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Ukulele：The Happy Instrument 快樂的烏克麗麗
空中英語教室 20241001
修正下文英文文法，但是保留其中的中文
Sure! Here’s the revised text with corrected grammar while retaining the Chinese:
Hello, friends, and welcome to Studio Classroom! It’s a brand new month—October! We hope you have your October magazine with you today. My name is Ann Marie, and I am joined for our lesson today by a very special guest. Welcome, Teacher Hazel!
Well, thank you, Ann Marie! Hi, everybody! I’m happy to be here with my happy instrument. Do you know what this is? It’s a ukulele! That’s right! We asked Hazel to come on the program today because she is the author of today’s article called “Ukulele: The Happy Instrument.” That’s right, and it is a happy instrument! You can play a lot of happy tunes. That’s right! I’ve been able to see Hazel play some happy tunes before during Christmas time. I’ve heard you play some happy Christmas songs and some other times as well.
We’re going to talk about what makes the ukulele so happy and learn a little bit more about it, friends. Let’s get into our first reading right now.
Ukulele: The Happy Instrument
Easy to learn and fun to play. Are you looking for something fun and challenging to do? Why not learn to play the ukulele? This happy little instrument can bring you hours of joy and entertainment. It can also give you the satisfaction of learning something new. Why is the ukulele a happy choice? Let me count the ways.
Hello, everyone! Welcome to Language Lab. I’m Jack. 我们先来看“satisfaction”这个名词。意思是满意或是满足。例如，Sally felt a sense of satisfaction after she had cleaned her house. Sally打扫完她的房子后感到很满意。或者，after their presentation, the team cheered with satisfaction, glad it was finally over. 检报结束后，队员们满意地欢呼庆祝，终于结束了。
如果把“satisfaction”字尾的“i o n”改为“o r y”，就变成形容词“satisfactory”，是指满意的。譬如，the restaurant received mostly satisfactory reviews, with some guests praising the atmosphere and others wanting larger servings. 这家餐厅收到的评价大多令人满意，有些客人称赞的氛围，其他人则希望份量更大。
Alright, friends! As we get into our lesson today, I have a question for Hazel. You wrote here that the ukulele is easy to learn and fun to play. Could you talk about that a little bit? Why is it easy and fun to play?
Well, one reason it’s easy is because, unlike a guitar with six strings, a ukulele only has four. Guitars are a lot of fun to play too, but they usually have metal strings, which can hurt your fingertips when you’re learning. The ukulele has plastic strings, which are easier on your fingertips, although at first, you might feel a little uncomfortable. But you get used to it very quickly.
Oh, so you’re saying the strings on the ukulele are plastic instead of metal? Usually, yes. Okay, and what is the actual ukulele made out of? This one is an outdoor ukulele; it’s made of plastic. You can sing in the rain with this one! But actually, most of them are made of wood, so you can get plastic or wood. But probably most people, if you’re a little serious about it, would have a wooden ukulele.
Ah, I see. Well, it also says here that you say ukuleles are fun but also challenging. What’s so challenging about learning to play the ukulele?
Well, I think any time you learn something new, especially an instrument, it’s a little bit challenging. It’s difficult at first because some people say, “I could never play an instrument.” But you taught music, right?
I did teach music before, and instruments are difficult to learn how to play at first because you really have to focus on the technique before you can play a lot of songs. But this is a little bit easier because you don’t have to worry too much about technique. You can watch YouTube videos and learn how to play.
I think one reason it’s challenging is because if you really want to get good, then you need to learn about chords and how to play more chords. That can be very challenging, but playing some simple songs is not difficult at all.
You say here this happy little instrument can bring you hours of joy and entertainment. I do feel joy when I hear the ukulele because it has a really happy sound, right? Usually, you don’t expect it to be serious music. If you hear the violin, it’s like, “Oh, it must be serious,” you know? Or with some instruments, you don’t hear a lot of classical music on it, which I guess you could play, but a lot of the songs you play are not too difficult and are easy, so you think about fun when you play, especially with friends.
