导言：我们知道巴赫留有乐谱手稿于世，但很少人知道巴赫的亲笔信还被世人完好保存，通过这封信我们可以看出他在莱比锡市的生活状态，那时德国究竟是什么样子，还可以在字里行间感受到巴赫同友人互诉衷肠时的友谊之真挚。通过他的音乐我们可以感受它的灵魂何其圣洁，通过他的文字我们能够了解到作为人他又是如何真实存在的。信中显示，当时的他还对他的雇佣者莱比锡镇议会颇有微词。(点击文末阅读原文即可查看原文出处）
Johann Sebastian Bach to George Erdmann
巴赫给友人乔治·埃尔德曼的信
From: BACHONBACH(WEBSITE）
A schoolfriend of J. S. Bach's, George Erdmann went with him to the choir of the wealthy Michaelis monastery at Lüneburg (pictured), which provided free places for boys who were poor but with musical talent. The two remained lifelong friends.
乔治·埃尔德曼(George Erdmann)是巴赫(J.S.Bach)的同学，他和他一起去吕内堡富有的迈克尔教堂的唱诗班学习，这里为贫穷但有音乐天赋的男孩提供了免费的名额。两人仍然是终生的朋友。
The city of Leipzig in the time of Johann Sebastian Bach. In the year 1730 the Thomas Cantor decided, after working seven years for the council of the town, to write the letter to Georg Erdmann.
这封信写约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫在莱比锡市工作期间。1730年，在该镇议会托马斯教堂担任合唱指挥长达七年后，巴赫决定给乔治·埃尔德曼(GeorgErdmann)写这封信。
Johann Sebastian Bach considered life expensive in Leipzig, as he wrote in his letter to friend George Erdmann.It was the year 1730. Johann Sebastian Bach is living in Leipzig for seven years and he regretted his decision., having left Koethen 1722 and having moved to Leipzig. 
 约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫在写给朋友乔治·埃尔德曼的信中写道，他认为莱比锡的生活成本很昂贵。那是1730年。约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫在莱比锡住了七年时，他开始后悔自己1722年他离开原来的城市搬到莱比锡的决定。
There they "welcomed" him as a third choice and hired him willy-nilly, as they, the Leipzig Chronicle reports of that fact, just be satisfied with "a mean musician", as they couldn't hire a first class professional. The wording here is a rough repetition. 
因为当时莱比锡镇议会将他作为“第三人选”来欢迎他，并且极不情愿地雇用他。据“莱比锡纪事报”报道，因为他们的欣赏品味只能满足于“一个低劣的音乐家”，因雇用一个一流的专业人士他们还不够格。这里书信的措辞相当肤浅粗疏。
That is why Johann Sebastian Bach was looking for a next place to work and to make his living. And he remembers his old school friend, with whom he hiked from Ohrdruf to Lueneburg back then and attended school with him. George Erdmann meanwhile, as mentioned before, was working in Gdansk。
这就是为什么约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫在信中讲他正在寻找下一个工作和谋生的地方。他还记得他的老朋友乔治·埃尔德曼，他俩曾一起从奥德鲁夫步行到卢内堡上学。与此同时，正如前面提到的，乔治·埃尔德曼当时在格但斯克工作。
What actually is the "Singende Muße an der Pleiße", which translated is the "Singing Muse on the River Pleiße"? First it is the title of a book. Then, in addition, it is a picture, that is the book jacket. The Pleiße however flows through the city of Leipzig.
关于信中提到的“Singende Muße an der Pleiße”，应当翻译为《在莱比锡河上歌颂缪斯》首先，它是一本书的标题，除此之外它还是一幅画，那就是这本书的封皮，如图所示莱比锡河流经莱比锡市。
This letter to George Erdmann is the only personal one of two letters, which is still preserved of Johann Sebastian Bachs personal letters. The second one, however is just a confirmation with actually no exciting content. The so called Erdmann letter is preserved in Berlin. From this letter we know of the cost of living in Leipzig plus how Bach felt with the hostility of the town council, his employer. This is written in this famous letter from George Erdmann to Johann SebastianBach.
这封写给乔治·厄德曼的信是两封信中唯一的一封，至今仍保存着约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫 的私人信件。第二个，不过，只是一个确认，实际上没有令人兴奋的内容。所谓的埃尔德曼信保存在柏林。从这封信中，我们知道了巴赫在莱比锡的生活费用，以及巴赫对他的雇主镇政府的敌意的感受。第二张书信手稿是乔治·埃尔德曼写给约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫的一封著名的回信。
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