生活中不能没有音乐Music: We Can’t Live Without It

文、译/林巍

小的时候，记得每天要花很多时间练琴。那时真是迷上音乐，走了极端，甚至想，谁要是不喜欢音乐，我简直没办法和他沟通。

When I was little, as I remember, a lot of my time was occupied by practicing instruments. So fascinated was I with music, I even went to the extreme of believing that anyone who is not a music lover would be hard to communicate with.

[2]后来“懂事”2这里的“懂事”似不宜为mature、maturity、thoughtful、sensible等，而应与后面的“功课”相结合，是中国人说到学生时所指的“学习”，故以acquiring knowledge和study 译出。了，知道功课的重要了，对我爸爸说，“那时我真不懂事，浪费了许多学习时间！” 他总是回答：“那怎么是‘浪费’呢？以后你会知道，人需要多方面的素养，而音乐对你很有好处咧。”后来我慢慢明白了，音乐给人的影响是潜移默化而持久深远的，音乐对人的作用异常复杂而丰富。

[2] Later, I realized the importance of acquiring knowledge and said to my Dad: “I was really ignorant then when I wasted a lot of time which could be used for study”. He always responded: “How can you say it’s a waste of time? You will understand better in your life that a person needs to possess all sorts of qualities, and learning music will definitely do you good”. Afterwards I gradually appreciated the powerful function of music and its profound influence on people’s lives in a subtle and incremental way.

[3]学生时代，去听世界著名指挥家小泽征尔的音乐会，他的一句话让我刻骨铭心：“如《二泉映月》这样的音乐，人们应当跪下来听！”我想，一个经过了怎样生活历练的音乐家才能说出这样深刻的话3“深刻的话”其字面意思为deep words、penetrating insights、profound meaning等，但作为一个音乐家对于音乐作品的评论，其涵义应为“欣赏”，即appreciation。！

[3] During my school days, I attended a concert conducted by the world famous conductor Seiji Ozawa whose words impressed me: “When you listen to a piece of music like The Moon Over a Fountain,you need to kneel down to really get into it”. For me, it takes what tough experience for a musician to have such appreciation!

[4]一个受了音乐启蒙的普通人，其感情也会从此被音乐所渗透4这里的“渗透”与后面的“融合”所指相同，故可结合起来翻译，不必重复；相应的词还可译为fuse、mix together、amalgamate 等。，其喜怒哀乐和个人经历也会永远和音乐融合在一起。音乐的语言是那样的独特，那样地不能被其他任何一种艺术形式所替代，因而对音乐的感受也就那样“自私”——其深浅和丰富的程度，完全取决于其阅历与修养。

[4] Ordinary people, having been inspired by music, will forever be saturated with music in their emotions. The language of music, irreplaceable by any other form of art, is so unique and rich that one can only feel it “self i shly” depending on his or her personal experience and accomplishment.

[5]音乐在空中运行，是抽象的，正因如此，可以省略细节，使人们可以在不同的想象空间，演绎各自版本的贝多芬的悲壮，柴可夫斯基的优雅，柏辽兹的浪漫，舒曼的恬静悠然，莎拉莱曼的轻柔。音乐又是具体的，因为她会与生活中某些特定时间中的感受融合在一起，甚至会以特定的方式深化那种感受—— 一种除了音乐语言其他任何语言都表达不出的感受。歌德认为，“音乐不仅是一种人类的主观语言，而且是体会更高境界的妙不可言的途径”。叔本华说：“音乐是对生命奥秘的解答，是所有艺术中最富涵义的，表达出生活中最深刻的思想。”

[5] Traveling through air, music is abstract, which enables people to skip over the details to get into their own versions of different music—the solemn and stirring Beethoven, the elegant Tchaikovsky,the romantic Berlioz, the quiet and leisurely Schumann and the gentle Sarah Lyman. Idiographically, music carries or even deepens personal feelings at a particular time in a unique form. Johann von Goethe saw “music not only as a subjective human ‘language’ but as an absolute transcendent means of peering into a higher realm”. Arthur Schopenhauer said“music is the answer to the mystery of life. The most profound of all the arts, it expresses the deepest thoughts of life”.