Yeah, definitely! I feel like a lot of times I’ve been in a situation where there’s been a ukulele, and people are gathered together, maybe even singing or playing music at the same time. That’s very joyful, and that’s what makes it a lot of fun. When you’re playing by yourself, it’s still fun; then you don’t have to worry when you make mistakes. But when you’re playing with others, it’s just good to get together and sing.
There’s a phrase that I want to talk about here in this section that you wrote, Hazel. You said, “Why is the ukulele a happy choice? Let me count the ways.” Can you tell us a little bit about this phrase?
“Let me count the ways.” Well, I think there’s a very famous poem, and it’s like, “How much do I love you? Let me count the ways.” So that’s a famous line, and that’s why I thought, “Let me count the ways.” That means there are just lots of different ways or reasons that the ukulele is a happy choice.
Alright, friends! We’ll be right back after our next reading.
Ukulele: The Happy Instrument
The price is right! Compared to other musical instruments, ukuleles are affordable. Entry-level ukuleles are not expensive; you may even be able to find a good deal on a used one. However, as you improve, you may want to buy a better model.
Good things come in small packages. Ukuleles are portable—smaller than guitars—they’re easy to travel with! Stick it in your backpack, and you’re off!
接下来看“entry level”这个复合形容词。它是由“entry”进入和“level”等级这两个名词所结合而成的。意思就是入门等级的，适合初级用户的。比如，the camera came with an entry-level price tag, which made it a good choice for those who had to watch their money. 这款相机拥有入手的价格，对于那些想要看紧荷包的人来说，是个不错的选择。或者，the company offered several entry-level positions that were perfect for new graduates. 这家公司提供了几个非常适合应届毕业生的入门职位。
再来看一句，Paul started with entry-level guitar lessons and slowly built his skills and confidence. Paul从入门级吉他课程开始，慢慢建立自己的技巧和信心。
再来看形容词“portable”。意思是可携带的。例如，Stella loves using her portable charger to keep her phone going during her long commute to work. Stella喜欢在漫长的通勤途中使用行动电源，以保持手机电量充足。或者，thanks to the invention of the portable computer, working somewhere other than one’s office has become much easier. 由于随身电脑的发明，在办公室以外的地方工作变得更加容易。
“Portable”的名词是“portability”，是指可携带性。譬如，the laptop’s thinness and long battery life make it ideal for students who value both power and portability. 这款笔记本电脑既轻薄且电池续航力强，非常适合注重功率和便于携带的学生。
Okay, friends! We are learning about some of the ways that the ukulele is a happy choice with Teacher Hazel. First, you say here that the price is right. What do you mean by that? It’s affordable, which means most people have enough money to buy one. You could buy a cheap one for maybe thirty US dollars, maybe reasonable under a hundred. You could probably get something pretty nice, but some can cost one or two thousand dollars if they’re made of nice wood and maybe handcrafted and just sound so nice.
So this little plastic one doesn’t sound great, but I can take it outside. It’s a lot of fun and again, maybe thirty to a hundred dollars could get you a fairly nice one to learn on. That’s how a lot of instruments are, right? You can get a cheaper version for a lot less money, but if you want something that’s really high quality, you’re going to have to pay a lot more.
Yeah, you could compare that with the violin. Some are hundreds of thousands of US dollars, so the ukulele compared to that is pretty reasonable. That’s right! And you have a really great tip in here as well. You say that as you improve your skills, maybe you’ll want to buy a better model. So you can start with a more affordable brand or model, and then once you get good, you can put a little bit more money into a nicer one.
However, it’s easy to
start collecting them! You get one, enjoy it, and then you want a better one. Then you see a different kind, and you want another one! So I have to admit that I have a lot more than just this ukulele.
You have multiple ukuleles?
I do. Do you use them for different situations?
I do! So if I just want to grab one and run somewhere, I’ll take this little one. If I’m going to play in front of people, I would take one that’s a little more expensive and sounds a little better. Some you can plug into an amplifier, so there are a lot of reasons why you should get another one.
