A Young Pianist's Story

年轻钢琴家的故事

■黄家千 选注

Jean-Michael Lourdis was a promising1 young pianist. But when the young man played, it seemed to him, as if his hands were iron.2 He worried so much about his playing that he became over sensitive to the reviews of his playing.3 Unfortunately, in those days, a critic was not considered a critic, unless he found something wrong.4 This attitude of the critics would often leave the young man ready to give up his dream and return home.

He was invited to play in Helsinki.5 The rich, the famous, the leaders of State were all there. Jean-Michael had one of those days where everything went wrong. That night as he played, he felt as if it were the worst concert of his young life. The next day, in the newspapers, some of the reviews were acrid and full of irony. The young musician was crushed.6

That day, as he sat in his hotel room, he was in total despair.7 There came a knocking at his door. He had a visitor. The famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius8 had come by9 to congratulate the young pianist for his performance. Jean-Michael asked how he thought of that and began to quote10 some of the newspaper critics. "Hands of iron. No imagination. Little skill, no joy. Don't you hear what they say?" He asked.

Jean Sibelius looked at young Jean-Michael and said, "Remember, son, there is no city in the world where they have erected a statue to a critic."11

1. promising：有希望的，有前途的。
2. 这里用iron(铁)来形容手指生涩、不灵活。
3. 他非常担心自己的演奏，以致于对别人的评价太过敏感。
4. 不幸的是，在那个年代，如果一个批评家不能给别人挑出点儿错的话，他就不会被认为是批评家。unfortunately：不幸地。
5. Helsinki/#helsi9ki/：芬兰首都赫尔辛基。
6. 一些评论非常刻薄，充满讽刺。这个年轻的音乐家被压垮了。crush：碾碎，压垮。
7. in total despair：完全的绝望。
8. Jean Sibelius（1865—1957）： 让·西贝柳斯，芬兰最著名的作曲家，民族乐派的代表人物。其代表作有广为流传的交响诗《芬兰颂》、七部交响曲、弦乐四重奏《内心之声》、以及为莎士比亚戏剧《暴风雨》所作的 配乐。此外还作有大量的歌曲、钢琴曲等等。
9. come by：经过，路过。
10. quote：引用，引证。
11. 世界上没有任何一个城市会为批评家树碑。