龙虎斗是什么游戏:夏威夷音樂家傳奇人生：我的五個感悟

遵循內心的聲音：你要做的五件事1

Have you ever had a big dream for your  life – only to be told it’s not possible?

你是否對生活曾有過夢想——但所有人都說不可能呢？1

Read  the inspiring story of Jason Poole. His hopes of becoming a professional singer were dashed when doctors told him he would never sing again. Read how Jason fought back, found healing, and finally realized his dream.

那就讀一讀Jason Poole的故事吧，相信你會有所收穫。他曾夢想成為一名專業歌手，但醫生的診斷粉碎了他的夢——他再也無法一展歌喉。下面就看看Jason是如何與命運對抗，最終實現夢想的吧。

As you start to read this moving story, click on the song below to hear Jason’s song. - Mary 

在你讀這個感人的故事時，不妨點擊Jason的歌，邊聽邊看。

By Jason Poole of The Accidental Crooner

文/Jason Poole

I hear my teacher call to me from the house.  “Come and get your ‘ukulele.  It’s time to sing!”

我聽到老師在屋裏叫我：“快拿著你的四絃琴過來，我們該練歌了！”

I look down at my toes in the cool, black mud of the taro patch.  I’m a world away from my life in New York City.  I take a breath.  And I laugh.  How on earth did I wind up here?

我低頭看了看自己在芋頭地裏的腳趾，凍僵，沾滿泥巴。我現在在一個遠離紐約生活的世界裏。我深呼吸了一下，然後大笑。我到底是怎麼走到這裡的？

The road has been full of twists and turns—and valuable lessons:

這條充滿了荊棘和坎坷的路——卻帶給我那麼多珍貴的感悟：

1.  Know what you want to do and go after it as though your life depends on it.  (It does!)

1.明確你想做的事然後去做，你要想，不做就活不下去了。（這千真萬確！）1

At two and a half years old, I sang into a microphone—with a live band!–and I was hooked. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never said fireman or astronaut.  My answer was always the same: I wanted to be a singing SUPERSTAR.

在我兩歲半的時候，我就對著麥克風唱起了歌——還是和一個現場演出的樂隊！——從此以後我就對唱歌著了迷。每當有人來問我長大了要做什麼，我從來不會說消防員或是宇航員什麼的。我的答案永遠都是：我要做一個超級歌星。

However, there aren’t many job openings available in that field–especially for kids.  So I dove, headfirst, into musical theater.  Instead of hanging out at the mall, I hung out in a rehearsal studio.  Instead of the soccer field, I played on the stage.

然而，唱歌這個行業向來不缺人——尤其是小孩。所以我想都沒想就一頭紮進了音樂劇。所以本該在商場閒逛的我卻閒逛到了排練廳。我開始在臺上演出，而不是在足球場追球。

As a teen, I fell into a dark depression that almost destroyed me.  I developed an eating disorder that left my vocal cords blistered and scarred.  The doctors told me I wouldn’t sing again.  Life didn’t seem worth living.

進入青少年時期后，我患上了嚴重的抑鬱，差點就毀了。暴飲暴食嚴重損傷了我的聲帶。醫生說，我再也不能唱歌了。這下我真的活不下去了。

If I was going to survive, I needed to sing.  Music was medicine for my raw and wounded spirit.  So I went back into the rehearsal studio.  With consistent effort (and a lot of patience!) my vocal cords healed and I learned to sing again.

如果我要好好活下去，我必須唱歌。只有音樂可以拯救我支離破碎的靈魂。所以我又回到了排練廳。在我的不懈努力下（以及無限的耐心！），聲帶開始癒合，我也能夠再次唱出來了。

I went on to graduate from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in vocal performance. And it felt like I was back on track.

之後我繼續攻讀卡內基梅隆大學聲樂表演系，仿佛我又開始一步步走上正軌。

2.  Maintain an open mind—and an open heart.

2.保持開闊的思維——以及開放的心態。1

I moved to New York City, hell-bent on stardom.  With Broadway theaters in my backyard, I auditioned like a maniac.   I was young and arrogant, confident that it would only be a matter of time before my “big break.”