I like that! All right, well here’s another reason that the ukulele is a happy choice. Okay, you’re going to have to explain this phrase to us, Hazel: “good things come in small packages.”
That’s right! Some people choose to play a cello or a big instrument, and then when they take it somewhere, it’s really inconvenient. Can you imagine someone taking a cello or a bass on the MRT or on an airplane? You have to buy its own ticket, or for an upright bass or something, or an accordion. So this is so easy to travel with; you could put it in your backpack, or you could just carry it around over your shoulder. Or if it had a strap, you could just hang it around your neck.
That’s right! And there’s a great word that we saw in the lesson that describes how convenient ukuleles are, and that is the word "portable."
You saw that in the language lab, friends! We read here: “Smaller than guitars, they are easy to travel with. Stick it in your backpack, and you’re off!”
You’re off! You can go to the beach, you can go to the park, or you can visit your neighbor or your friend’s house. So it’s very portable, and that is one great thing! They also come in different sizes. This is probably the smallest size; you could get them smaller, but this is the standard small size. Isn’t that cute and easy?
It is very cute, and it looks very convenient and portable as well.
We’ll be right back, friends, after today’s Infocloud!
Hello friends! Welcome to Infocloud. Hey Garrett, I saw you playing your ukulele again yesterday. You’re going to be a professional soon!
Oh, I do enjoy playing the ukulele, but I don’t think I’m anything like a professional. Maybe more of a layman.
A layman? That’s an interesting term. Are you basically saying you’re going to play the ukulele as a hobby?
Yeah, sort of. “Layman” is a complicated word. Most simply, a layman or layperson is not a professional. So, a layperson doesn’t have a license or training to do something like a professional would. Sort of laypeople or the laity are people who aren’t experts or professionals in a particular field, but they often have some knowledge and experience in a subject.
I guess it kind of depends on the subject or area of expertise.
That’s very true! In churches, the laity can perform a whole range of tasks, but that isn’t at all true in medicine. You wouldn’t want a layperson trying to fix your teeth, for example.
I assume that’s why we use that expression “in layman’s terms.”
Exactly! When we explain an idea simply using common language, we often say we are speaking in layman’s terms.
Well, you might not be a professional, Garrett, but you are getting pretty good at the ukulele!
Thanks, Rex! I’ll keep practicing.
layman KK[ˋlemən] DJ[ˋleimən] 或 layperson 門外漢 当我们把一件事情当做嗜好，或许你可以用今天分享的用语Layman来形容你自己。Layman有外行人或是业余人士的含义。如果你要强调你在一件事情上面，例如弹吉他只是兴趣，完全不是专业，你就可以说：when it comes to playing the guitar, I’m just a layman. 对我来说，弹吉他只是个嗜好，我是外行人。
比较中性的用语是 layperson，可以用来称呼男人或女人。通常 layman 或 layperson 可能在某个领域有一些基本的尝试，但还算不上是专业。这就是今天的 Infocloud，我们下次云端见！
Ukulele: The Happy Instrument Easy to Learn
The ukulele is easy to learn. Simple chord charts that show you where to place your fingers are available online. You can also find countless lessons on the internet. You’ll be playing some tunes in no time很快!
Fun Factor
As you play, you can sing along—that’s half the fun of it! Then get your friends to sing with you.
最后来看“tune”这个名词，意思是曲子或曲调。例如：A tune sung by the young man walking down the street filled the air and added cheerfulness to the gray day. 这个年轻人走在街上口中所唱的曲子弥漫在空气中，给灰蒙蒙的天气增添了欢乐。
“tune”也可以当动词，意思是调音，比如：Before their performance, the musicians tuned their instruments. 音乐家们在表演前先把他们的乐器调音。如果是“out of tune”并在每个字中间加上连字号，就是当形容词用，意思就是走调的。例如：The out of tune guitar caused the audience to put their hands over their ears. 走音的吉他让观众用手捂住耳朵。
Well, ukulele: The Happy Choice has another reason that you should learn how to play. That is, it’s so easy to learn! We see here, Hazel, that you’ve talked about chord charts. Can you explain that to us a little bit?
