Mike: You have a great voice. You should join our choir.

麦克：你的嗓音很不错，应该加入我们的唱诗班。

Grace: I don’t know anything about music. I can’t even read music.

格雷丝：我对音乐一无所知，甚至都不会读乐谱。

Mike: It’s not that hard. I could teach you. Look, this is a piece we’re working on right now.

麦克：读乐谱不难，我可以教你。看，这一节就是我们刚才唱到的地方。

Grace: What’s that weird thing at the beginning?

格雷丝：在开头那个奇怪的东西是什么?

Mike: That’s the clef. It tells you which note each line and space on the staff represents.

麦克：那是谱号。它告诉你每行的音符代表的意思。

Grace: Okay. What about these numbers?

格雷丝：好的，那这些数字呢?

Mike: That’s the time signature. It tells you how many beats are in each measure, and what kind of note gets one beat. This little number above there gives you the tempo.

麦克：这是时间标志，告诉你每一小节有几拍，哪个音符是一拍。这些数字告诉你节拍。

Grace: Hmm, that’s kind of complicated. Why are all of these notes stacked on top of each other?

格雷丝：嗯，有点复杂。为什么这些音符都在别的音符上面?

Mike: That’s to indicate a chord, with two or more notes played together at the same time. See? Musical notation is really very simple.

麦克：意思是和弦，同时演奏出两个或更多音符。看到没?乐谱实际上很简单。

Grace: I don’t think I got all that.

格雷丝：我不认为自己已经掌握了。

Mike: I’m happy to help you until you get the hang of it. We could even work on some duets. We could sing harmony or I can accompany you on the piano.

麦克：我很乐意帮你，直到你能掌握为止。我们可以练习一些二重唱。我们可以和声或者我跟着钢琴陪着你唱。

Grace: I think you’re overestimating my singing ability, but I’m willing to give it a try. At least, I think I can stay on pitch. I just don’t want to embarrass myself too much.

格雷丝：我想你高估我唱歌的能力了，但我愿意试试。至少，我认为自己不会跑调。我不希望让自己窘困。

Mike: I think you’re overestimating the quality of our community choir!

麦克?我想你高估了我们我们社区合唱团的品质了。

Mike: You have a great voice. You should join our choir.

Grace: I don’t know anything about music. I can’t even read music.

Mike: It’s not that hard. I could teach you. Look, this is a piece we’re working on right now.

Grace: What’s that weird thing at the beginning?

Mike: That’s the clef. It tells you which note each line and space on the staff represents.

Grace: Okay. What about these numbers?

Mike: That’s the time signature. It tells you how many beats are in each measure, and what kind of note gets one beat. This little number above there gives you the tempo.

Grace: Hmm, that’s kind of complicated. Why are all of these notes stacked on top of each other?

Mike: That’s to indicate a chord, with two or more notes played together at the same time. See? Musical notation is really very simple.

Grace: I don’t think I got all that.

Mike: I’m happy to help you until you get the hang of it. We could even work on some duets. We could sing harmony or I can accompany you on the piano.

Grace: I think you’re overestimating my singing ability, but I’m willing to give it a try. At least, I think I can stay on pitch. I just don’t want to embarrass myself too much.

Mike: I think you’re overestimating the quality of our community choir!