Popular Songs
Almost everyone in our class can sing the song "Little Grass". It runs like this:" Not so fragrant as a flower, nor so tall as a tree, I am a blade of obscure (unknown) grass. Never lonely, never worried, I have friends all over the world. Oh spring wind, you blow me green. Oh, sunlight, you shine on me. Mountains and rivers, you nourish me. The eartb, our motber, holds me tightly in her arms." Whenever I sing it, I feel serene(calm) and comforted. The words make me satisfied with the surronndings wbere I work and study. The music reminds me of the beautiful scenery of our country. When I sing this song, I recall my ten years' country life. I feel as if I could hear the sound of water running down the stream in front of the country school. I smell the sweet flowers even now. The birds are twittering in the grein mountains. The children come to me, their first and only woman teacher with flowers and smiling faces. Everything is so beautiful. I feel like a big queen in a small country I Iove the song. It gives me strength and warmth and happiness.
There is another song which is popular among the young. It has a sad note, which makes one feel sad and lonely and disappointed. The song, The Deep Sea, goes:" Oh, the deep sea. Why are you so uneven, just like my lover's wavering heart? Oh, young frtend, please tell me frankly. Do you know my lover? Where is he now? Where has he gone?" The plaintive melady makes one cry. As you sing, you feel as if a lonely girl, deserted by her lover, is ouring ont her heart in tears. She is standing by the seaside. The ea water is rolling wave upon wave, in unison with the beat of the ad song. The wind is tearing at the girl's hair and skirt; you feel Biseouraged. Although the mountains and rivers are beautiful, she is not in a mood to enjoy the sights. All her attention is focused on herself. She thinks only of her own loss and gain; she is sad and lonely and completely isolated. I would rather not sing this song.
The little blade of glass is obscure, but she doesn't feel lonely because she takes root in the earth. She is not angry nor frustrated when she is not noticed. She needs nothing and can endure everything.
The girl who stands by the seaside may be attractive and has many acquaintances, but she is sad and isolated. She wants to be loved, to be sought after, and when she fails to get what she needs, she is discouraged, and maybe even wants to commit suicide. It's dangerous for her to stand by the seaside.
Both are lyric songs. Yet one is an image of modesty and generosity, the other is an image of loss and sorrow. The former gives confidence in life, the latter causes one to lose courage and strength. The grass feels indebted to everything around her, the mountains, the rivers, the wind, the sunlight and The earth, while the girl feels her lover owes her love and comfort.
From the songs I come to this conclusion: forget yourself and you will be happy; think always of yourself, and you will feel lonely. Personal gains and losses are nothing when you immerse yourself in the masses. There are two kinds of musie, optimistic(樂觀的) and pessimistic(悲觀的). Optimistic music stimulates people to do more for the publie. Pessimistic music dampens one's spirits (打擊人的情緒). That is why I prefer "Little Grass" to "The Deep Sea".
流行歌曲
我們班每一個人幾乎都會唱“小草”這首歌。歌詞是：“沒有花香，沒有樹高，我是一棵無人知道的小草。從不寂寞，從不煩惱，你看我的朋友遍及天涯海角。春風啊，春風你把我吹綠。陽光啊，陽光你把我照耀。河流啊，山川你撫育了我。大地啊，母親把我緊緊擁抱。”每當我唱這首歌，就感到寧靜舒適。歌詞讓我安于自己的環境;音樂使我想起鄉村美景。每當我唱這首歌時，便回憶起10年的農村生活。我仿佛聽到鄉材中學門前的溪流聲，聞到甜蜜的花香，聽到鳥兒在青山裏歌唱。孩子們帶著鮮花和笑臉向我——他們的第一位也是唯一的女教師——走來。一切是多麽美好。我感到自己像一個小國的大王後。我愛這首歌，它給我力量、溫暖和幸福。
有另外一首歌也在青年中流行，其歌調憂傷，使人感到凄涼、寂寞、失望。這首“深深的海洋”的歌中唱道：“深深的海洋，你為何不平靜，不平靜得像我愛人那一顆動搖的心。年青的朋友，請你真實地告訴我，可知道我的愛人他如今在何方?”憂傷的曲調催人淚下。當你唱它時，就好像一個被遺棄的女孩在寂寞地哭述。她獨立于海邊，翻滾著的海浪伴著那憂鬱的節拍。風扯著她的頭發和衣裙，她感到沮喪。山河雖美，她無心欣賞。這時，她以個人為中心。隻想到了個人得失，她隻是憂鬱、寂寞、孤獨。我寧願不唱這首歌。
小草無名，但不寂寞，因為他扎根在大地上;無人問津，他不氣憤，也不沮喪。它什麽都不需要，可卻能忍受一切。
站在海邊的姑娘也許很美，有很多朋友，可是她憂鬱、孤獨。她需要人們的愛，她期待著。而當她得不到所求時，便會沮喪，甚至會自殺。這對獨立于海邊的她是很危險的。
兩首都是抒情歌曲。然而一首是謙虛、灑脫的形象，另一首是失落、憂傷的形象;前者給生活以信心，後者使人喪失勇氣和力量。小草感激周圍的一切：山河、風、陽光、大地;而姑娘感到愛人欠她的愛情與安慰。
從歌曲中，我得出這樣的結論：忘記自己、就會愉快。總念著自己，就會孤獨。當你與大家融為一體時，個人得失就無足輕重。有兩種音樂;樂觀和悲觀的。樂觀的音樂激勵人為社會多作貢獻;悲觀的音樂打擊人的情緒。這就是我為什麽喜歡“小草”而不喜歡”深深的海洋”的原因。