[6]音乐的魅力，在于引起人们的共鸣，令人陶醉；孔子在齐国听到《韶》乐后，竟然三月不知肉味5对于孔子的“三月不知肉味”一般都译成了…for three months did not know the taste of meat (Arthur Waley), … for several months he did not know the taste of meat (Roger T. Ames), … for many months he did not notice the taste of meat (by being moved) （谷学）等，但鉴于其中不免有渲染的成分，这里不妨作一变通，译为could not identify which kind of meat he was eating，以为更为贴切。：“不图为乐之至于斯也。”音乐可沟通彼此的情怀；在《琵琶行》中，白居易听到嘈嘈切切的音调和跌宕起伏的旋律后，不禁叹道：“同是天涯沦落人6“同是天涯沦落人”一般译成Those who have the same misfortune sympathize with each other. 这里根据音乐的语境，增添词语，译成those who have the same misfortune can share their weal and woe through music… 。，相逢何必曾相识！”在影视作品中，凡感人之处（或喜或悲或怒或怨），大都以音乐为烘托，将效果推向极致。个人而言，记得在“十年动乱”刚结束时，听惯了那种战斗式音乐，第一次听到邓丽君的《何日君再来》，真如一股柔风7“柔风”一般为gentle/soft breeze，但这里用了更重的词magic breeze，以强调音乐的魅力。，吹酥了全身，坐在那里几乎站立不起来。那是一种人性的打动。

[6] The charm of music enables people to resonate with others and be intoxicated. In that way, after hearing the Shao music in the State of Qi, Confucius could not identify which kind of meat he was eating for several months and sighed,“I never expected I could be so lost in music!” Music can also link up feelings between individuals. When the wellknown poet Bai Juyi in the Tang Dynasty(618–907) listened to a raucous and fl uctuating melody played by a Pipa player from time to time, he could not help but groan: “Those who have the same misfortune can share their weal and woe through music even though they have not known each other before!” as he narrated in The Song of a Pipa Player. In films and television programs, in every touching moment—be happy or sad, angry or resentful—music is always drawn on as a foil to maximize its effects. Personally,during the aftermath of the “ten years of turmoil” when we were bombarded by the music of “fighting style”, my first encounter with the pop star Teresa Teng’s song Goodbye Again, intoxicated me thoroughly like a magic breeze, depriving me of my ability to stand up again. That was truly an effect on human nature.

[7]在国外，在不同的音乐场合，我见过不同种族、肤色、操着不同语言的人们，在动情的音乐中相互沟通、传递感情、共同行动，产生了巨大的共鸣。音乐的语言可以冲破一切藩篱8此句不妨在词序上作一大调整，将“冲破一切藩篱”提前，以“种族、肤色、语言”作定语；同时，将“音乐的语言”变通为the power of the language of music。。

[8]当然，音乐给人更多的是陶冶。音乐家冼星海说“音乐，是人生最大的快乐；音乐，是生活中的一股清泉；音乐，是陶冶性情的熔炉9在这一“音乐，是……”排比句中，不妨将“清泉”与“熔炉”并列译出，而将“人生最大的快乐”置后，以求英文词序的通顺。”。悦耳的音调、旋律和节奏，通过感官，作用于人的大脑，使情绪沉淀下来，得以梳理，进入陶醉境界，激起心底的积淀，与世间美好的事物相联系，从而使整体境界10“境界”是一个很有中国文化特色的概念，若译成realm、state、extent、boundary、reached、plane attained、ambit等似乎都难与其原义对等，有的外国汉学家索性采用音译，如王国维的“词以境界为最上。有境界则自成高格”，被译成 The most important element in a consideration of tz’zu is ching-chieh. If a tz’zu has ching-chieh it will naturally achieve a lofty and naturally possess eminent lines (Adele Austin Rickett)，但英文读者理解起来仍有困难。这里，就音译对人的熏陶而言，意译为overall personalities。得以提升。

[7] Overseas, on different musical occasions, I witnessed the power of the language of music which broke down the barriers of race, skin color and language among different peoples who communicated, passed on emotions through the moving music, acted in concert and produced huge echoes.

