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1、life in a violin case 琴匣人生Life in a Violin Case Alexander Bloch The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music.My parents, although sympathetic, and sharing my love of music, disapproved of it as a profession.This was understandable in view of the
2、 family background.My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years at Springhill College in Mobile and, though much beloved and respected in the community, earned barely enough to provide for his large family.My father often said it was only the hardheaded thriftiness of my grandmother that k
3、ept the wolf at bay.As a consequence of this example in the family, the very mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of a precarious existence with uncertain financial rewards.My parents insisted upon college instead of a conservatory of music, and to college I went -quite happily
4、, as I remember, for although I loved my violin and spent most of my spare time practicing, I had many other interests. Before my graduation from Columbia, the family met with severe financial reverses and I felt it my duty to leave college and take a job.Thus was I launched upon a business career.
5、Now do not for a moment mean to disparage business.My whole point is that it was not for me.I went into it for money, and aside from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it.It was not enough. I felt that life was passing me by.From being merely discontented I
6、became acutely miserable.My one ambition was to save enough to quit and go to Europe to study music.I used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for downtown, distracting my poor mother by bolting a hasty breakfast at the last minute.Instead of lunching with my business associates, I would see
7、k out some cheap cafe, order a meager meal and scribble my harmony exercises.I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, accumulated enough to enable me to go abroad.The family being once more solvent, and my help no longer necessary, I resigned from my position and, feeling like a man relea
8、sed from jail, sailed for Europe.I stayed four years, worked harder than I had ever dreamed of working before and enjoyed every minute of it. If I had stayed in business, I might be a comparatively wealthy man today, but I do not believe I would have made a success of living. I would have given up a
9、ll those intangibles, those inner satisfactions that money can never buy, and that are too often sacrificed when a mans primary goal is financial success. Money is a wonderful thing, but it is possible to pay too high a price for it. 附注： 亚历山大布洛奇：是佛罗里达西海岸交响乐团指挥。从事指挥生涯之前，他曾涉足音乐的许多领域，他赴俄国师从奥坡尔德奥尔并留下来成为
10、一个俄国交响乐团的音乐总监或许，他是唯一担任该职的美国人。他是个腼腆的人，音乐是他唯一的嗜好。 译文 琴匣人生 我人生的转折点是我决定放弃一份大有前景的工作转而学习音乐。当时虽然父母有成人之美，并且在音乐上和我有共鸣，但是他们不赞同我以此为业。这从我的家庭背景出发是可以理解的。祖父在莫比尔斯普林希尔学院教了将近四十年的音乐，虽然深受左邻右舍爱戴和尊敬，但是他挣的钱不足以养活一大家人。父亲经常说要不是祖母精打细算、勤俭持家，我们早就穷困潦倒了。由于家里有祖父这样一个例子，一提及以音乐谋生，浮现在脑海的是因收入不稳导致吃了上顿没下顿，生活颠沛的情况。父母坚持要我上大学而不是音乐学院。这样我就上大学
11、了我记得大学生活相当快乐！虽然我喜爱小提琴并且花了大部分课余时间练习，但是我还有其他兴趣爱好啊。 还没来的及从哥伦比亚大学毕业，我家庭经济就每况愈下。我感到自己有责任离开学校去谋求工作。就这样我被迫进入了生意场。 我丝毫没有看不起其他职业的意思。我是觉得它不适合我。我进入生意场是为了赚钱。除了帮助改善家庭困境获得慰藉外，金钱是我从中仅仅得到的。这是不够的。我感到生命渐逝。刚开始我只是感到不满意，现在我开始变得极度痛苦。我的一个理想是攒够钱辞职去欧洲学习音乐。那时在赶去上班前，我天天早起练琴直到最后一刻我匆忙吃点早餐，惹得我那可怜的妈妈心神不安，不知所措。中午我没有和同事共进午餐，而是经常搜寻廉
12、价的餐馆点简餐吃，信手写些和声练习曲。我不停赚钱，日积月累，终于攒足了可以出国。这是我的家庭状况逐渐好转，也不再需要我赚钱贴补家用了。我辞职乘船前往欧洲，感觉自己就像刚从监狱出来的犯人一样一身轻松。我呆那儿四年。我比之前想象的更加刻苦，我甘之如饴每一秒的学习。 “甘之如饴”这个词远远不够分量。我是在漫步云端，快乐的飘飘欲仙。我真正在活着。我是一个自由人。我从事着我热爱并且我能够做的事。 如果我还在生意场，今天我可能相对而言颇为富裕，但是因此我认为人生失败。因为我可能因此放弃那些无形的东西、放弃那金钱永远买不到的心灵满足感。当一个人以逐利为人生目标弃那些美好东西不顾，那他牺牲太多了。 金钱真是个好东西，但是为了得到它付出的代价昂贵！
