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If you had caught me straight out of college in the halls of the Vermont State House where I was a lobbyist注1 in training and asked me what I was gonna do with my life， I would have told you that I’d just passed the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi， the Chinese Equivalency Exam， and I was going to go study law in Beijing， and I was going to improve U.S.-China relations through top-down policy changes and judicial system[司法制度] reforms. （laughs） I...I had a plan， and I never ever thought it would have anything to do with the banjo[班卓琴].
Little did I know what a huge impact it would have on me one night when I was at a party and I heard a sound coming out of a record player[唱机] in the corner of a room. And it was...it was Doc Watson注2 singing and playing “Shady Grove.” （sings “Shady Grove”） That sound was just so...beautiful， the sound of Doc’s voice and the rippling[潺潺流水声的] groove[（唱片的）纹道] of the banjo. And after being totally and completely obsessed[着迷] with the mammoth[巨大的] richness and history of Chinese culture， it was like this total relief to hear something so truly American and so truly awesome. I knew I had to take a banjo with me to China.
So before going to law school in China I bought a banjo， I threw it in my little red truck and I...I traveled down through Appalachia and I...I learned a bunch of old American songs， and I ended up in Kentucky at the International Bluegrass Music Association Convention. And I was sitting in a hallway one night and a couple girls came up to me. And they said， “Hey， do you want to jam[参加即兴音乐演奏会]？” And I was like， “Sure.” So I， like， picked up my banjo and I nervously played， like， four songs that I actually knew with them. And a record executive[执行者] walked up to me and invited me to Nashville， Tennessee to make a record. （laughs）
It’s really been eight years since that fated night in Kentucky. And I’ve played thousands of shows. And I’ve collaborated[合作] with so many incredible， inspirational[给予人灵感的] musicians around the world. And I see the power of music. I see the power of music to connect cultures. And I see，even more importantly， the power of music to connect hearts. Like the time I was in Sichuan Province and I was singing for kids in relocation[重新安置] schools in the earthquake disaster zone. And this little girl comes up to me. （Chinese） “Big sister Wong，” Washburn， Wong， same difference. “Big sister Wong， can I sing you a song that my mom sang for me before she was swallowed in the earthquake？” And I sat down， and she sat on my lap. She started singing her song. And the warmth of her body and the tears rolling down her rosy[玫瑰色的] cheeks， and I started to cry. And the light that shone off of her eyes was a place I could have stayed forever. And in that moment， we weren’t our American selves， we weren’t our Chinese selves， we were just mortals[凡人] sitting together in that light that keeps us here. I want to dwell in[停留在] that light with you and with everyone. And I know U.S.-China relations doesn’t need another lawyer.
Thank you.
如果你在我大学刚毕业那会儿，在（美国）佛蒙特州议会大楼里遇见我—那时我还在参加说客培训—并问我“你的人生理想是什么？”我会告诉你，我刚通过了汉语水平考试（the Chinese Equivalency Exam），准备去北京进修法律。我要自上而下地修订政策、改革司法制度，以改善中美关系。（笑）我是有这样一个计划，但是我从没想到它会和班卓琴扯上关系。
我没想到，班卓琴会在某个晚上对我产生如此巨大的影响。当时我正在一个派对上，听见从房间角落里的电唱机传来的声音，那是多克·沃森弹唱的《林荫》。（唱《林荫》）那声音实在是太……美了。多克的嗓音和班卓琴潺潺流水般的琴音太美了。在完全沉迷于悠久厚重的中国历史文化这么久之后，听到这种完全地道、极其美妙的美国声音，对我来说完全是一种解脱。我知道，我必须带着班卓琴去中国。
因此在出发去中国的法学院之前，我买了一把班卓琴，把它扔进我那红色的小货车里。然后我……我一路开到阿巴拉契亚区，途中也学了一堆美国老歌，最后我来到了肯塔基州的国际蓝草音乐联盟大会。一天晚上，我坐在走廊上，几个女孩走了过来。她们问我：“嘿，要来个合奏吗？”我说：“好啊！”因此我拿起班卓琴，非常紧张地和她们合奏了四首我们都会的歌曲。然后一名唱片公司的执行主管走了过来，他邀请我去田纳西州的首府纳什维尔录制专辑。（笑）
距离在肯塔基州那个命中注定的夜晚，已经过去八年了。这期间我参加了数千场演出，也和世界各地许多出色的、才华横溢的音乐人合作过。我看到了音乐的力量；我看到了音乐连接不同文化的力量；更重要的是，我看到了音乐联结心灵的力量。有一次我去了四川，在地震灾后的临时小学里为孩子们唱歌。一个小女孩向我走了过来。（中文）“王大姐，”沃森伯恩、王，差不多。“王大姐，我能给你唱一下我妈妈被地震吞噬之前教我的歌曲吗？”我坐下来，她坐在我的膝盖上。她开始唱歌。我感受到她身体的温度，看到了眼泪从她那绯红的脸颊上滚落下来，我也哭了起来。她眼中闪烁的光，是我愿意相伴一生的东西。
在那一刻，我们不是美国人，也不是中国人，我们只是凡人，静静地坐在将我们的心灵联结在一起的光里。我真想和你们所有人一起去那片光里驻足。我知道，（改善）中美关系不需要再多一名律师。
谢谢。
注1：指专门受雇（对政府官员或议员）进行游说或疏通的人。
注2：多克·沃森（1923—2012）自幼失明，却是20世纪后期美国乐坛最伟大的吉它手之一。他在民谣音乐领域活跃了50年，曾获“美国国家艺术勋章”，坐拥七座格莱美奖杯。
Little did I know what a huge impact it would have on me one night when I was at a party and I heard a sound coming out of a record player[唱机] in the corner of a room. And it was...it was Doc Watson注2 singing and playing “Shady Grove.” （sings “Shady Grove”） That sound was just so...beautiful， the sound of Doc’s voice and the rippling[潺潺流水声的] groove[（唱片的）纹道] of the banjo. And after being totally and completely obsessed[着迷] with the mammoth[巨大的] richness and history of Chinese culture， it was like this total relief to hear something so truly American and so truly awesome. I knew I had to take a banjo with me to China.