我搬到了紐約，拼命表演。由於百腦匯劇院就在我家後面，於是我就像一個瘋子一樣不斷去試唱。我當時很年輕，自信滿滿，不相信自己會失敗，成功不過是早晚的事。

To make ends meet, I worked as a singing waiter, belting out songs to karaoke tracks while I served burgers and milkshakes.  Then I got a corporate job with an entertainment giant, training their new hires.  I had a steady income and a flexible schedule that still allowed time for auditions.  Life was good.

為了增加一些收入，我開始做服務生，一個會引吭高歌的服務生。因為我就唱著卡拉OK曲目去送漢堡包和奶昔。然後我在一家娛樂巨頭公司找到一份工作，幫他們訓練新人。我的收入很穩定，工作時間也很靈活，所以我得以孜孜不倦地去試唱。生活太美好了。

But living in the Big Apple can take its toll on a person. Weighed down by the daily grind of working in the office and frustrated because I wasn’t the singing superstar I’d hoped to be, I headed down another dark road.  This time it was littered with ridiculous amounts of cigarettes and alcohol–not exactly a prescription for happiness!  My bitterness became a badge of honor.

但在“大蘋果”（紐約）的生活雖好，還是要付出代價的。辦公室的日常工作太瑣碎，我疲憊不堪。同時我感到沮喪，因為終究我做的不是自己希望做的——超級歌星，於是我走向了另一條歪路。那時我的生活被不知過了多少量的煙酒給淹沒了——它們當然不是幸福的產物！我的痛苦是一種光榮。

One of the “newbies” I was responsible for came from Hawaii. She took off her overcoat and revealed bright colors instead of the black “uniform” that so many New Yorkers adopt.  She stripped off her leather boots and replaced them with rubber “slippahs.”  And she laughed.  Often.

我負責的是一個來自夏威夷的“菜鳥”。那天她脫去她的外套後露出了一件顏色亮麗的衣服，而不是多數紐約人習慣穿的黑色“制服”。然後她剝去了皮靴，換上了橡膠“拖鞋”。她哈哈大笑。她而後經常這樣。

I hated her.

我討厭她。

She tried telling me about her island home.  But to me, it seemed like a fool’s fantasy.  Something you’d see on a postcard.  The harsh reality of New York City was the only thing I cared about.

她給我講她那夏威夷島上的家。但我心裏卻在想，這簡直是一個白癡在幻想。你從海報上就能心知肚明。紐約嚴酷的現實是我唯一關心的事。

One night, after a lousy day at the office, I heard a song playing in the background of television commercial.  A singer’s ethereal voice glided over a simple acoustic accompaniment.  Despite my foul mood, tears rolled down my cheeks and over my scowling lips.

一天晚上，累了一天從辦公室回家後，我聽到了電視裏一個人在唱歌。那歌手的歌聲宛如天籟之音，伴奏聲都仿佛不存在了。雖然我當時情緒很差，但眼淚就從我的臉上滴下來了，流過了我愁苦的表情。

And I was shocked when the newbie arrived at the office the next morning holding a CD of Hawaiian music that contained THAT song.   Of course!  It took HAWAIIAN MUSIC get my attention!  (I’m so thankful she persisted!)

而第二天那個菜鳥來辦公室時帶來的一盤夏威夷CD中竟然有那首歌，我被震到了。是了！當時震撼我的，可不就是這首夏威夷歌曲嗎！（我太感激她了，是她堅持要放。）

I played that album continuously.  Studied it for weeks.  And it changed me from the inside out.  Hawaiian music gave me back my smile.

我反復放著那張CD，學了幾周。它徹徹底底改變了我。夏威夷音樂幫我找回了笑容。

I swapped my New York attire for Aloha shirts.  My self-destructive habits lost their appeal.  It’s hard to be bitter when you’re laughing.

我把那些紐約套裝都換成了夏威夷襯衫。那些自殘的習慣被我徹底拋棄了。我明白了當你大聲笑的時候，就不會感到痛苦。

3.  “No” is not always the final answer.

My “big break” came when I was 28—in way I hadn’t anticipated.  Instead of breaking into showbiz, I broke my hip in a freak accident.  The bones mended, but the surgery left me with a nasty patch of scar tissue that pulled on my leg.  I walked with a limp.  The doctors told me I wouldn’t dance again.

3. “不”並非總是最終答案。

我28歲的時候，機會終於找到了我——用一種我從沒想過的方式。在我打入娛樂圈之前，我先打破了自己的屁股，那是一場怪異的事故。骨頭是接上了，但那個手術在我腿上留下了一條醜陋的包裹紗布。我走路一瘸一拐。醫生又告訴我我跳不了舞了。

After almost a year of physical therapy, I still had the limp.  Because I loved Hawaiian music, my partner surprised me with a gift certificate for five hula classes at a dance studio.  He believed I would dance again.

經過幾乎一整年的物理治療，我還是一瘸一拐。知道我喜歡夏威夷音樂，我的同伴送了一件讓我驚喜的禮物——一張五節呼啦舞的禮券。我堅信我會再次跳舞的。

I wanted to take the classes.  But my physical therapist said it would cause more damage to my hip.  She told me, “No.”

我想去上那舞蹈課。但物理治療師說那會給我的髖部造成更多損傷。她對我說，“不行”。

I hate being told, “No.”

我恨別人對我說“不行”。

I took the classes.

我還是去了。1

And an amazing thing happened.  The deep, concentrated movements of the basic hula steps re-tore the scar tissue that pulled on my leg.  My limp disappeared.

接著奇跡就發生了。呼啦舞基礎步伐那深沉而專注的動作重新撕裂了我腿上的紗布。接著，我就不瘸了。

4. When your heart speaks, you’d better listen.  (It knows what it’s talking about!)

4.你的心怎麼告訴你，你最好就怎麼做。（放心，它知道它在說什麼！）1

I needed to learn more about the culture that had reshaped my spirit and healed my body.  And I jumped at the chance to attend an immersion-style camp on the island on the island of Molokai.

我需要繼續深造那重振了我的精神又重塑了我的身體的夏威夷文化。於是我抓住了去莫洛凱島（譯者注：在太平洋中北部, 属夏威夷群岛, 是麻风病人的隔离地）參加浸入式露營的機會。

The camp is legendary.  Students from around the world come to study with the some of the best Hawaiian musicians and teachers.  One man was a respected Hawaiian elder and cultural practitioner.  With his ti leaf lei and a boar’s tusk necklace, he looked like he’d stepped off the pages of National Geographic magazine.  He’d been born and raised in Molokai’s remote Hālawa Valley, living the lifestyle that his ancestors had lived for centuries.  The other teachers gave him their highest respect.

那傳說中的露營是如此神奇，來自世界各地的學生都去跟隨那些最好的夏威夷音樂家和老師學習。有一個男人被尊為夏威夷長著和文化先驅。戴著他的泰葉花和野豬牙項鏈，他看起就像是從《國家地理》上走下來的似的。他在莫洛凱遙遠的哈拉瓦峽谷出生和長大，過著他的祖先過了幾百年的生活。其他老師都對他致以最高的敬意。

He terrified me.  He seemed “otherworldly.”   And I was sure that as a culturally-ignorant outsider, I would only embarrass myself in front of him.  Or worse–upset him.  The solution?  I avoided him completely.

他把我嚇壞了。他看起來“超凡脫俗”，而作為一個文化白癡加外人的我，恐怕在他面前只有自慚形穢的份兒。或者更糟——讓他失望。想知道結果？那就是我徹底“屏蔽”了他。

One day he called out to me while I crossed the grounds.  My knees buckled.  What had I done wrong?  But he wasn’t scolding me.  Instead, he shocked me.  He told me that he wanted to work with me.  Personally.  One-on-one.

