美文赏析 Life in a Violin Case

　　“Enjoyed” is too mild a word. I walked on air. I really lived. I was a free man and I was doing what I loved to do and what I was meant to do.

　　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 all those intangibles, those inner satisfactions, that money can never buy, and that are too often sacrificed when a man’s primary goal is financial success.

　　When I broke away from business, it was against the advice of practically all my friends and family. So conditioned are most of us to the association of success with money that the thought of giving up a good salary for an idea seemed little short of insane. If so, all I can say is “Gee! It’s great to be crazy.” Money is a wonderful thing, but it is possible to pay too high a price for it.

　　情系小提琴

　　为了阐明我的信仰，我必须简单介绍一下我的经历。

　　我人生的转折点是我决定不做发迹有望的商人而专攻音乐。父母虽然与我志趣相投，也像我一样热爱音乐，却反对我以音乐为职业。考虑到我的家庭情况，他们的态度是完全可以理解的。我祖父在莫比尔的斯普林希尔学院教授音乐达四十年之久，深受学院师生的热爱和敬重，他的工资却只能勉强维持一大家人的生活。父亲常说若不是祖母精明能干，克勤克俭，一家人非挨饿不可。所以在我们家，只要一提起音乐这个职业，大家就联想起收入不稳定的那种苦日子。父母坚持要我上大学，不让我进音乐学院，我也就上了大学。记得当时我还挺开心，因为虽然我热爱小提琴，大部分时间都用来练琴，我还有许多其他的爱好。

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