機器姐的傷心之勇 Bravery in a broken heart

Florence Welch just fought a war, and from the sound of it she’s won, but not without casualty.

“戰爭”歸來的弗洛倫斯•韋爾奇雖然不是毫髮無損，但從她歌聲聽來也算是凱旋而歸。

On “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”, her third album as the face of British indie band Florence and the Machine, Welch, 28, learns to dig her heels into the dirt and spit thunder back at her enemy – heartbreak.

今年28歲的韋爾奇是英國獨立樂隊“弗洛倫斯與機械樂隊”的主唱兼門面擔當（因此人稱“機器姐”）。在他們的第三張專輯 “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”中，機器姐終於學會在泥濘中前行，將雷鳴還給敵人——那顆受傷之心。

The album’s opener has Welch turning inward, questioning if she always knew her relationship would crumble.

這張專輯的第一首歌機器姐就捫心自問：是不是自己的感情註定分崩離析？

That contemplative mood lasts approximately four minutes. By the second track, Welch is already puffing out her chest and readying to unleash her voice, a weapon known to knock flat anyone who hears it. Not much later, she’s deep in the trenches.

在這首近4分鐘的歌曲中，沉思的氛圍始終瀰漫。不過，第二首歌中，韋爾奇就已經敞開胸懷，不再壓抑自己的聲音，那如武器一般強有力的歌聲撲面而來，讓所有聽歌之人爲之傾倒。無需多時，機器姐就已身處 “戰壕”深處。

Florence and the Machine probably didn’t set out to prove they could score the next Hollywood blockbuster, but that’s what they’ve done here. This album sounds so big you can practically see Welch charging toward the frontlines. It’s the kind of music that can and eventually will blow the roof off the top of a stadium, and that’s not entirely positive. Horns, drums and guitars advance so powerfully at times that you, the listener, might feel you’re the enemy.

雖然弗洛倫斯與機械樂隊並未打算爲又一部好萊塢大片配樂，但是他們的新專已經說明了一切：機器姐彷彿在前線衝鋒陷陣，歌曲之大氣，音樂之磅礴足以掀翻屋頂；但其中並不都是積極向上之聲。號角、鼓點和吉他聲無比強勁，足以讓聽衆誤以爲自己就是“敵人”。

All that noise might get Welch’s ferocity across, but her quieter emotions get lost somewhere in the background. It’s the quieter emotions that add human form to a heartbreak album, and it’s disappointing that you’re often left digging through the rubble to find them.

這所有的喧囂也許讓機器姐的“兇猛”得以展現，但是她靜處的情感卻因此消失在喧囂的背景之中。這種更安靜的情感本能爲這張“傷心專輯”增添幾抹人情味，遺憾的是聽遍整張專輯，這些情感實在是微乎其微。

Noise complaints aside, however, it feels natural to cheer Welch on as she struggles out of grief.

無論如何，機器姐能夠走出悲傷已是一件值得開心之事。

Songwriting on the album is uplifting and encouraging. This is never truer than on “Third Eye”, a track that finds Welch’s conscience boldly demanding she quit brooding, realize her own worth and clad herself in newfound toughness. It’s the album’s high point, and it’s great listening to her shake off defeat.

這張新專的詞曲積極向上、鼓舞人心。在“Third Eye”一歌中，機器姐不再鬱鬱寡歡地沉思，而是大膽實現自己的價值，讓自己變得更加堅韌。這首歌堪稱整張專輯的高潮，聽到她走出失敗的陰影讓人感到振奮。

“How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” shouts that it’s bravery that mends a broken heart, and by the album’s end, it’s clear Florence Welch has bravery deep in her bones.

機器姐在”How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”中大聲宣佈，能修復一顆受傷之心的只有勇氣。無疑，在專輯的尾聲部分，勇氣已在機器姐心中生根發芽。