Since its invention 300 years ago， the piano has played its way into the hearts and homes of music lovers around the world. It has inspired ① composers and performers. It has made a place for itself in palaces and concert halls， in church hails and jazz clubs. The piano has revolutionized the way people play and experience music.
By the late 1700s， the piano had spread throughout Europe and to the American colonies. No longer the exclusive property of the nobility ②， pianos still carried an air of③ privilege and prestige. Wealthy amateurs ④， mostly young ladies， learned to play. Composers began to produce sonatas ⑤， dances and songs that were profitable and easy enough for amateurs.
难点提示：
①给……以灵感
②贵族阶层
③神态，姿态
④业余爱好者
⑤奏鸣曲
参考译文：
自从三百年前发明钢琴以来，钢琴的演奏已经深入到全世界每一位音乐爱好者的心灵，走进了每一户音乐爱好者的家。它给作曲家和演奏家以灵感。它在宫殿、音乐厅、教堂的大厅和爵士乐俱乐部里都占有一席之地。钢琴彻头彻尾地改变了人们演奏和感受音乐的方式。
到十八世纪后期，钢琴传遍了欧洲，传到了美洲的各个殖民地。虽然钢琴不再是贵族人家独有的财产，但它仍然散发出权贵和声望的气息。有钱有闲之士，大多是年轻女子，学着弹奏钢琴。作曲家们开始创作奏鸣曲、舞曲和歌曲，既有利可图，又容易让业余琴迷们弹奏。