这首【The Sound of Silence】算是我个人最喜欢的歌曲之一。第一次听到是大学时期在一次唱歌比赛上，听到台上两位选手弹唱这首。当时就被震撼到：因为似乎从来就没有过任何一首歌曲在被我第一次听到时就会感觉这么好听的。
这首歌对我来说也算是故事最多的一首。 那是N久以前，当时刚加入一家公司。然后听说公司年底的圣诞晚会上会有 Talent Show 的环节。由于我是属于比较内向甚至极其安静的个性，所以上台表演节目这种事儿对我来说基本上是不可想象的。但因为当时在公司里是新人。跟谁都不认识。所以胆子也大了起来。有点想报名参加。当然更主要还是因为听说 Talent Show 的第一名将会得到 200 美元现金奖励。所谓“重赏之下必有勇夫”。所以当时鬼使神差就报了名（参加 Talent Show）。心想反正谁也不认识，即便演砸也无所谓。而万一运气爆棚的话，说不定还能拿到那个现金奖。
当时自己会弹唱的E歌就只有【The Sound of Silence】和【Yesterday】这两首。如果从效果考虑的话肯定是应该选【Yesterday】更好（因为【Silence】那首需要有和声才会比较好听）。但我当时不知道怎么想的，居然选择了【Silence】这首（可能是认为这首歌的旋律本身更好听吧）。
这次弹唱了一首【In My Life】。发挥不是很好（但自我感觉比前一年那个【Sound of Silence】要好一些）。这次不仅没得第一，连前三都没进。 得第一的是一个弹唱【Hotel California】的哥们（弹电子琴）。发挥确实不错。不过这次第一名没有现金奖励。也没有“encore”。而这次我的运气倒真的是爆了棚：在抽奖环节中居然被抽到了全场最贵的一个抽奖（一个迷你音响，价值三四百美元的样子）。
Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again. Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain, Still remains Within the sound of silence. In restless dreams I walked alone, Narrow streets of cobblestone, 'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp. When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence. And in the naked light I saw, Ten thousand people, maybe more. People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening. People writing songs that voices never share, And no one dared Disturb the sound of silence. Fools, said I, you do not know, Silence like a cancer grows. Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you, But my words, like silent raindrops fell, And echoed in the wells of silence. And the people bowed and prayed, To the neon god they made. And the sign flashed out its warning, In the words that it was forming. And the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, And tenement halls, And whispered in the sounds of silence..
Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it look as though they're here to stay, Oh, I believe in yesterday. Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be. There's a shadow hanging over me, oh, yesterday came suddenly. Why she had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday. Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I need a place to hide away, oh, I believe in yesterday. Why she had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday. Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I need a place to hide away, oh, I believe in yesterday.
There are places I remember all my life, Though some have changed Some forever, not for better, Some have gone and some remain. All these places have their moments, Of lovers and friends I still can recall Some are dead and some are living, In my life I loved them all. And with all these friends and lovers, There is no one compares with you And these mem'ries lose their meaning, When I think of love as something new And I know I'll never lose affection, For people and things that went before I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life I loved you more.
On a dark desert highway, Cool wind in my hair, Warm smell of colitas, Rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night. There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell. And I was thinkin' to myself 'This could be heaven or this could be hell. Then she lit up a candle, And she showed me the way. There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say.. Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), Such a lovely face. Plenty of room at the Hotel California, Any time of year (any time of year), You can find it here. Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, She got the Mercedes Benz, uh She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys She calls friends. How they dance in the courtyard, Sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, Some dance to forget. So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine" And he said, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969". And still those voices are calling from far away.. Wake you up in the middle of the night, Just to hear them say.. Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), Such a lovely face. They livin' it up at the Hotel California, What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), Bring your alibis. Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice, And she said, "We are all just prisoners here of our own device". And in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast, They stab it with their steely knives But they just can't kill the beast. Last thing I remember, I was running for the door. I had to find the passage back To the place I was before, "Relax", said the night man "We are programmed to receive, You can check out any time you like, But you can never leave".
