英语名人堂：芳婷

 自幼跟俄国侨民教师乔治·冈恰罗夫学习芭蕾舞。

1934年回英国后进入伦敦圣德勒·威尔士芭蕾舞学校，同年参加了舞剧《胡桃夹子》演出，担任伴舞演员，饰小雪花，受到重视。后进入圣德勒·威尔士芭蕾舞团。

1935年，剧团的主要演员阿莉西亚·玛尔科娃因故退出舞台，玛戈·芳婷代替马尔科娃扮演《天鹅湖》中的白天鹅奥杰塔，这次成功演出成了她艺术生命的一个转折点。

1939年她又成功主演了舞剧《吉赛尔》而成为英国的芭蕾明星。

1946年，芳婷在伦敦皇家歌剧剧院演出了舞剧《睡美人》，成功地扮演了剧中的阿芙罗拉公主，再次轰动英国舞坛，更确立了她在英国芭蕾界首席芭蕾演员的地位。她的舞姿轻盈,能将音乐与舞蹈融为一体,举手投足都富于表情。她对芭蕾艺术态度认真,不断地追求和探索,直到息影舞台。

1958年，巴拿马政府指控她参与丈夫推翻政府的阴谋，对她签发了逮捕令。后来她虽免遭厄运，但她丈夫却遭枪击而致残废。芳婷以惊人的毅力继续她的舞台演出外，更是以超人的精力照料丈夫，获得文化界的高度尊敬。

1979年阿什顿专为芳婷创作了舞剧《向芳婷致敬》。年届六旬的芳婷担任女主角。这是她四十五年芭蕾舞台生涯的最后告别演出。芳婷与英国芭蕾编导阿什顿的合作，一直被芭蕾界传为佳话。

1979年,访问中国,将北京舞蹈学院演出的《卖火柴的小女孩》编入她与英国BBC电视台合拍的自传片中。

 

Margot Fonteyn was born as Margaret Hookham in England in 1919. Many consider her to be the greatest English ballerina of all time. She received the title of Dame¹ when she was 35 from Britain’s Queen. Fonteyn had a sparkling career and encouraged artists of all kinds to share their ideas to find deeper meaning in their work.

 

The young Margaret signed up for ballet classes when she was very young. She joined Britain’s Royal Ballet while still a teenager. Her exceptional talent was clear to see and by 1939, she was the star of her ballet company. She wowed TV audiences with her role as Aurora² in Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty. Her breathtaking grace helped bring ballet to new audiences.

 

In 1949, she toured the United States and became an instant celebrity³. Her status as a ballet great arrived at the time most of her peers thought she would retire. In 1961 she danced with the great Rudolf Nureyev. Their partnership⁴ lasted until her retirement⁵ in 1979 and is still the greatest the ballet world has witnessed. They became lifelong friends.

 

Fonteyn was, incredibly, 59 years old when she retired⁶. She spent her final years living with her diplomat⁷ husband in Panama. She summed up her life by saying: "The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative⁸ and the second is disastrous⁹." Fonteyn died of cancer in 1979.

1 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

2 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

3 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

8 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

9 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。