By Lauren Frayer

Announcer： And heres a reminder that a tough economy can change life in ways large and small. Spain has an unemployment rate of 26%. With six million people without jobs， the countrys seen a 2）spike in the number of 3）buskers， street musicians. These performers have long been a part of Madrids lively culture， but with so many people singing and 4）strumming for money， the city is now requiring them to audition for permits， and those who dont 5）comply face fines.

Reporter： On the train， in the park， on the streets， Madrid is famous for its buskers. With more than a quarter of Spaniards out of work， more and more people are 6）crisscrossing the city with their violins and voices for extra cash. People squeeze giant 7）accordions onto the Metro and roll 8）amplifiers on carts across cobblestones. Its a happy 9）clamor， but Madrids mayor says its reached its limit. A new law will prohibit amplifiers， require buskers to move along every two hours and stay 75 yards away from the next 10）crooner. People whove been singing on the streets here for years are angry. Laura： People know the city because of its life， its night life， day life， music on the streets， happy people， but we dont know why the city mayor wants us to be sad.

Reporter： Laura Nadal is a professional pianist who sings in the street with her group， the Potato 11）Omelette Band. She and more than 300 other musicians were forced to audition at this big cultural center in downtown Madrid for the privilege of holding out a hat in the street.

Carlos： Its a joke， yes. OK， you have five minutes. Play.

My name is Carlos. Mr. Black is my artistic name. I play in the streets ten years [sic].

Gerardo： Now you have to make a test to…to sing in the street.

Reporter： Gerardo Yllera is another member of the Potato Omelette Band. “For the unemployed，” he says.

Gerardo： The street is the only place that you can go， so if you cant sing in the street now， what are you going to do？

Reporter： What the Potato Omelette Band did was use a hidden camera to secretly videotape their audition. The video went viral on Spanish social media because of their lyrics.

Laura： So it is like “Oh， my poor Madrid， my city. They are taking the artists away to put police. There is no 12）jury better than the hat—the hat that you put on the floor to give you the money.”

Reporter： That video of Laura and Gerardos audition got several hundred thousand hits on YouTube. Theyve become the face of opposition to Madrids noise reduction law. Their street performances draw crowds now.

And the band just got some news. They passed the audition and got a one-year permit to perform in the streets.

播音員：下面的這則新聞提醒我們，經(jīng)濟(jì)不景氣會(huì)從大大小小各方面改變我們的生活。西班牙的失業(yè)率高達(dá)26%，在六百萬(wàn)人失業(yè)的情況下，整個(gè)國(guó)家街頭藝人的數(shù)量激增。這些街頭表演者們長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)都是活力十足的馬德里文化的一部分，但現(xiàn)在有如此多的人要靠彈唱來(lái)掙錢，以至于馬德里政府規(guī)定這些人員需要通過試唱來(lái)取得賣唱資格，不遵守規(guī)定的賣唱者會(huì)被罰款。

記者：馬德里這座城市以街頭藝人著稱，在火車上、公園里、大街旁，賣藝人的身影隨處可見。西班牙有超過四分之一的人口處于失業(yè)的困境，越來(lái)越多的人帶著一把小提琴和憑著一副好嗓子在城市里忙碌穿梭，以謀些外快。賣藝人們將大架的手風(fēng)琴塞進(jìn)地鐵，推著裝有擴(kuò)音器的小車穿過卵石路。這熱鬧的情景看著很歡樂，但馬德里市長(zhǎng)說這已經(jīng)到了極限。一項(xiàng)新的法律即將出臺(tái)，禁止賣藝者使用擴(kuò)音器，并且要求藝人們每?jī)尚r(shí)就要換一個(gè)地點(diǎn)，兩個(gè)藝人之間至少要相隔75碼（約69米）。在馬德里街頭賣唱了多年的人們對(duì)這項(xiàng)新的法律表示強(qiáng)烈不滿。

勞拉：這座城市是以它的活力而聞名的，這里充滿活力的夜生活和白天生活、街頭音樂、歡樂的人們，我們不知道為什么市長(zhǎng)想要我們不開心。

記者：勞拉·納達(dá)爾是一位專業(yè)的鋼琴演奏者，她和她的“土豆煎蛋樂隊(duì)”在街頭演唱。勞拉還有其他300多名藝人被迫要在馬德里市中心的這個(gè)大型文化中心試唱，以獲得街頭賣藝的資格。

卡洛斯：這真是笑話，沒錯(cuò)。好了，給你五分鐘，開始演奏吧。

我叫卡洛斯，藝名是布萊克先生，我在街頭賣藝已經(jīng)有十年了。

赫拉多：現(xiàn)在你要通過考試才……才能在街上賣唱。

記者：赫拉多·耶爾拉是“土豆煎蛋樂隊(duì)”的另一名成員?！斑@是失業(yè)者的一條出路，”他說。

赫拉多：街上是你惟一能去的地方，如果連在街上唱歌都不允許了，你還能做什么呢？

記者：“土豆煎蛋樂隊(duì)”做的事情是：他們用一個(gè)隱藏的攝像頭把自己試唱的片段偷偷錄了下來(lái)。由于歌詞內(nèi)容不同尋常，這段視頻在西班牙的社交媒體上傳得火熱。

勞拉：歌詞大概是：“哦，我可憐的馬德里，我的城市啊。他們正把藝人們趕走，代之以警察。沒有比帽子——那頂你放在地上收錢的帽子更好的評(píng)委了。”

記者：勞拉和赫拉多試唱的那段視頻在YouTube上獲得了數(shù)十萬(wàn)的點(diǎn)擊量，他們成了反對(duì)馬德里降噪法的代表性人物，他們的街頭表演也因此吸引了大批的觀眾。

而這個(gè)樂隊(duì)剛剛也傳來(lái)喜訊——他們通過了試唱，獲得了為期一年的街頭表演資格。