Venezuela’s Famous Youth Orchestra Faces Tough Times

In 1975, Venezuelan musician Jose Antonio Abreu created a network of music education programs for children. It became known as El Sistema. As the director of El Sistema, Abreu was able to gain government support for the network, and turn it into one of Venezuela’s model programs.

1975年，委内瑞拉音乐家何塞·安东尼奥·艾伯鲁（Jose Antonio Abreu）为儿童打造了一项音乐教育课程网络，它后来发展成为了委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系（El Sistema）。作为委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系的音乐总监，艾伯鲁成功获得了政府对该网络的支持，并将其变为委内瑞拉的示范项目之一。

Abreu died March 24 at age 78. Now, El Sistema’s new director, Eduardo Mendez, promises to continue the program's tradition of musical excellence and social service.

艾伯鲁于3月24日去世，享年78岁。现在，委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系的新任总监埃德华多·门德斯（Eduardo Mendez）承诺继续该课程绝佳音乐性和社会服务的传统。

Mendez said the program must overcome Venezuela’s severe economic crisis. The crisis has forced hundreds of musicians to leave the country.

门德斯表示，该课程必须克服委内瑞拉严重的经济危机。这次危机已经迫使数百名音乐家离开该国。

El Sistema now includes about 300 community schools. The network has given children in poor neighborhoods a chance to study classical music. It has produced world-famous musicians, including the director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel.

委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系目前包含大约300所社区学校。该网络让贫苦社区的孩子有机会学习古典音乐。该网络产生了著名的音乐家，包括洛杉矶爱乐乐团的总监古斯塔沃·杜达梅尔（Gustavo Dudamel）。

But Mendez says leading the orchestra network through Venezuela's social and economic crisis will not be easy.

但是门德斯表示，要带领这个管弦乐队网络熬过委内瑞拉的社会和经济危机并不容易。

He says that 8 percent of the program's teachers have recently left Venezuela to seek a better life in other countries. The network's highly praised Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra has lost 42 percent of its musicians over the past six months. Most of those positions have been filled with younger musicians.

他说，该课程8%的教师最近离开委内瑞拉去其它国家追求更好的生活。该网络备受赞誉的西蒙玻利瓦尔青年乐团在过去6个月里已经失去了42%的音乐家。这些空缺出来的职位大多数已经被更年轻的音乐家填补。

Mendez said, "It hasn't been easy to convince people to stay. Many of these people are leaving in search of economic stability."

门德斯表示：“要说服人们留下来并不容易，其中很多人离开这里是为了追求经济稳定。”

Mendez worked with Abreu for 15 years. He said his goal will be to strengthen beginner music programs and explore new types of music for students to learn.

门德斯和艾伯鲁共事了15年。他说，他的目标是强化初学者的音乐课程，并探索新的音乐类型让学生们学习。

El Sistema says 980,000 children and young musicians are currently part of its programs throughout Venezuela.

委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系表示，目前委内瑞拉各地有98万名儿童和年轻音乐家参与了该课程。

Moving forward, Mendez will have to avoid conflicts between musicians and Venezuela's government. Critics have accused him of using the music program as a propaganda tool.

展望未来，门德斯必须得避免音乐家和委内瑞拉政府之间的冲突。批评者指责他利用音乐节目作为宣传工具。

Tensions between El Sistema and Venezuelan officials developed in 2017. At that time, Gustavo Dudamel criticized President Nicolas Maduro’s attempt to form a national assembly of mostly government supporters. Some critics viewed the move as another step toward dictatorship.

2017年，委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系与委内瑞拉官员之间的关系出现了紧张。当时，古斯塔沃·杜达梅尔(Gustavo Dudamel)批评总统马杜罗试图组建一个大多数是政府支持者的国民大会。一些批评者认为此举是朝着独裁又迈出一步。

Maduro asked Dudamel to "not attack those of us who have been crucial to the expansion of the [musical] movement."

马杜罗要求杜达梅尔“不要攻击我们这些对扩大音乐运动至关重要的人。”

Venezuelan officials then cancelled two El Sistema trips through the United States and Asia. Dudamel was to lead the series of performances. No official explanation was given as to why the trips were cancelled.

委内瑞拉官员随后取消了委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系直达美国和亚洲的两趟行程。杜达梅尔当时正举行一系列演出。官方没有给出这些行程为何被取消的解释。

Mendez said Dudamel will continue to be El Sistema's creative director. Dudamel is expected to lead several concerts in Venezuela in August and September. He may also take part in an El Sistema exhibition in May at a United Nations meeting in Vienna.

门德斯表示，杜达梅尔将继续担任委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系的创意总监。预计杜达梅尔将于8月和9月在委内瑞拉举行几场音乐会。他还可能参与委内瑞拉青少年乐团体系五月份在维也纳联合国会议上展览。

Reporters asked Mendez whether he would permit his musicians to voice their political views. He said he would not censure anyone.

记者问门德斯是否允许他的音乐家们发表他们的政治观点。他说他不会谴责任何人。

"Everyone is responsible for his actions, and is responsible for saying or doing what they think is right," Mendez said.

门德斯表示：“每个人都要承担自己行为的后果，也有责任说出或做他们认为正确的事情。”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

convince – v. to cause (someone) to agree to do something

censure – v. to officially criticize someone or something strongly and publicly

exhibition – n. an event at which objects such as works of art are put out in a public space for people to look at; a public show of something

propaganda – n. ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a cause, a political leader, a government, etc.

stability – n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change