四月初，一條消息傳遍美國(guó)，一位在紐約長(zhǎng)島長(zhǎng)大，17歲的非裔少年，憑著一篇優(yōu)秀的申請(qǐng)essay，被8所常春藤盟校同時(shí)錄取，創(chuàng)下一段佳話(huà)。美國(guó)17歲少年夸西(Kwasi Enin)就讀于紐約長(zhǎng)島的威廉弗洛伊德高中，在SAT(美國(guó)高中生能力測(cè)試)中取得了2250的高分(而該考試總分為2400)，向常春藤8大名校提交申請(qǐng)，希望能夠到其中一所就讀。然而令夸西意想不到的是，這8所名校紛紛發(fā)來(lái)錄取通知，表示愿意錄取。
今年3月27日，在美國(guó)，成千上萬(wàn)的高考生在電腦前耐心等候自己報(bào)考大學(xué)的錄取通知，夸西也不例外。但是錄取他的大學(xué)可不止一所，而是常春藤八大名校�？湮髡f(shuō)道，“我真不敢相信他們?nèi)枷胍浫∥摇?rdquo;夸西不僅考試成績(jī)好，而且也是一位星級(jí)運(yùn)動(dòng)員，還是校交響樂(lè)隊(duì)的歌手與中提琴演奏者。夸西祖籍加納，父母都是護(hù)士，在20世紀(jì)80年代移民到美國(guó)紐約。夸西的父親埃比尼澤(Ebenezer Enin)說(shuō)道，“夸西很出色，也很謙虛。當(dāng)他還小的時(shí)候，我們就想把他培養(yǎng)成一名成功的人，鼓勵(lì)他全面發(fā)展。現(xiàn)在，他做到了。”
今天小編就來(lái)給大家分享一下這篇神級(jí)的Essay，咱們先看原文：
A Life in Music
Kwasi Enin
A wrong decision can be beginning orend to lifestyle. In the seventh grade, I nearly ended my music career by opting to select a simple course-music in OUR LIVES-that met the state music requirement. But this decision would have left me empty. With the help of Ms.Brown, my then orchestra teacher was able to not only meet the basic requirement, but also continue the beginning of my musical journey. I am now aviolist who has joyously played for nine years. I also now take music in mylife. It is the first self-taught-and the longest-course I have ever taken.
Music has become the spark of my intellectual curiosity. I directly develop my capacity to think creative lyaround problems due to the infinite possibilities in music, there are millions of combination of signatures, chords melodies, and rhythms in the world of music that wait to become attached to a sheet of staff lines and spaces. As I began to explore a minute’s fraction of these combination from the third grade onwards, my mind began to formulate round about methods to solve anymathematical problem, address any literature prompt, and discover any exit in an undesirable situation. In middle school, my mind also started to become adept in the language of music. Playing the works of different composers, such as Kol Niderei by Max Bruch and coronal overture by Ludwig Van Beethoven, expands my diverse musical vocabulary, my breadth of technical and my ability to practice in order to succeed in solo performance.
Music has also become the medium for my roles in the community. While onstage as Big Jule of Guys and Dolls during my favorite musical, l helped create a wonderful atmosphere in the school auditorium by singing and dancing. Whenever I perform, whether as a bassist in Men’s Doo Wop Group or as a violist in Chamber Ensemble, I become immersed in the conversations between performers and the audience. As I become lost in these conversation, I create blissful memories in which I am truly part of my community’s culture-and eventually its history would not have the admiration of my teachers and friends if I had not let the charisma of music persuade me to become a performer in my school, town, and state.
Lastly, music has become the educators that has taught me the important of leadership, teamwork and friendship. It has taught me the importance of order and balance. When I lead a group how strong that group can be if every number put one hundred percent effort into our task.Leadership is not always about directing others. The most important task of a leader is to create harmony between each member of group, which reveals the group’s maximum potential. With improvement and school years endures through stress. These powerful bonds came to be because my friends and I endured against the adversity found in the high level pieces of musical literature. Thank my teachers, viola and voice for creating the environments that nurtured these friendships and learning experiences.
My haven for solace in and away from home is in the world of composers, harmonies and possibilities. My musical haven has shaped my character and without it, my life would not be half as wonderful as it is today. It was a wise decision to turn down the course musicin our Lives. The self- guided journey known as music in my life excites my mind every day. My heart sings every day because the journey is already wonderful. Although I hope that my future career is in the medicine love that I still have much to learn about and from the world of music.