有一天在我經過的時候，他大聲喊住了我。我的膝蓋仿佛僵直了。我做錯了什麼嗎？但他並沒有責備我，相反，他又震撼了我。他告訴我他想和我一起工作。私下裏，一對一。

Every part of my rational mind cried “No!”

我每一個理性的細胞都在大呼“不可以”！

My heart shouted, “Yes!”

但我的心狂喊“我願意”！

My heart won.

我的心贏了。

I had no idea the impact this decision would have on the rest of my life.

那時我並沒有意識到這個決定會給我的一生帶來怎樣的影響。

5.  Changes comes for a reason

5.改變是為一個簡單的理由。

We had no guidebook to tell us how to continue this new teacher/student relationship once I returned to New York.  Thankfully, my teacher believes in letting thing evolve naturally.

沒有一本指導手冊能夠告訴我們該怎麼維持我們的師生關係，在我回到紐約後。然而幸運的是，我的老師信奉的是順其自然。

I make regularly scheduled trips to the island and stay with him and his family in Hālawa Valley.   Over the years, our relationship has deepened.  I’ve been adopted into the family—treated as one of his own children. My musical studies have evolved and include mega-doses of Hawaiian language and cultural studies.

我會定期回到莫洛凱島的哈瓦拉峽谷，和我的老師極其家人待在一起。多年過去，我們的關係更深厚了。我甚至成了他家的一員——享受他的孩子的待遇。我的音樂造詣突飛猛進，同時進步的還有我的夏威夷語和夏威夷文化。

To honor these songs, I need to sing from a place of real understanding.  From my na’au, my gut.  And so I study in complete immersion—staying in a home without electricity or a telephone.  We work the land during the day and sing and tell stories at night.

為了表示對這些歌曲的敬意，我必須要真正理解它們然後歌唱，全心全意。所以我開始了摒除一切雜念的學習——待在家裡，不使用電器和電話。我們白天工作，晚上就唱歌、講故事。

I asked him why he was willing to share so much with me—an outsider from the other side of the globe.  He smiled.  “One day, you will find a way to share the things I am teaching you.  The traditions must continue.”

我問他為什麼他願意與我分享這麼多——我只是一個來自地球另一邊的陌生人。他微笑。“有一天，你也會像我教你一樣去和別人分享這些。這個傳統會永久持續下去。”

I gave up the security of my corporate job and put my Broadway aspirations aside.  It was easy to trade those things for the experience of a lifetime.  Last year, I launched a website dedicated to the preservation and sharing of his teachings.   I write about this crazy adventure.  And I’m working to help preserve the music of Hawai’i’s “golden age.”  I’m still singing—only now I’m singing the music of my heart!

我放棄了大公司工作給予的安全感和保障，也拋開了我的百腦匯。把這些東西和持續終生的寶貴經驗交換我簡直太願意了。去年，我發佈了一個專門保存和分享老師的教誨的網站。我寫下了這段不可思議的經歷。如今，我一直致力於保存夏威夷“黃金時代”的音樂。我還是會唱歌——但現在只唱我內心的音樂。

I’ll always be a student.  But I’ve also been blessed with opportunities to teach.  It’s an honor to share with others what has been so generously shared with me.

不管是現在還是以後，我都是一個學生。但感謝上帝賜予我教學的機會。和別人分享曾經我的老師慷慨分享給我的是我的榮幸。

I never imagined that I’d be living this life.  And yet it feels like everything has led me to this very moment.  I’ve found my life’s work.

我從未想過自己會這樣渡過一生，但現在我感覺所有事情都是註定的。我已經找到了畢生所愛的事業。

Living in New York City and studying on Molokai may seem like a strange combination.  But they compliment each other beautifully.  I have the privilege of walking between two very different worlds.  And I’m having the time of my life.

住在紐約卻在莫洛凱學習看似一個怪異的組合，但它們卻如此完美地組合在一起。我得到了行走於兩個完全不同的世界的通行證。而且，我還有一生的時間。

Jason Poole blogs daily about his adventures on his website, www.accidentalhawaiiancrooner.com.

Jason Poole每天都會把他的經歷寫在網站上