Yes, a little bit. See, you can see the strings. Oh, this is a different ukulele. It’s a wooden one, and it’s a little bit bigger. You can see the strings coming down. A chord chart shows you where to place your fingers. For example, if you want to play the C chord, you would play with this finger. The chart would have lines for the strings and crossed lines for the frets, showing you where to put your finger. So that would be a C chord. This would be an F chord. You can get a chart that shows you all the chords, and if you could just play three chords—F, G—you could play hundreds, maybe even thousands, of songs!
Yeah, a lot of songs just require a few chords in order to play them, so this is easy to learn. You can also find countless lessons on the internet. You’ll be playing some tunes in no time!
But there’s another reason that you should learn how to play the ukulele, and that is the fun factor. Tell us about the fun factor.
Well, we mentioned a few things. One is that you can just practice when you’re doing other things—pick up your ukulele and practice. But we also talked about playing with friends and singing along. Maybe you’re not a good singer, but if you learned a few songs, you could play in your room by yourself, and no one would have to listen. Or you could invite a few friends over. I have a lot of friends now that play the ukulele, and it’s just fun to get to know each other and to do things together—play and learn some new songs, you know? Not all instruments are convenient for playing and singing at the same time, so I do think that is one of the appeals of the ukulele. It’s very easy for a singer to pick up the ukulele, or if you want to get better at singing, to play the ukulele and sing.
That’s right! You know, I always wanted to play the trumpet. I thought that would be so cool, but you can’t sing and play the trumpet at the same time. It’s more fun for me to play and be able to sing at the same time. That’s kind of nice! Another thing is, it’s a little bit quieter than the trumpet.
Oh, so if you’re playing in an apartment, your neighbors would appreciate you playing the ukulele instead of the trumpet or a loud instrument.
That’s a really good point! Because sometimes you can hear your neighbors practicing the piano or a brass instrument. The ukulele could be a good choice for apartment living.
True!
All right, well friends, we will be right back in a minute, and Hazel is going to play a little bit for us and maybe show me how to hold the ukulele correctly. We’ll be right back!
Hello, Fact Friends!
I am Detective Ernest Finder, and I have a fun fact for you today. Did you know that the name "ukulele" means？ "jumping flea" in the Hawaiian language?
夏威夷人初次接觸這種樂器的時候，不但認同這種琴音音色的優美，還對演奏者手指在指板上的快速移動感到驚訝；從那時開始，夏威夷人就把這種琴稱為Ukulele意思是「跳躍的跳蚤」。 Ha! It’s true! A flea is a little bug that sometimes goes on dogs and bites you. But why is a ukulele called a jumping flea? Well, this is because of the way a ukulele player’s fingers move—they jump around! And that is today’s fun fact.
It is time for my very first ukulele lesson! Yay!
Okay, well here’s what I want you to do. I want you to put your fingers—one, two, three—on these three frets right here.
Okay, like this?
Yeah! And then lift these two up, and that is a C chord.
Okay, you got it?
Got it!
And once you learn a couple of chords, you can also play different rhythms with your right hand. You can just do one, two, three, four, or similar to a guitar. But there are so many fun things you can learn, and you can learn to play in different ways, which is exciting! And there are so many YouTube channels that you can watch, so it’s easy for a beginner to learn more and more.
It’s so true! So friends, if you are interested in learning how to play the ukulele, you don’t necessarily have to pay for lessons. You can just check it out on YouTube—Google "ukulele beginner classes" or something like that.
But before we go, Hazel, I just have to mention this doesn’t look like a ukulele—it looks like a banjo!
It’s called a banjo ukulele, and there are other varieties of ukuleles too.
All right, well friends, we hope you have enjoyed this lesson! Hazel, thank you so much for joining me today; what a fun lesson!
We hope you enjoyed it as well, friends, and we’ll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. Goodbye!
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