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七岁那年,爸爸要我到花园里给他帮忙。我干得很卖力,爸爸重奖了我,他给了我一个吻,还说:“谢谢你,儿子,你干得很不错!”这是我记事以来受到的第一次赞扬。它让我感到高兴和自豪。几十年过去了,爸爸的话依然在我耳边回荡。
1953年,我为德意志留声机公司录制了我的第一张管弦乐唱片。当时我弹奏的是李斯特的两支钢琴协奏曲,为我伴奏的是世界上最好的交响乐团之一———柏林交响乐团。第一支协奏曲我童年时就非常熟悉了,所以顷刻间就完成了。但是第二天,第二支协奏曲的演奏就不那么顺利了。因为李斯特的二号钢琴协奏曲我只是在录音前不久刚刚学过,所以心里很紧张。我们不得不一遍又一遍地练习演奏其中特别难的一节。过了一会儿,乐团的一名乐手起身对我说:“别担心,福尔兹先生。您的第一支协奏曲演奏得极为出色,您没有必要这么紧张。我们敬仰您。”我又把那一节弹奏了一遍,并完成得很顺利。
16岁时,由于与音乐老师发生分歧,我陷入了深深的个人危机之中。这时候,我遇到了埃米尔·凡·绍尔先生,他是李斯特的最后一个在世学生,每年都要到布达佩斯来讲学。为了款待这位两鬓苍苍的伟大钢琴家,崇拜者们为他举行了盛宴。该市的一个音乐赞助人邀请我去参加茶会并拜见这位人人崇拜的偶像,我高兴极了。
大概绍尔先生猜到了我参加茶会的真正目的,因此要我为他演奏一曲。我在钢琴前坐了下来,开始以C大调弹奏巴赫的《托卡塔》。他专注地听着,听完之后要求我再来一曲。我提议演奏贝多芬奏鸣曲。他点头同意了。于是,我全身心地弹奏起了《悲怆》。当我弹完的时候,他要求我继续。于是我接着弹奏了舒曼的《蝴蝶》。
终于,他站起来,在我的前额上吻了吻。“我的孩子,”他说,“我像你这么大的时候就成了李斯特先生的学生。在我上完第一节课之后,李斯特先生吻了吻我的前额,然后说:‘好好记住这个吻,这是贝多芬先生在听完我的演奏之后给我的,那时我也像你这么大。’为了把这份神圣的遗产传给后人,我已等了许多年,现在我觉得你应该得到它。”
在我的一生中,没有比绍尔先生对我的赞扬更有意义的事了。他的吻奇迹般地使我从困境中解脱出来,如果没有绍尔先生的鼓励,我今天可能也不会成为一名钢琴家。
就在最近,在给一批年轻的钢琴家们上课时,我觉得其中有一位年轻的艺术家,如果我稍微给他一点鼓励,他可能会做得更好。于是我挑出一件他做得最好的事,然后当着全班的面表扬了他。他双眼迸发出兴奋的光芒,令我们吃惊的是,他迅速超越了自我,做得更好了,甚至连他自己也不敢相信自己会有那么好的表现。寥寥数语便激发了他身上的潜力,展示了他的才能。
赞扬是一种强大的推动力。它能点燃黑暗房间中的一根小蜡烛,让它的光充满我们周围的空间。这是神奇的,而令我感到惊奇的是,它总是屡试不爽。
I was seven years old when my father asked me to help him in the garden. I worked as hard as I could and was richly rewarded when father kissed me, saying, “Thanks, son, you did very well.” It was the first praise I consciously1 received in my life. It made me happy and proud. After many decades, my father’s words still ring in my ears.
When in 1953, I made my first orchestral2 recording for the Deutsche Gramophone Company, I played Liszt’s two piano concertos3, accompanied by the Berlin Philharmonic, one of the finest orchestras in the world. The first concerto, a childhood acquaintance, was finished in a jiffy4. On the next day, the second work did not go as smoothly. I had learned Liszt’s No. 2 piano concerto only shortly before the recording session and was jittery5. We had to go over a par-ticularly difficult passage again and again. After a while one member of the orchestra rose and turned to me, saying, “Mr Foldes, don’t worry. You have done extremely well in the first work; there is no need for you to be nervous. We admire you.” I started to play the same passage again and carried it off without a hitch6.
