《The Economist》《经济学人》中文版

For citizens of a country in economic ruin, hope is readily clutched at. Power shortages mean frequent blackouts. Heating is erratic. Food prices are soaring. Buses carried the American visitors along desolate snow-dusted streets almost devoid of normal life: only a trickle of vehicles, few lights, no crowds of shoppers. The buses drove past a billboard showing a giant fist slamming into the cartoon figure of a little American soldier. On the eve of the orchestra's visit the North Korean media were still warning, as they had done since most of those attending the concert were born, of the immediate danger of an American-provoked war.

对于生活在破败经济环境中的国民来说，希望是他们极度渴望的。能源短缺意味着经常性的停电。供热是没有保障的。食品价格也是高昂的。大汽车载着美国来客行驶在荒凉覆雪的街道上——视野里毫无日常生活的迹象：只有几股车流、点点灯光，根本没有拥挤的购物者。车子驶过了一个广告牌，上面画着一个巨大的拳头痛击一个卡通形象的美国“小”兵。在音乐会前夕朝鲜媒体继续发着警报，大多数听众出生之日就听起的警报：美国随时会挑起战争。

The Philharmonic's programme had a propaganda twist to it too. It began on neutral ground with the boisterous prelude to Act III of Richard Wagner's “Lohengrin”. Then followed two pieces showcasing America's classical-music heritage: Antonin Dvorak's “New World Symphony” (though a Czech, Dvorak composed it in America and the Philharmonic gave it its premiere in 1893) and George Gershwin's “An American in Paris” from 1928. Dvorak's famous (to non-North Koreans at least) cor anglais solo echoed the lugubrious tones of some of North Korea's musical fare, but the cocky jauntiness of the Gershwin bordered on a forbidden realm.

乐团的演奏方案有着宣传意义上的变化。首先是由不带色彩的瓦格纳的歌剧《罗恩格林》欢快的序曲至第三章开始，然后是德沃夏克创作的两支代表美国传统民俗特色的《第九交响曲（自新大陆）》（尽管是捷克人，德沃夏克是在美国创作的它并由爱乐乐团首演）和格什温的《一个美国人在巴黎》。德沃夏克最享誉盛名（至少对朝鲜以外的人而言）的英国管独奏曲与某些朝鲜乐曲有着相似的忧郁的调子，而格什温过于活泼的曲目则快要跨越雷池了。

The encores—another novelty in North Korea, where performers stick to the printed programme—began with Georges Bizet's brassy “L'Arlésienne” suite. Next came a favourite routine from the Philharmonic's repertoire. Mr Maazel introduced the composer as his late predecessor, Leonard Bernstein. He then left the stage to let an imaginary Bernstein conduct the piece, the overture to his operetta “Candide”. An American critic quipped in reference to North Korea's Kim dynasty that this was perhaps a metaphor for leaders running things long after they have died. North Koreans in the audience (members of the country's elite—the tickets were not for sale) wore metal badges on their chests showing Kim senior's portrait.

Fortunately for the Philharmonic the North Koreans did not say what music they wanted. In official propaganda, Kim Jong Il is portrayed (flatteringly of course) as a musical micro-manager. He set out his principles in a speech to musicians in 1968 at the age of 26. Music must serve the revolution, he said. It must not be based on “uproarious Western music”. The great leader (his father), he said, liked “lively and militant marches”. Mr Kim said he had initially thought that the song “Kim Il Sung is our Sun” sounded good in D major. But his father had advised E major as better for expressing emotions richly.

对于乐团来说，幸运的是朝鲜没有提出对上演曲目的要求。在官方报导中，金正日被描绘（实为吹捧）为对音乐小有所成。1968年26岁的他在一篇讲话中颁布了音乐家要遵循的准则。他要求，音乐必须为革命服务。绝不允许以喧嚣的西方音乐为基础。他说，伟大领袖（其父）喜欢激昂的军乐。他说他起先认为“金主席就是我们的红太阳”在D大调听起来悦耳，但他父亲建议用E大调来更好地表达深厚的情感。

Choosing what to play in Pyongyang proved the easy part. Finding a suitable venue and getting the orchestra and instruments there were more difficult. The seat of the State Symphony Orchestra, the Moranbong Theatre (recently refurbished under Kim Jong Il's guidance—“no details escaped him,” gushed the state news agency), was rejected as too small. The East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, though bigger, needed modifications to bring its acoustic qualities up to the Philharmonic's standards (the North Koreans obligingly made the alterations, including building an “acoustic shell”, at their own expense).

选曲确实是很轻松的一步。交通和选择合适的演出场地才是真正的问题。朝鲜国家交响乐团，牡丹峰剧院的坐席，（据朝鲜国家新闻中心报道，在金正日“不放过一个细节”的指示下最近粉刷一新）因为太小而被否决。东平壤大剧场尽管比较大，但需要一些整改以提升其音响效果来更好地展现乐团水平（朝鲜方十分热情地做了整改，包括出资新建了一个“音乐反声罩”）。

Pyongyang's harsh winter and shattered economy were obstacles too. Organisers worried that the instruments would be damaged by temperature variations as they were transported into and around the city. The chandelier-decked foyer of the venue itself was freezing. Mr Mehta held talks at the foreign ministry with an official wearing a thick overcoat in his office. Pyongyang's heating has been so bad this winter that residents complain they cannot remember the last time they were able to have a shower, says a diplomat.

平壤的严冬和疲软的经济也是障碍。组织者担心乐器会因为市内运输的温度变化受到损害。有着大吊灯的门厅室内温度都很低。梅塔先生同一位官员在外交部大楼的一个办公室里交谈时，他都穿着厚大衣。今年冬天平壤的供热系统很糟糕，市民都抱怨他们已不记得上次洗热水澡是什么时候的事了。