随笔与拾记。

(汉英双语 CHN-ENG Bilingual)

2018年伊始，我决定重拾小提琴这个乐器，三月的日志就写这事吧。2017年4月后开始偷懒没写双语日志，如今报了今年四月的雅思，重拾双语日志，权当写作练习。

I made my decision to resume my violin hobby. To mark my word, the blog for March tells the story about me and my violin. P.S. It has been a year since quitting the bilingual blog. It comes back with this post for preparation of IELTS.

初心

Original Aspiration

开始学小提琴是在2003年，买第一把琴的发票可考具体日期。至于想学的原因，是无意中下载到一首小提琴伴奏的歌，觉得很好听。只可惜当时不知曲名，文件也随着2005年坏掉的那块硬盘进了垃圾桶。但毕竟还是求家长给自己买了把琴，请了位老师，一周一课。

The story started in 2003. The exact date may be found on the receipt of my first violin. A name-unknown song with violin did hit my deep heart. Although I sadly lost the song file in 2005 due to the hard drive crash, parents agreed to pay for my wish of learning violin.

最开始的难关就是夹琴。虽然个子不算小，但成人琴的重量对我的脖肩来说还是不小的负担。胜在初学，热情尚在，放学回家后做好作业就开始练习，时刻夹着。买了垫高的肩托以后夹琴的技巧很快就掌握了，接着就进入带声音的学琴了。

It can be extremely tough for beginners to hold a violin between chin and shoulder. When a primary student tried to hold a full-size violin,  it became worse. However, the young boy was still in his passion and remembered to hold his violin above his heart as many seconds as he could. Soon he came to the real violin practice with sound making.

第一次全弓拉响空弦的时候，小提琴鸣声之大，把自己吓得不轻。G、D、A、E四个空弦音从此印刻脑中。后来本科得知同学带了琴到宿舍，即使多年不碰琴，试了下空耳调音再对调音器，倒也差不了多少，全因当年的印象深刻。

It was so loud to shock myself when I first played open strings. The four open strings G, D, A, E have sealed in my mind since then. The sound memory is like a stamp that I can still recognise it after long. I tuned a violin for my university mate with my ears even I have not touch violin for years.

按弦的学习大概就略去不表了，流水账般偷懒的练琴，由此生出的烦躁情绪最终导致了第一次放弃学琴。本来学琴年纪就迟，骨骼肌肉渐渐定型，左手不是伸不到音准，就是扭曲变形。被老师纠正的过程总是痛苦的，只是学琴非“必修”，厌学情绪没有限制，就成了最后一根稻草。一周一次课被“耍赖”到两周一次，最后在打给出差老妈的长途电话里说出了“不想再学琴了”这句至今后悔的话。

I wish not to write about my left hand and finger practice. All faults led to the first quitting.  It had been late when I picked up the violin at the age of senior years in primary school. Bones and muscles were getting rigid. Intonation and the shape of the left hand became the irreconcilable conflict. The pain and the difficulties finally ignited the explosion in my mind and I quitted the course as it was “elective” and told mum about my the decision.

A、D两个大调的基础指法还有一大堆动作坏习惯，成为那个年纪仅存的记忆。

Most of the memories lost instead of some basic skills about A and D major, and varieties of incorrect playing actions.

再会

Second Approaching

2007年初秋，初三伊始，在漫展上再次听到了熟悉的曲子，方知其名『カントリー・ロード』，对小提琴的热情和幻想又上头了，只因中考压力暂时作罢。倒也足够努力，中考得到了比预想好的成绩，顺利考上了理想的高中，我妈就觉得提琴就这么当摆设放家里还是浪费了，鼓动我重新学。我当然是没多想就同意了。

The familiar song had its name for me in the final year of junior high school. When I heard it in a comic-con, the passion of violin filled up my chest immediately. Although the little dream paused due to school stress for a year,  I accepted it when mum offered me another chance to approach violin again after I started my senior high school.

高中才又从基础开始学习提琴已经没办法达到比较好的水平童子功是什么，不存在的！教琴老师把我定位大龄玩票，他教起来、我学起来的氛围倒也轻松很多。就渐渐形成了比较适合“大龄学琴”定位的课程结构，这一安排后来其实也受益不少，后来能够下决心自学提琴，也是当时学到了不少练琴的技巧和纠错的意识。

The skills I could achieve would not reach excellent level definitely as I had been a high school student. The teacher knew that and treat me as an amateur anyway. Hence the course turned into entertainment, it was kind of release for both teacher and me.  Luckily the teacher customised a set of sections in the course for me, which still benefit me until now.