[8] Mostly, music nourishes and edif i es people. The famous Chinese musician Xian Xinghai said, “As a pleasant spring and melting pot, music can mould a person’s temperament, and bring huge pleasure to people”. Euphonic tones, melodies and rhythms are carried through the senses to the brain, calming down and precipitating people’s emotions and transmitting them into intoxication;meanwhile, music can also stir up something deposited in the bottom of people’s hearts and link them up to the pleasure.In a way, it elevates overall personalities.

[9]音乐是在空间中表现的，而空间离不开时间。根据爱因斯坦的相对论，时间和空间并不独立存在，而相互缠绕在一起；空间因必须至少有两个点才能存在，故不是一个纯粹的实体，需与相关因素来共同界定，而点与点之间的运动便构成了时间，同时也确立了空间。在这个意义上，音乐构成了人们心理历程必不可少的要素。

[9] While music is expressed in space,time is its prerequisite. According to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, time and space cannot exist without one another.Space, determined by two points, is not a pure entity: it has to be identif i ed by relevant elements. The movement between the two points verifies both time and space. In this sense, music constitutes an essential element of human psychology.

[10]然而，俗话说“外行11对于“外行”一般用layman、non-expert、nonprofessional、unprofessional、lay、laic等，如“外行领导内行”，可为laymen lead experts、non-experts direct expert、non-professional guide professionals等。对于“外行看热闹”的俗语，亦有多种表达，如Dilettantes watch the scene of bustle, experts look at the way、Laymen watch the sight of bustle, adepts the contents、Laics watch the panorama of bustle, adepts guard the entrance等，但就此处音乐语境而言，更多强调的是对艺术、技能的欣赏，故不妨用connoisseur、appreciate、skills等词语。看热闹，内行看门道”。对于音乐的领会和欣赏，我的体会是，如果学得一点乐理，抑或一两门乐器，效果会更理想12这里的“更理想”是就效果而言的，不宜简单译成the more ideal effect，而可为the desired result等，但这里讲的是一般人对音乐欣赏的不同，故可用make a big difference。。

[10] However, as the saying goes,“While laymen are keen to watch the excitement, the connoisseurs appraise and appreciate the skills”. In my understanding, to comprehend and appreciate music,acquiring some basics of music theory or certain skills of playing one or two musical instruments will make a big difference.

[11]个人而言，我四岁学拉二胡，六岁学小提琴，后来又相继学会了大提琴、钢琴、手风琴和笛子。二胡和小提琴曾在不同场合独奏过，钢琴、手风琴曾为别人演唱伴奏，大提琴则是大学乐队的第二把。机缘巧合，我还曾与当今著名音乐家刘索拉同在一个乐队演奏过；当时我拉小提琴，她拉手风琴。

[11] For my part, I started to learn both the erhu and violin at the age of four and six respectively. Subsequently,I mastered the cello, piano, accordion and dizi. On several occasions I played erhu and violin solos, provided piano accompaniment and accordion accompaniment for other singers during my youth, and was a second cello in my university orchestra. Luckily, I once played the violin in the same band with today’s popular musician Liu Suola,who was an accordion player then.

