[ti:Musician Plays for Monkeys in Thailand]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM
[00:00.04]When British musician Paul Barton performs in central Thailand lately,
[00:06.68]his energetic listeners react wildly.
[00:11.20]Some pull his hair or jump on his piano.
[00:15.00]Others steal his music.
[00:17.72]The behavior is normal, however,
[00:20.96]because these crowds are truly wild
[00:24.60]--- wild monkeys to be exact.
[00:27.32]Barton plays often to the animals in Lopburi,
[00:32.00]an area known for its populations of wild macaque monkeys.
[00:37.96]The pianist hopes the music shows
[00:41.20]bring calm to the animals during the coronavirus crisis.
[00:46.28]The disease has caused problems for the monkeys, too.
[00:50.84]They are hungry.
[00:52.80]The restrictions on tourism
[00:55.88]mean fewer people come to see the monkeys and feed them.
[01:00.32]"We need to make an effort to make sure that they eat properly.
[01:05.44]And when they eat properly they will be calmer and will not be aggressive,"
[01:10.84]said Barton, 59, a long-time Thailand resident.
[01:16.96]Barton has played at four sites in Lopburi,
[01:20.80]including at an ancient Hindu temple,
[01:24.60]a store and an old movie theater.
[01:29.24]The macaques quickly surround Barton when he plays Greensleeves,
[01:34.52]Beethoven's Für Elise and Michael Nyman's Diary of Love.
[01:41.04]Some of the creatures sit on his chair,
[01:44.00]while others climb up his body and touch his head.
[01:49.72]"A wonderful opportunity to see the wild animals just being themselves,"
[01:55.36]said Barton, from Yorkshire in northern England.
[01:59.32]But, Barton keeps his attention on his performance,
[02:03.88]even as a small monkey runs over his hands on the instrument.
[02:08.76]Other monkeys take control of his music papers.
[02:12.96]"I was surprised to play the piano
[02:16.00]and find that they were actually eating the music as I was playing it."
[02:21.04]But, he added, "I wasn't going to let those things distract from the project
[02:27.20]which is to play the music for these wonderful macaques."
[02:31.48]The monkeys are Barton's latest animal fans.
[02:36.28]Past wildlife audiences included elephants living in special protected areas.
[02:43.60]Barton hopes to raise awareness of the monkeys' hunger.
[02:48.16]At the same time, he hopes to study their behavior
[02:52.72]as they react to classical music.
[02:55.88]"It's possible that the music
[02:58.52]can play a part of the rehabilitation process," he said.
[03:04.48]I'm John Russell. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM