原文译文
*注：本文摘自4月10日《史密森杂志》。
The Inside Story of the Beatles’ Messy Breakup
披头士解散内幕
Tensions leading to the split, announced 50 years ago today, had been bubbling under the band’s cheery surface for years
50年前的今天，披头士乐队宣布解散，而导致解散的矛盾多年来一直在乐队表面的和谐之下酝酿
1. Fifty years ago, when Paul McCartney announced he had left the Beatles, the news dashed the hopes of millions of fans, while fueling false reunion rumors that persisted well into the new decade.
50年前，保罗·麦卡特尼(Paul McCartney)宣布退出披头士乐队，这粉碎了数百万歌迷的希望，同时也使得披头士重组的谣言生根，这些谣言一直持续到新世纪。
2. In a press release, on April 10, 1970, for his first solo album, “McCartney,” he leaked his intention to leave. In doing so, he shocked his three bandmates. The Beatles had symbolized the great communal spirit of the era. How could they possibly come apart?
1970年4月10日，在他的首张个人专辑《麦卡特尼》的新闻发布会上，麦卡特尼透露了自己打算退出的想法。他的这一做法，让他的三名队友大为震惊。甲壳虫乐队象征着那个时代伟大的集体精神。他们怎么可能分开呢?
3. Few at the time were aware of the underlying fissures. The power struggles in the group had been mounting at least since their manager, Brian Epstein, died in August of 1967.
当时很少有人察觉到乐队中的隐藏的分歧。自乐队经理布赖恩·爱泼斯坦(Brian Epstein) 1967年8月去世以来，乐队内部的权力斗争愈演愈烈。
Paul Quits the Beatles
保罗退出披头士
4. Was McCartney’s “announcement” official? His album appeared on April 17, and its press packet included a mock interview. In it, McCartney is asked, “Are you planning a new album or single with the Beatles?” His response? “No.”
麦卡特尼的退队“声明”有效吗？他 4月17日出版的专辑中包括一次模拟采访的录音。在录音中，记者问道：“你打算和乐队一起出新专辑还是打算自己出单曲？”他的回答是不和乐队出专辑。
5. But he didn’t say whether the separation might prove permanent. The Daily Mirror nonetheless framed its headline conclusively: “Paul Quits the Beatles.”
但他没有说自己此次的单独行动是不是永久性的。尽管如此，《每日镜报》的新闻标题仍然是：“保罗退出披头士乐队”。
6. The others worried this could hurt sales and sent Ringo as a peacemaker to McCartney’s London home to talk him down from releasing his solo album ahead of the band’s “Let It Be” album and film, which were slated to come out in May. Without any press present, McCartney shouted Ringo off his front stoop.
乐队成员担心这会影响专辑销量，于是让林戈·斯塔尔充当和事佬，到伦敦麦卡特尼家中去劝说他不要在原定于五月份发行的乐队专辑《顺其自然》(Let It Be)及其音乐录影发行之前发行他的个人专辑。由于没有任何媒体在场，麦卡特尼大声让林戈滚出他家。
The Beatles jumping
披头士乐队变故
7. Lennon had kept quiet. Lennon, who had been active outside the band for months, felt particularly betrayed.
列侬一直保持沉默。几个月来一直单独活动的列侬觉得自己遭到了背叛。
8. The previous September, soon after the band released “Abbey Road,” he had asked his bandmates for a “divorce.” But the others convinced him not to go public to prevent disrupting some delicate contract negotiations.
前一年（1969）9月，在乐队发行《艾比路》(Abbey Road)不久后，列侬要求退出乐队。但其他人说服他不公开，以免合同受影响。
9. Still, Lennon’s departure seemed imminent: He had played the Toronto Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival with his Plastic Ono Band in September 1969, and on Feb. 11, 1970, he performed a new solo track, “Instant Karma” on the popular British TV show “Top of the Pops.” Yoko Ono sat behind him, knitting while blindfolded by a sanitary napkin.
尽管如此，列侬退队似乎是迫在眉睫：1969年9月，他和他的塑胶小野乐队在多伦多摇滚音乐节上演出；1970年2月11日，他在英国流行电视节目《流行前线》(Top of the Pops)上表演了一首新的单曲《现世报》(Instant Karma)。小野洋子坐在他身后织毛衣。
10. In fact, Lennon behaved more and more like a solo artist, until McCartney countered with his own eponymous album. He wanted Apple to release this solo debut alongside the group’s new album, “Let It Be,” to dramatize the split.
事实上，直到麦卡特尼推出了自己的同名专辑之前，列侬越来越像一个独唱艺人。他要求苹果公司能在发行乐队新专辑《顺其自然》(Let It Be)的同时发行他的首张个人专辑，这使得他和乐队的决裂更加戏剧化。
11. By beating Lennon to the announcement, McCartney controlled the story and its timing, and undercut the other three’s interest in keeping it under wraps as new product hit stores.
麦卡特尼抢在列侬之前宣布退队消息，从而掌握了时机，也使得乐队其他三名成员新专辑利益受损。
精读解析
篇章结构P1—P3：披头士解散之后，关于乐队回归的谣言一直甚嚣尘上：麦卡尼特宣布单飞让人震惊，但其实，乐队内部的权力斗争一直都在。
P4—P6：麦卡尼特单飞内幕。
P7—P11：披头士解散之路之列侬单飞。
重点单词dash the hope使…希望破灭
【例句】
Not when doing so would ruin her plans for the holidays and dash her hope to rest and recharge.
这样做会破坏她的假期计划、浇灭她好好休息恢复精力的希望。
persist/pə'sɪst/v. 持续，固执；存留，坚持
【同根】
persistent adj. 持续的; 不断的
persistence n. 坚持不懈;执意;持续;留存
【短语】
persist in
坚持
【例句】
She persisted in her own opinion.
她坚持自己的意见。
announce/ə'naʊns/v. 宣布；述说；预示；播报
【同根】
announcement n. 通告,布告,通知;预告
announceable adj. 可宣布的
【短语】
announce results
宣布结果；公布成绩
announce to
通知某人；向…宣布
【例句】
The explosion was almost simultaneous with the announcement.
爆炸与那项声明几乎同时发生。
press release新闻稿；新闻发布会
symbolize/ˈsɪmbəˌlaɪz/ vt. 象征;作为…的象征
【例句】
The lion symbolizes courage, strength and authority.
狮子象征着勇气、力量和权威。
The five Olympic rings symbolize five continents.
奥运五环象征着五大洲。
communal/'kɒmjʊn(ə)l/ adj. 公共的；公社的
【例句】
Each floor has showers, and a communal kitchen.
每层楼都有淋浴及公共厨房。
underlying/ʌndə'laɪɪŋ/ adj. 根本的, 基础的；含蓄的, 潜在的
【例句】
And he said, you know, there are underlying issues here — underlying problems in Iraq.
他表示，伊拉克存在一些潜在问题。
Same underlying parts, different color and chemistry.
这两种地衣的基本成分相同，但颜色和化学成分不同。
fissure/'fɪʃə/ n. 狭长裂缝或裂隙;裂伤;分歧; 分裂vt. & vi. 裂开
【例句】
But there was worse to come. Just ahead of us there was a huge fissure.
但是更糟糕的事情在等着我们，离我们不远处，出现了一个大裂缝。
permanent /'pɝmənənt/ adj. 永久(性)的, 固定的
【短语】
permanent delegate
常驻代表
permanent resident
永久性居民
permanent worker长期工
permanent population常住人口
【例句】
He is one of our permanent employees.
他是我们的终身雇员之一。
be slated to预计到…
【例句】
The season was originally slated to begin the second week of October.
而这个赛季本来定于10月第二周开始。
solo album个人专辑
talk sb. down from doing sth.劝说某人不要做某事
imminent/'ɪmɪnənt/ adj. 迫近的；即将来临的
【短语】
imminent danger
（法）迫在眉睫的危险
imminent failure
即时损毁
imminent threat
紧迫的威胁；逼近的威胁
【例句】
We are hoping that the conquest of cancer is imminent.
希望癌症的征服为期不远。
blindfold/'blaɪn(d)fəʊld/ vt. (尤指用布)挡住(某人)的视线, 蒙住(某人)的眼睛；使不理解, 使迟钝;蒙骗n. 蒙眼的绷带〔布等〕；障眼物;蒙蔽人的事物
【例句】
Blindfolds never lead to anything good.
戴眼罩从来不会遇上什么好事。
sanitary napkin卫生棉
sanitary/'sænɪt(ə)rɪ/ adj. 卫生的，清洁的n. 公共厕所
【短语】
sanitary fittings洁具，卫生设施；卫生设备配件
【例句】
Sanitary measures on incoming vehicles and goods will also be stepped up.
同时也要加强来自疫情发生地的交通工具和货物的检查。
counter with以…反击，用…还击；提出与之抗衡的(建议、计划等)
【例句】
The Social Democrats countered with promises to let certain workers retire at 63 instead of 65 (not to mention 67).
社民党立刻还击承诺让一些工人在63岁退休而非65岁（期间并未提到67岁）。
dramatize/ˈdræməˌtaɪz/ vt. & vi. 使(事情)戏剧化, 夸张；将(小说或事件)改编成剧本
【短语】
dramatize for
将…改编成
【例句】
Then there were the missions themselves, dramatized into best sellers and onto the big screen.
然后就是这些任务本身，被戏剧化地改编成畅销书并搬上大银幕。
undercut/ʌndə'kʌt/ n. (牛的)腰部肉,里脊；(高尔夫、网球)下旋削球vt. 以低于(竞争者)的价码出售货物或提供服务；接受较低工资与...抢工作；暗中破坏
【例句】
I'm not trying to undercut Alicia's campaign.
我不想破坏艾丽西娅的竞选。
Well, it definitely undercut that narrative.
这绝对削弱了巴尔言论的效力。
发布于：广东