So before going to law school in China I bought a banjo， I threw it in my little red truck and I...I traveled down through Appalachia and I...I learned a bunch of old American songs， and I ended up in Kentucky at the International Bluegrass Music Association Convention. And I was sitting in a hallway one night and a couple girls came up to me. And they said， “Hey， do you want to jam[参加即兴音乐演奏会]？” And I was like， “Sure.” So I， like， picked up my banjo and I nervously played， like， four songs that I actually knew with them. And a record executive[执行者] walked up to me and invited me to Nashville， Tennessee to make a record. （laughs）
It’s really been eight years since that fated night in Kentucky. And I’ve played thousands of shows. And I’ve collaborated[合作] with so many incredible， inspirational[给予人灵感的] musicians around the world. And I see the power of music. I see the power of music to connect cultures. And I see，even more importantly， the power of music to connect hearts. Like the time I was in Sichuan Province and I was singing for kids in relocation[重新安置] schools in the earthquake disaster zone. And this little girl comes up to me. （Chinese） “Big sister Wong，” Washburn， Wong， same difference. “Big sister Wong， can I sing you a song that my mom sang for me before she was swallowed in the earthquake？” And I sat down， and she sat on my lap. She started singing her song. And the warmth of her body and the tears rolling down her rosy[玫瑰色的] cheeks， and I started to cry. And the light that shone off of her eyes was a place I could have stayed forever. And in that moment， we weren’t our American selves， we weren’t our Chinese selves， we were just mortals[凡人] sitting together in that light that keeps us here. I want to dwell in[停留在] that light with you and with everyone. And I know U.S.-China relations doesn’t need another lawyer.
Thank you.
如果你在我大学刚毕业那会儿，在（美国）佛蒙特州议会大楼里遇见我—那时我还在参加说客培训—并问我“你的人生理想是什么？”我会告诉你，我刚通过了汉语水平考试（the Chinese Equivalency Exam），准备去北京进修法律。我要自上而下地修订政策、改革司法制度，以改善中美关系。（笑）我是有这样一个计划，但是我从没想到它会和班卓琴扯上关系。
我没想到，班卓琴会在某个晚上对我产生如此巨大的影响。当时我正在一个派对上，听见从房间角落里的电唱机传来的声音，那是多克·沃森弹唱的《林荫》。（唱《林荫》）那声音实在是太……美了。多克的嗓音和班卓琴潺潺流水般的琴音太美了。在完全沉迷于悠久厚重的中国历史文化这么久之后，听到这种完全地道、极其美妙的美国声音，对我来说完全是一种解脱。我知道，我必须带着班卓琴去中国。
因此在出发去中国的法学院之前，我买了一把班卓琴，把它扔进我那红色的小货车里。然后我……我一路开到阿巴拉契亚区，途中也学了一堆美国老歌，最后我来到了肯塔基州的国际蓝草音乐联盟大会。一天晚上，我坐在走廊上，几个女孩走了过来。她们问我：“嘿，要来个合奏吗？”我说：“好啊！”因此我拿起班卓琴，非常紧张地和她们合奏了四首我们都会的歌曲。然后一名唱片公司的执行主管走了过来，他邀请我去田纳西州的首府纳什维尔录制专辑。（笑）
距离在肯塔基州那个命中注定的夜晚，已经过去八年了。这期间我参加了数千场演出，也和世界各地许多出色的、才华横溢的音乐人合作过。我看到了音乐的力量；我看到了音乐连接不同文化的力量；更重要的是，我看到了音乐联结心灵的力量。有一次我去了四川，在地震灾后的临时小学里为孩子们唱歌。一个小女孩向我走了过来。（中文）“王大姐，”沃森伯恩、王，差不多。“王大姐，我能给你唱一下我妈妈被地震吞噬之前教我的歌曲吗？”我坐下来，她坐在我的膝盖上。她开始唱歌。我感受到她身体的温度，看到了眼泪从她那绯红的脸颊上滚落下来，我也哭了起来。她眼中闪烁的光，是我愿意相伴一生的东西。
在那一刻，我们不是美国人，也不是中国人，我们只是凡人，静静地坐在将我们的心灵联结在一起的光里。我真想和你们所有人一起去那片光里驻足。我知道，（改善）中美关系不需要再多一名律师。
谢谢。
注1：指专门受雇（对政府官员或议员）进行游说或疏通的人。
注2：多克·沃森（1923—2012）自幼失明，却是20世纪后期美国乐坛最伟大的吉它手之一。他在民谣音乐领域活跃了50年，曾获“美国国家艺术勋章”，坐拥七座格莱美奖杯。