A harpsichord is a keyboard instrument that looks a little like a small, thin grand piano but works in a different way.

A harpsichord is a keyboard instrumentA harpsichord是一種鍵盤樂器 that looks a little like a small, thin grand piano長得有點像小一點、薄一點的平台鋼琴 but works in a different way但運作方式不一樣

When you press a key on a piano, a soft hammer hits the string and you can play louder by pressing harder. On a harpsichord, pressing a key makes a small point pluck the string, like a tiny finger. That has two results: the sound is bright, silvery and slightly metallic, and you cannot play louder or softer by changing how hard you press.

When you press a key on a piano當你按下鋼琴的一個琴鍵時, a soft hammer hits the string一個軟槌會去敲弦, and you can play louder by pressing harder而且你按得越用力就可以彈得越大聲. On a harpsichord在harpsichord上, pressing a key makes a small point pluck the string按下琴鍵會讓一個小尖點去撥弦, like a tiny finger就像一根小小的手指. That has two results這樣造成兩個結果: the sound is bright, silvery and slightly metallic聲音明亮、帶點銀色感、有點金屬味, and you cannot play louder or softer by changing how hard you press而且你沒辦法靠按輕按重來改變音量大小

To change the volume or the colour, the player pulls stops or moves to a second keyboard.

To change the volume or the colour要改變音量或音色的話, the player pulls stops or moves to a second keyboard演奏者要拉音栓，或換到第二層鍵盤

It was the main keyboard instrument in Europe for a few hundred years, up to about the late 1700s — the instrument Bach, Handel and Scarlatti wrote for — and then the piano, which could do loud and soft, replaced it almost completely.

It was the main keyboard instrument in Europe for a few hundred years它曾經是歐洲幾百年來主要的鍵盤樂器, up to about the late 1700s一直到大約1700年代晚期 — the instrument Bach, Handel and Scarlatti wrote for是巴赫、韓德爾和史卡拉第寫曲子時用的樂器 — and then the piano, which could do loud and soft, replaced it almost completely後來能彈出大小聲的鋼琴幾乎完全取代了它

It came back in the 1900s when musicians wanted to play old music the way it once sounded, so today you hear it in early-music concerts, on recordings, and sometimes as a special colour in film music and pop songs.

It came back in the 1900s它在1900年代又回來了 when musicians wanted to play old music the way it once sounded因為音樂家想用當年的聲音演奏舊音樂, so today you hear it in early-music concerts, on recordings所以現在你會在早期音樂音樂會、錄音裡聽到它, and sometimes as a special colour in film music and pop songs有時候也會在電影配樂和流行歌裡當作一種特別的音色出現