Can Frederic Chopin, who wrote no symphonies, no operas, and no string quartets, who wrote only for the piano, be considered one of the greatest classical composers of all time? Instrument makers and composers have long devoted their lives to creating sounds that capture the range and essence of the most emotional instrument of all: the human voice.
弗雷德里克肖邦没有写过交响曲,没有创作过歌剧，连一首弦乐四重奏曲作品也没有，他只写过钢琴曲，那么，他算不算得上是有史以来最伟大的古典作曲家之一？人声是世界上所有乐器中最富情感的，一直以来，乐器制造者和作曲家们都毕生致力于创作出一种能体现人声的音域和精髓的声音。

From the outset, Chopin incorporated the singing or cantabile style into almost all of his piano compositions. For those who heard Chopin play it seemed like the piano was invented for him and he for it. Today his compositions continue to be performed more than any others for the piano. Chopin proved that the full scope and range of an orchestra can be experienced from a solo piano.
而从一开始，肖邦便将歌唱或者说歌唱般的流畅风格融入到他几乎所有的钢琴作品之中。对那些聆听过肖邦演奏的人来说，钢琴仿佛就是为他而发明的，而他也似乎是为钢琴而生。直到今天， 人们仍在不断地演奏他的作品，演奏次数超过其他人创作的任何一首钢琴曲。肖邦已经向人们证明，一支交响乐队所能发挥的神韵及所有音域范围都能从一首钢琴独 奏曲中得到体现。

While performing in Vienna, he learned of Russia’s invasion of Poland. Unable to return home, he went to Paris where he found himself among thousands of Polish exiles. Chopin decided to stay among them and pursue a career in performing and teaching. The frail sickly soft-spoken and elegant Chopin became a favourite of Paris high society.
在维也纳演出的时候，他得知了俄国入侵波兰的消息。因为有家不能回， 他便来到了巴黎，在那里他发现有数千名流亡国外的波兰人。肖邦决定生活在他们这个圈子里，并继续他的演奏和教学的生涯。体质羸弱、面色苍白、轻言轻语而又 举止文雅的肖邦得到了巴黎上流社会的垂青。

Another thing that also astonished his contemporaries was how he buried the traditional roles of the left and right hands. The “D Flat Major Prelude” is a good example of this: the left hand begins with the raindrop accompaniment while the right hand carries the melody. Note how a few bars in they switch.
肖邦创作的钢琴曲摒弃了在钢琴演奏中传统的左右手分工，让与他同时代的人震惊不已。“降D大调前奏曲”就是一个很好的例证。一开始，左手以雨滴般的伴奏切入，同时旋律从右手流淌而出。注意: 在几个小节后，两手进行互换弹奏。

Chopin was a master of short forms: he had popularized his native polonaises and mazurkas and was known for the brilliance of his etudes and preludes. But it is Chopin’s nocturnes that will be forever synonymous with his name. As their title suggests, they are dreamy night pieces, with melodies many people consider among the most beautiful ever written.
肖邦是小型曲式大师：他使祖国的波洛奈兹舞曲和玛祖卡舞曲得以广泛流传，并以他的练习曲和前奏曲所表现出的卓越才华闻名 于世。然而肖邦的夜曲才是他永远的代名词。曲如其名，在这些梦幻般的夜曲中流淌的旋律被许多人誉为最美妙的传世佳作之一。