought forth all that I felt was within me.... Oh Providence — grant me at last but one day of pure joy —it is so long since real joy echoed in my heart...
— Beethoven
banish v. 把……放逐
humiliation n. 耻辱
flute n. 长笛
despair n. 绝望
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brought (bring) forth v. 表达出来
Providence n. 上帝
grant v. 授予
echo v. 发出回声
中译 完美的快乐（贝多芬）
我必须像个被放逐的人那样，过一种近乎独处的生活。我与社会的接触仅限于满足一些最基本的需要。我一旦接近其他人，就有一种强烈的恐惧感。我深恐陷入一种危险，即人们可能发觉我的处境。最近我住在乡下的半年，就是这种状态……当我身边站着的人听到远处长笛吹奏的乐声，我却什么也听不见。或是有人听到一个牧羊人在唱歌，而我还是什么也听不到，这对我是多么大的羞辱啊。这样的事情把我逼到了几乎绝望的境地。要是再遇到一些，我恐怕早就结束自己的生命了——然而，正是我的艺术挽救了我。啊，我好像只有把内心的东西都倾泻出来之后，才可能离开这个世界。哦，上帝啊——无论如何赐给我哪怕一天的完美的快乐吧——我已经很久没有感受真正的快乐在我心中回荡了……
——〔德〕贝多芬
原来如此！
Ludwig van Beethoven（贝多芬，1770-1827），德国作曲家，其创作集西方古典乐派（classicism）之大成，开创了浪漫乐派（romanticism），对后世西洋音乐的发展有深远影响，主要作品包括交响曲（symphony）、奏鸣曲（sonata）、弦乐四重奏曲（string quartet）等。贝多芬五岁开始从父学音乐，首次登台演出时仅八岁。最初的耳聋症状在二十八岁出现，四十岁后明显恶化，但双耳失聪后他仍坚持创作。贝多芬的家庭生活颇为不幸，多次失恋，终生未娶，晚年尤为凄凉。
增值英语
1 I fear being exposed to the danger...
句式 be exposed to 使面临：
This boy has never been exposed to bad influences. 这男孩从未受过坏影响。
We are exposed to a new world of technology. 我们面临着一个技术新世界。
2 Such incidents drove me almost to despair
句式 drive sb to / into a state of mind or situation 逼迫（某人）到某种精神状态或某种处境：
The terrible din drives me to madness. 可怕的喧闹声逼得我要疯了。
The economic recession drove the company into bankruptcy.
经济衰退逼得这家公司破产。
3 a little more of that and I would have ended my life
句式 a little more of that and... (= If there had been a little more)
of that, I would have ended my life。这种用 and 连接的两个句子相当于含有 if 条件状语从句的句子：
Follow my instructions, and you won’t get lost. (= If you follow my instructions, you won’t get lost.) 要是照我说的去做，你就不会迷失方向。
Give us the tools, and we will finish the job tomorrow. (= If you give us the tools, we will finish the job tomorrow.) 只要你把工具给我们，我们明天就可以完工。
名言
My ideas are roused by moods which
in the poet’s case are transmuted into words,
and in mine into tones. — Beethoven
我的灵感由种种情怀激起。要是发生在诗人身上，就形成诗句；发生在我身上，就变成音调。——贝多芬