VOA标准英语2012--EU Youth Orchestra Spreads Passion for Music With American Peers

EU Youth Orchestra¹ Spreads Passion for Music With American Peers²

Thousands of young musicians from the European Union's 27 member countries compete each year for a shot at one of these chairs.

Even as Europe grapples with high unemployment, the EU Youth Orchestra [EUYO] offers about 140 young players a chance to get a leg up on the competition.

Young musicians ascending³

Almost all of them are likely to become professional musicians.

This is Sarah Sew's last tour with the group. She's British and said the orchestra's diversity is its biggest strength.

"Part of the energy and feeling and emotion that you have in the performance is so much because of that," said Sew.

"And as part of its American tour, the European Union Youth Orchestra is taking that energy from the concert hall to the classroom with stops at local high schools. The visiting musicians, like Sew, say it's important for them to share their love of music."

Workshops like these outside Washington provide American students with a chance to meet and play with the European musicians who are all about the same age as they are.

Sew said she wants to inspire students just as she was when she first started playing.

"I remember what I felt when I first heard, when someone demonstrated⁴ to me the violin, and I was desperate to play it," said Sew.

Sharing the love

Joy Bryer founded the youth orchestra in the 1970s with her husband. She calls her musicians her children and says they're ambassadors⁵. 

"There's nothing more important than young people meeting at an age where they have no preconceived values or tolerances⁶, working together and producing something great," said Bryer.

Sew said where the audiences or players come from is not important. Music is their common language.

"If you feel something when you hear music, don't just forget about it and let it go when the concert finishes or when the radio finishes. Remember that, keep that feeling with you," said Sew.

The Washington Performing Arts Society presented the EUYO at Washington's Kennedy Center. The group has stops planned in New York and Boston before finishing its tour near Chicago later this month.

1 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

2 peers   

n.同等的人，贵族vi.凝视，窥视vt.与…同等，封为贵族v.凝视( peer的第三人称单数 )；盯着看；同等；比得上

参考例句：

• She enjoys the respect of her peers. 她受到同侪的尊敬。
• She peers into my eyes. 她盯着我的眼睛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 ascending   

adj.上升的，向上的

参考例句：

• Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。

4 demonstrated   

举行示威游行（或集会）( demonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )； 示范。展示； 显示； 论证

参考例句：

• All of those demonstrated the correctness of his analysis. 这一切都证明了他分析的正确性。
• The fireman demonstrated great courage in saving the child. 那位消防队员在抢救孩子的过程中，表现了极大的勇气。

5 ambassadors   

大使( ambassador的名词复数 )； （派驻联合国等国际组织的）代表； 特使； [比喻]使者

参考例句：

• Kennedy, greatly admiring, rated him very high among his ambassadors. 肯尼迪十分赏识他，在所有大使中对他评价很高。
• Many countries were represented by their ambassadors at the Independence Day celebrations. 庆祝美国独立纪念日时，许多国家都派其大使代表参加。

6 tolerances   

n.宽容( tolerance的名词复数 )；容忍；忍耐力；偏差

参考例句：

• Not only must the centers decrease, but the tolerances to produce quality bonds must also decrease. 不仅中心间距减少，而且产生优质连接的容限也必须减少。 来自辞典例句
• Then analysis the reasons and influencing factors of such tolerances. 最后分析出现误差的原因以及影响因素。 来自互联网