Hi Lucy,
嗨，露西，
So glad to get your email. I hope everything is fine with you. Last night, I watched a performance of Butterfly Lovers, a beautiful violin concerto
很高兴收到你的邮件。希望你一切安好。昨晚，我欣赏了一场《梁山伯与祝英台》的演出，这是一部优美的小提琴协奏曲。
composed by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang. It’s a piece that really deserves to be heard.
由何占豪与陈钢共同创作，这部作品确实值得一听。
The music took me through the twists and turns of a classic story about a young couple torn apart by their families. When the two lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, first meet, the music is light and pleasant, as if whispering to the audience. It is followed by a fast and cheerful section which represents their three happy years of school. Then the music gets dramatic with heavier notes and that is when the lovers are separated because Zhu’s father forces her to marry another man. Angry and sad, Liang falls sick and dies. Zhu weeps bitterly over the loss of her love. Overcome with sorrow, she jumps into his grave. Finally, during the most exciting part, the music takes a softer turn and ends on a bittersweet note, telling us how the couple transform into butterflies and fly away to be together forever. It is an amazing journey!
音乐引领我穿越了一对年轻恋人被家庭拆散的经典故事。当梁山伯与祝英台初次相遇时，旋律轻快怡人，仿佛在向观众耳语。紧接着欢快的快板段落，象征着他们同窗三载的美好时光。随后音符骤然转沉，戏剧性骤增 —— 祝父逼嫁，鸳鸯离散。悲愤交加的梁山伯一病不起，郁郁而终。祝英台痛失所爱，泪洒灵前，最终在哀恸欲绝中纵身跃入坟茔。高潮处，乐声忽转柔和，以甜中带涩的尾音诉说化蝶双飞、永世相守的结局。这真是一段震撼心灵的旅程！
Butterfly Lovers combines Chinese and Western musical elements: it is played on Western instruments such as the violin, but more significantly, much of the music has its roots in Chinese Yue Opera. This unique combination has made me realize that music is indeed a universal language. You should definitely listen to Butterfly Lovers–I bet you’ll like it!
《梁山伯与祝英台》融合了中西音乐元素：虽然使用小提琴等西方乐器演奏，但更重要的是，其音乐主体源自中国越剧。这种独特的结合让我意识到音乐确实是世界的语言。你一定要听听《梁山伯与祝英台》—— 我打赌你会喜欢！
All the best,祝一切顺利，
Alice爱丽丝
Dear Stephen,
亲爱的斯蒂芬，
Life here in Nashville is as interesting as I thought it would be. My host family are big fans of country music, so I can always rely on them to introduce me to some great songs. I love learning about country music and I keep asking them questions about it all the time!
纳什维尔的生活果然如我所想般精彩纷呈。寄宿家庭是乡村音乐的狂热爱好者，因此我总能仰仗他们为我推荐一些绝妙歌曲。我热爱了解乡村音乐，总是不停地向他们请教相关问题！
It turns out that country music became popular right here in the south of America in the 1940s and then spread across the nation. It grew out of such music types as the blues and folk music, so the musicians use many similar instruments, such as the guitar. The tunes are easy to sing, and the lyrics often leave you deep in thought. Most of the songs are about hardship and heartbreak but also about hope—with plenty of humour thrown in for good measure. You can feel an emotional connection between you and the musicians.
原来，乡村音乐正是在 20 世纪 40 年代的美国南部兴起并风靡全国的。它脱胎于蓝调和民谣等音乐形式，因此乐手们使用的乐器多有相似，比如吉他。其旋律朗朗上口，歌词却常引人深思。歌曲大多吟咏苦难与心碎，却也饱含希望 —— 更少不了幽默调味。聆听时，你能感受到与音乐人之间那份心灵的共鸣。
Country music shows the peaceful green fields and simple life of the countryside. Obviously I don’t know what it’s truly like to grow up in rural America, but the masters of country music,like John Denver,can make youfeel like you′re there.The simple tunes and beautiful natural images are often very suggestive of countryside surroundings:
乡村音乐展现了宁静翠绿的田野与质朴的乡间生活。虽然我未曾真正体验过在美国乡村成长的滋味，但约翰・丹佛这样的乡村音乐大师，总能让人仿佛身临其境。那些简单的旋律和优美的自然意象，常常唤起人们对田园风光的无限遐想。
Almost heaven, West Virginia
几乎天堂，西弗吉尼亚
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
蓝岭山脉，谢南多亚河
Life is old there, older than the trees
那里的生命古老，比树木还要悠久
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze
比群山年轻，如微风般生长
(From “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver)
（出自约翰・丹佛的《乡村路带我回家》）
Why don’t you try to listen to some great country music?I guarantee you’ll enjoy it!
为何不试着听听那些美妙的乡村音乐呢？我保证你会爱上它的！
Best wishes,
祝好，
Harry
哈利