At 16, in the midst of a personal crisis arising from differences with my music teacher, I met Emil von Sauer, Liszt’s last living pupil, who paid yearly visits to Budapest. His adoring public feted7 the grand old pianist with his leonine8 white mane like a semi-god. One of the city’s prominent9 music patrons10 asked me to have tea and meet this idol. My elation11 was boundless.
Sauer divined12 the real purpose of my presence and asked me to play something for him. I sat down at the piano and launched13 into Bach’s Toccata in C major. He listened intently and asked for more. I sug-gested a Beethoven Sonata14. He nodded his approval and I put all my heart into playing the Pathétique. When I had finished this word, he ordered me to play on. I continued with Schumann’s Papillons.
Finally, he rose and kissed me on my forehead. “My son,” he said, “when I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on my forehead after my first lesson, saying, ‘Take good care of this kiss—it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play when I was your age.’ I waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage15, but now I feel you de-serve it.”
Nothing in my life has meant as much to me as Sauer’s praise. His kiss lifted me miraculously out of my crisis. I might not have become the pianist I am today without Sauer’s encouragement.
Just recently, when giving a master class for young pianists, I felt that one of the youthful artists could do even better if given a small praise. I singled out the one thing he did best and praised him for it before the whole class. His eyes began to glow, and almost immediately he performed better than ever—to his own amazement and that of the class. A few words brought out the best in him.
Praise is a potent16 driving force. It lights a small candle in a dark room and its glow begins to fill the space around us. This is magic, and I marvel that it always works.
Take good care of this kiss—it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play when I was your age.这个句子如果直译的话,应该是:好好记住这个吻,这是贝多芬先生在听完那时候也像你这么大的我演奏完之后给我的。在这个句子中,如果把年龄这个细节放在句子中做“我”的定语,像英文中的表达那样,读起来觉得有些拗口。如果把它译为“好好记住这个吻,这是贝多芬先生在听完我的演奏之后给我的,那时我也像你这么大”,那么,读起来是不是觉得舒服一点呢?这是中英文写作上的差别,请读者朋友们注意体会。
1953年,我为德意志留声机公司录制了我的第一张管弦乐唱片。当时我弹奏的是李斯特的两支钢琴协奏曲,为我伴奏的是世界上最好的交响乐团之一———柏林交响乐团。第一支协奏曲我童年时就非常熟悉了,所以顷刻间就完成了。但是第二天,第二支协奏曲的演奏就不那么顺利了。因为李斯特的二号钢琴协奏曲我只是在录音前不久刚刚学过,所以心里很紧张。我们不得不一遍又一遍地练习演奏其中特别难的一节。过了一会儿,乐团的一名乐手起身对我说:“别担心,福尔兹先生。您的第一支协奏曲演奏得极为出色,您没有必要这么紧张。我们敬仰您。”我又把那一节弹奏了一遍,并完成得很顺利。
16岁时,由于与音乐老师发生分歧,我陷入了深深的个人危机之中。这时候,我遇到了埃米尔·凡·绍尔先生,他是李斯特的最后一个在世学生,每年都要到布达佩斯来讲学。为了款待这位两鬓苍苍的伟大钢琴家,崇拜者们为他举行了盛宴。该市的一个音乐赞助人邀请我去参加茶会并拜见这位人人崇拜的偶像,我高兴极了。
大概绍尔先生猜到了我参加茶会的真正目的,因此要我为他演奏一曲。我在钢琴前坐了下来,开始以C大调弹奏巴赫的《托卡塔》。他专注地听着,听完之后要求我再来一曲。我提议演奏贝多芬奏鸣曲。他点头同意了。于是,我全身心地弹奏起了《悲怆》。当我弹完的时候,他要求我继续。于是我接着弹奏了舒曼的《蝴蝶》。
终于,他站起来,在我的前额上吻了吻。“我的孩子,”他说,“我像你这么大的时候就成了李斯特先生的学生。在我上完第一节课之后,李斯特先生吻了吻我的前额,然后说:‘好好记住这个吻,这是贝多芬先生在听完我的演奏之后给我的,那时我也像你这么大。’为了把这份神圣的遗产传给后人,我已等了许多年,现在我觉得你应该得到它。”
在我的一生中,没有比绍尔先生对我的赞扬更有意义的事了。他的吻奇迹般地使我从困境中解脱出来,如果没有绍尔先生的鼓励,我今天可能也不会成为一名钢琴家。
就在最近,在给一批年轻的钢琴家们上课时,我觉得其中有一位年轻的艺术家,如果我稍微给他一点鼓励,他可能会做得更好。于是我挑出一件他做得最好的事,然后当着全班的面表扬了他。他双眼迸发出兴奋的光芒,令我们吃惊的是,他迅速超越了自我,做得更好了,甚至连他自己也不敢相信自己会有那么好的表现。寥寥数语便激发了他身上的潜力,展示了他的才能。
赞扬是一种强大的推动力。它能点燃黑暗房间中的一根小蜡烛,让它的光充满我们周围的空间。这是神奇的,而令我感到惊奇的是,它总是屡试不爽。