从家里骑车三十来分钟到学琴的地方，气喘吁吁，所以就以调音、拉空弦开始课堂，除了平静心情，当然也是练习最基础的演奏姿势。进入状态后，便演奏上节课留下来当家庭作业的练习曲，边奏边纠正。不得不提，我最头疼的问题就是音准。不同于钢琴、吉他、管乐器还有其他些个乐器，提琴音准全靠指法，指头按在弦上，稍稍偏离，音就#（升）或b（降）了。虽然有个老师说能驾驭大中提的大手掌，小提琴的指法还是常顾此失彼，不是食指缩不回去就是小指伸不对地方。再说回课堂，若是终于能顺利奏完一支练习曲，就开始下一支，直到完成一个大调(指法)的学习。下课前五六分钟，老师从他海量音乐CD收藏里挑出一张，放上一曲，聊聊与音乐无关的话题，就此结束本周的课。

It took me half hour to ride to the lecture room, with panting, the best way to start course was practising open strings. Settled down, the main contents were correcting errors with practice songs, measure by measure. My weakness in playing the violin is fingering. Even I have a large hand which is told that may be able to handle viola and cello, stretched and back fingering was still annoying me. When the whole practice song could be played fluently, we moved on to next song or major. There were always few minutes arranged for listening to teacher’s CD collection. A weekly violin course was presented as above.

高一高二两年，磕磕绊绊地一把位的几个大调都学了。就在准备要学换把之际，高二结束，高中成绩后院起火，学琴也就戛然而止。

During the first two years of senior high school, most skills of the first position were taught. On the other side, school grades fell into danger, the violin was abandoned again.

要说高中学琴记住什么，就是发现了练习的乐趣和纠错的成就感。

To mark the second approaching, gaining fun from practising and error corrections are the milestones.

还有我使用至今的第二把琴。

And I met my second violin.

重拾

See you again, violin

高三的奋斗、本科的浑噩，乐器似乎就从我的生活中彻底消失了。越来越方便的听音乐工具，也让人渐渐沉迷在成品音乐当中。

Fighting in senior high school and descending in bachelor, the instrument almost disappeared in my life.

还好心中那枚乐器演奏的火种从未熄灭。因为小学音乐课的要求而集体学了口琴，还收藏有好几个调的口琴，本科就随身带了一把在身边，只可惜那把C调口琴在抽屉落了四年的灰。后来读硕，又想学苏格兰风笛，买了把练习笛(挖坑文)，最终也没能坚持练习都变成了填不上的坑，断了我转吹奏乐器的念想。

The sparkle never fade. I have learned to play the harmonica and carried them with me all the time. I dreamed to play the bagpipe (Blog post). However, the wind instrument is not my favourite.

在澳洲连续待了一年半，始终未能再接触别的乐器，直到2018年初终于回到国内。与人倾谈之间，那首曲子再次被提起，熟悉的旋律瞬间萦绕脑中。

Have not touched other instrument for one and half years in Australia, the violin occurred to me when I was back to China in early 2018.  THE SONG was mentioned in a good talk, which called back all of the memories.

我知道该重新开始练琴了。

I knew it’s time to see my violin again.

春节回到家，捧起已经当摆设的提琴，五味杂陈。虽然老妈时常擦拭灰尘，但松懈了的琴弦和脱落的琴柱还是藏不住这把琴在被冷落的七八年里的黯淡。赶紧找来工具，跟着视频教程摸索着把琴柱立了起来，轻敲琴身，咚咚咚，响亮如初，就像老朋友被唤醒。松掉的琴弦取下换新，吹起调音器，依次把弦旋紧。琴弓也用松香擦拭得脂白。一切准备就绪，像前两次一样，重新拉响了空弦。

Back home in Chinese New Year, I was filled with emotions when I hold up my violin again. Even though mum keeps cleaning dust for it all the time, the released strings and the loose soundpost telling its lost during these years. I set up the soundpost, knocked at the body loudly as waking the old friend. All strings were tightening and I played the open strings again.

G—— D—— A—— E—— 真响啊！

So loud!

已然记不得完整的练习曲，禁不住老朋友相见的兴奋，就忍不住多拉了几下空弦。

I was not able to stop me from playing the violin even I forgot most of the songs I learned.

为了方便回学校以后还能在隔音奇差的木房子宿舍练琴，买了夹在琴码上的消音器。还买了收藏夹里关注了很多年的硬壳琴盒，贴上自己喜欢的贴纸。“这以后，小提琴就一起随身行走世界吧”就这么在内心做了决定。

The townhouse of the university in Australia seems not doing well in noise isolation. So I prepared violin mute to decrease the volume. And finally, I bought a plastic violin case that I can decorate it myself. Since then, the violin would be part of my luggage, indivisible.

开学前背着琴抵达澳洲时，被海关问起肩上背的“大盒子”

When I arrived in Australia in February, the officer asked

– Violin?

– Yes, my violin.

– Awesome!

再也不是当年妄图一步登天的少年，踏踏实实从空弦开始，从音阶开始，从A大调的练习曲开始，渐渐接近梦想的样子。

I am no longer the boy who wants to reach the sky in a single bound. I will start from very beginning, to get close to my dream.