下面是中文翻譯：
音樂(lè)人生
錯(cuò)誤的決定會(huì)是另一種生活模式的開(kāi)端。7年級(jí)的時(shí)候，我差點(diǎn)就要結(jié)束我的音樂(lè)學(xué)習(xí)生涯。幸運(yùn)的是我選擇了正確的方向。如果當(dāng)時(shí)放棄了音樂(lè)，我的心靈將會(huì)沉浸在空虛之中(這個(gè)是鋪墊。。。請(qǐng)注意，這真的是鋪墊)。那年，我遇到了我的管弦老師——布朗女士，我不僅跟著她學(xué)習(xí)了簡(jiǎn)單的音樂(lè)知識(shí)，還為現(xiàn)在的音樂(lè)生涯打下了堅(jiān)實(shí)的基礎(chǔ)。如今，我已經(jīng)成為了一名中級(jí)提琴演奏者，快樂(lè)得演奏了9年，音樂(lè)融入到我的生命之中。音樂(lè)是我人生中第一門(mén)自學(xué)的課程，并一直伴隨我成長(zhǎng)。
音樂(lè)激發(fā)了我濃濃的求知欲。無(wú)限的樂(lè)譜開(kāi)發(fā)了我創(chuàng)造性的思維方式。音調(diào)、和弦、旋律、節(jié)奏可以組合成無(wú)限種的樂(lè)曲，讓我的思維變得靈活。我懂得用巧妙的方式來(lái)解數(shù)學(xué)題(學(xué)霸的世界我們不懂)。用合適的語(yǔ)言來(lái)回答語(yǔ)文題，從不受歡迎變得受歡迎。在中學(xué)，我能在音樂(lè)中自由飛翔。演奏不同的樂(lè)曲，比如布魯赫的《科爾尼德萊》和貝多芬的《科里奧蘭序曲》，增長(zhǎng)了我的音樂(lè)知識(shí)，提高了我的演奏技巧，為今后成功的獨(dú)奏奠定了基礎(chǔ)。
音樂(lè)使我融入了社會(huì)之中。當(dāng)我有機(jī)會(huì)在舞臺(tái)上表演喜愛(ài)的音樂(lè)劇，我的歌聲和舞蹈使得音樂(lè)氛圍彌漫在學(xué)校禮堂。無(wú)論是作為一名男低音歌手，或是中提琴演奏者，我不可自拔的沉浸在與觀眾的心靈交流中，漸漸迷失在這種氛圍中，真是喜悅的記憶片段。我相信我是社會(huì)文化的一部分，是社會(huì)歷史的一部分。如果沒(méi)被音樂(lè)的魅力所征服，我就不會(huì)站在學(xué)校、城市、州的舞臺(tái)上進(jìn)行表演，就無(wú)法贏得老師和朋友的欣賞。
最后，音樂(lè)是我的恩師，讓我明白領(lǐng)導(dǎo)能力、團(tuán)隊(duì)合作和友情的重要性，音樂(lè)告訴我，秩序和平衡很重要，當(dāng)我?guī)ьI(lǐng)一個(gè)團(tuán)隊(duì)的時(shí)候(Leadership能力的無(wú)縫嵌入啊有木有)，我牢記每一個(gè)成員全身心的付出，感知團(tuán)隊(duì)的力量是無(wú)窮的。領(lǐng)導(dǎo)別人并不意味著指揮別人，而應(yīng)該協(xié)調(diào)好隊(duì)員之間的關(guān)系，使大家都發(fā)揮出最大的潛能。一個(gè)團(tuán)隊(duì)，只有不斷進(jìn)步，團(tuán)隊(duì)和諧，最后才能成功。音樂(lè)告訴了我這些優(yōu)良品質(zhì)。團(tuán)隊(duì)合作幫助我應(yīng)對(duì)在校期間的困難，團(tuán)隊(duì)合作讓我和我的朋友完成了高難度的樂(lè)曲。再次，我要感謝我的老師，感謝我的中提琴。給予我一個(gè)充滿(mǎn)友情的生活環(huán)境，給予我良好的學(xué)習(xí)機(jī)會(huì)。
對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)，一個(gè)充滿(mǎn)作曲家、和諧和無(wú)限可能的世界史安撫心靈的港灣。我的音樂(lè)世界塑造了我的性格，如果沒(méi)有它，生活將不及現(xiàn)在一半的好。這都?xì)w功于那一年我做的正確的決定，音樂(lè)伴隨我成長(zhǎng)，每天帶來(lái)新的思想，新的活力。我的心靈每天都在歌唱，因?yàn)槿松贸倘绱嗣篮谩Ｎ蚁Ｍ院竽茉卺t(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域工作，所以要學(xué)習(xí)的地方還有很多。我要從音樂(lè)的世界中汲取經(jīng)驗(yàn)，幫助自己完成這個(gè)夢(mèng)想。