I was seven years old when my father asked me to help him in the garden. I worked as hard as I could and was richly rewarded when father kissed me, saying, “Thanks, son, you did very well.” It was the first praise I consciously1 received in my life. It made me happy and proud. After many decades, my father’s words still ring in my ears.
When in 1953, I made my first orchestral2 recording for the Deutsche Gramophone Company, I played Liszt’s two piano concertos3, accompanied by the Berlin Philharmonic, one of the finest orchestras in the world. The first concerto, a childhood acquaintance, was finished in a jiffy4. On the next day, the second work did not go as smoothly. I had learned Liszt’s No. 2 piano concerto only shortly before the recording session and was jittery5. We had to go over a par-ticularly difficult passage again and again. After a while one member of the orchestra rose and turned to me, saying, “Mr Foldes, don’t worry. You have done extremely well in the first work; there is no need for you to be nervous. We admire you.” I started to play the same passage again and carried it off without a hitch6.
At 16, in the midst of a personal crisis arising from differences with my music teacher, I met Emil von Sauer, Liszt’s last living pupil, who paid yearly visits to Budapest. His adoring public feted7 the grand old pianist with his leonine8 white mane like a semi-god. One of the city’s prominent9 music patrons10 asked me to have tea and meet this idol. My elation11 was boundless.
Sauer divined12 the real purpose of my presence and asked me to play something for him. I sat down at the piano and launched13 into Bach’s Toccata in C major. He listened intently and asked for more. I sug-gested a Beethoven Sonata14. He nodded his approval and I put all my heart into playing the Pathétique. When I had finished this word, he ordered me to play on. I continued with Schumann’s Papillons.
Finally, he rose and kissed me on my forehead. “My son,” he said, “when I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on my forehead after my first lesson, saying, ‘Take good care of this kiss—it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play when I was your age.’ I waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage15, but now I feel you de-serve it.”
Nothing in my life has meant as much to me as Sauer’s praise. His kiss lifted me miraculously out of my crisis. I might not have become the pianist I am today without Sauer’s encouragement.
Just recently, when giving a master class for young pianists, I felt that one of the youthful artists could do even better if given a small praise. I singled out the one thing he did best and praised him for it before the whole class. His eyes began to glow, and almost immediately he performed better than ever—to his own amazement and that of the class. A few words brought out the best in him.
Praise is a potent16 driving force. It lights a small candle in a dark room and its glow begins to fill the space around us. This is magic, and I marvel that it always works.
Take good care of this kiss—it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play when I was your age.这个句子如果直译的话,应该是:好好记住这个吻,这是贝多芬先生在听完那时候也像你这么大的我演奏完之后给我的。在这个句子中,如果把年龄这个细节放在句子中做“我”的定语,像英文中的表达那样,读起来觉得有些拗口。如果把它译为“好好记住这个吻,这是贝多芬先生在听完我的演奏之后给我的,那时我也像你这么大”,那么,读起来是不是觉得舒服一点呢?这是中英文写作上的差别,请读者朋友们注意体会。