[12]尽管后来我没有从事音乐专业，但这些音乐经历，却使我获益良多。比如，对于交响乐，我会从弦乐组、木管组、铜管组和打击乐组来欣赏，而尤其关注弦乐部分, 以为通过手指加工传递出的音色会更带感情。由于知道在每根弦上的音节和揉弦、运弓的力度，我便会情不自禁地随着他们而“使劲13这里的“使劲”不是一般意义上的exert all my strength、put in my energy等，而是因为学过这种乐器，故好像随之演奏一样，故用了perform。”；或轻拿，或用力，或顿挫，或松弛……。真正使音乐融入细胞。

[12] Although I didn’t pursue my career as a professional musician, my experiences with music have benef i ted me substantially. To appreciate symphonies,for example, I can approach them from the perspectives of strings, woodwinds,brass and percussion, with particular attention paid to strings, since in my view timbers manipulated by fingers fuse better with emotions. Knowing the syllables on the strings and the tricks of vibrato and bowing, enables me to “perform” with them in ways of gentleness,strength, pause and transition in rhythm or relaxation… In that way, the music can truly be blended into my cells.

[13]练习乐器，据说还有益于提高智力。在演奏乐器时，要眼看乐谱，十指配合，双耳辨音，使整个身心协调起来，不断地刺激左右脑，从而促进智力发展。仅从这一角度，过去练琴的时间，好像并没白费。

[13] It is said that playing musical instruments is good for the intellect, since during the process one has to look at the music score, coordinate the ten fi ngers,discriminate syllables binaurally at the same time, and the mind and body are thus harmonized. By constantly stimulating the left and right hemicerebrums,one’s intelligence is improved. So from this point of view, my time spent in practicing instruments in the past seems not to have been in vain.

[14]近来又有国外医学研究的最新成果，说健康长寿的最佳活动是唱歌，甚至超过游泳和跑步，因为唱歌最能改善心脏状况。这让我似乎又找到了放情于此的理由，时常会或约朋友、或独自吼上几嗓子，以舒筋活血14“舒筋活血”是中医术语，直译为to relax the muscles and enliven the blood，这里稍作变通。、开阔肺量。

[14] Recent foreign medical research suggests that singing is the best activity for health and longevity, even better than swimming and running, since it can effectively improve heart conditions. This seems to have provided me with a good reason to indulge myself in the entertainment—either accompanying friends or simply alone to “roar a few voices”, just for the fun of relaxing tendons, stimulating circulation and enlarging lung volumes.

[15]从根本上说，人是音乐的动物。远古时，人们便以音乐来沟通、组织活动，后又渗透到宗教、政治、学术及其他各种社会活动之中。在神话传说里，超自然的圣灵常把音乐作为馈赠人类的礼物，或抽象（属于感知或交流的一部分，如成为语言的一部分），或具体（如用人或动物身体的某一部位制成乐器，从而获得形而上的意义）。音乐从一开始就自然地与人类融为一体。

[15] Fundamentally speaking, human beings are creatures of music. In ancient times, people communicated and organized activities with music, which then permeated into religions, politics, academia and other social activities. In myths, supernatural beings often conferred music upon humans as a gift, which could be abstract,a component of perception or communication, such as a part of language. It might also be concrete, for example, in forging musical instruments from physical objects(e.g. human or animal bodies, which thereby acquired metaphysical connotations). It is therefore fair to say that music and human beings are naturally integrated from the very beginning.

[16]现今而言，音乐其实业已渗透到人们生活的方方面面。不可想象，生活中若没有了音乐，会是怎样的。所以，作为一个现代人15“现代人”可为modern、modernist、neoteric、homo sapiens等；应注意，这里原文虽是“一个现代人”，实际可译成复数modern men、modern people等。，无论每天多忙，都不妨有片刻时光静下心来，以各种形式从音乐中体会到某些生活的意义。 □

[16] Today, as music has penetrated into every aspect of our lives, it is unconceivable what life would be without it. As modern men, no matter how busy we are, it’s better for us to have a moment each day to calm down and sense the meaning of life from music in one form or another. ■