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"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to
you..."每个人在自己的生日都曾接受过这样的祝福。这实在是一首熟得不能再熟的歌了。然而，在这首充满欢乐的歌曲背后，却有一个不那么happy的故事。
Happy birthday to you is a happy song, while the story behind it began
sweetly, but later soured. Two sisters, Mildred Hill,a teacher at the
Louisville, Kentucky Experimental Kindergarten, and Dr. Patty Hill, the
principal of the same school, wrote a song for children calledGood Morning to
All. The song was sure to be a success due to Dr. Patty Hill's expertise with
children and Mildred's musical talents, who, as the organist of her church, was
an accomplished musician.
The sisters published the song in a collection calledSong Stories for
Kindergartenin 1893. Thirty-one years later, after Dr. Hill became the head of
the Department of Kindergarten Education at Columbia University's Teacher's
College, a gentleman by the name of Robert H. Coleman published the song,
without the sisters' permission. To add insult to injury, he added a second
verse, which was the familiar Happy Birthday to You.
Mr. Coleman's addition of the second verse popularized the song and
eventually, the sisters' original first verse disappeared.Happy Birthday to You,
the one and only birthday song, had altogether replaced the sisters' original
title,Good Morning to All.
After Mildred died in 1916, Patty, together with a third sister named
Jessica, sprang into action and took Mr. Coleman to court. In court, they proved
that they owned the melody. Because the family legally owns the song, they are
entitled to royalties from it whenever it is sung for commercial purposes.
soured: 变味的，令人扫兴的 |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:45:05