英语不太好。来美坛主要是潜水学习。由于以前录过不少E歌，所以也凑热闹参加一下美坛的【E歌活动】。
不成句的帖文标题含有4首歌的歌名。被google翻译为“昨天我生命中的加州寂静”。感觉似乎还挺达意。
由于都是N年旧录（由于种种原因现在基本上已经不知录歌为何物），单独贴有点不好意思（因为感觉大家应该都是新录或者至少是最近几年所录），所以把几首歌凑在一起。
这4首歌算是我录过的E歌里面我最容易首先想到的4首。很巧合的是，我发现这些歌串在一起以后，正好契合了过往的一段有趣的经历。
先说说关于“英语不好”的一个趣事：有一次从中国返回美国，下飞机以后去机场问询处问一些事情。其间跟我对话的工作人员突然跟我冒出这么一句：“You speak beautiful English，Where did you learn it？”。我当时脑子有点儿懵，顺口答道“in college”。当时还挺高兴（被老美夸英语好）。但后来想想不太对：这里是美国，是旧金山啊！这里最不缺的大概就是“英语好”的人了吧？所以感觉对方与其说是在夸我英语好，不如说更可能是因为 somehow 认定我不是本地人。
在我对自己的认知里面确实从来就没有过“英语好”这一条。不论发音还是词汇量，都不行，语法就更别提了。相对而言，发音方面可能略好一些（因为我自认为我的听觉能力似乎还行）。至于有些歌曲我的英文发音会被认为“很棒”，应该主要是由于对歌曲很熟的缘故，比如【Silence】这首，唱的很熟，而且完全模仿原唱的感觉（平时有时候会开大音响大声跟唱），所以听起来感觉发音“很棒”也正常。但即便是这么熟的歌曲，录的时候也是看着歌词唱的，后来发现还是有唱错词的地方，比如后面那个“silent raindrops fell”的地方，把“silent”错唱成了“silence”。
这首【The Sound of Silence】算是我个人最喜欢的歌曲之一。第一次听到是大学时期在一次唱歌比赛上，听到台上两位选手弹唱这首。当时就被震撼到：因为似乎从来就没有过任何一首歌曲在被我第一次听到时就会感觉这么好听的。
这首歌对我来说也算是故事最多的一首。 那是N久以前，当时刚加入一家公司。然后听说公司年底的圣诞晚会上会有 Talent Show 的环节。由于我是属于比较内向甚至极其安静的个性，所以上台表演节目这种事儿对我来说基本上是不可想象的。但因为当时在公司里是新人。跟谁都不认识。所以胆子也大了起来。有点想报名参加。当然更主要还是因为听说 Talent Show 的第一名将会得到 200 美元现金奖励。所谓“重赏之下必有勇夫”。所以当时鬼使神差就报了名（参加 Talent Show）。心想反正谁也不认识，即便演砸也无所谓。而万一运气爆棚的话，说不定还能拿到那个现金奖。
当时自己会弹唱的E歌就只有【The Sound of Silence】和【Yesterday】这两首。如果从效果考虑的话肯定是应该选【Yesterday】更好（因为【Silence】那首需要有和声才会比较好听）。但我当时不知道怎么想的，居然选择了【Silence】这首（可能是认为这首歌的旋律本身更好听吧）。
等到了快要上台演出的时候才有些后悔自己的报名似乎是太鲁莽了。因为对于一个从未上过舞台的人来说，第一次走上一个台下有两百多观众的舞台，那种紧张感其实是很恐怖的。
在台上表演的那几分钟，对我来说是真正的折磨。由于紧张的缘故，加上舞台上听不清回返音，不知道台下观众听起来是什么效果，所以自我感觉发挥很差，然后就越发紧张。到现在也不太明白当时那几分钟是怎么竟然能撑下来的。
晚会所有表演结束后，由一个评审小组先选出能入围前三的节目。没想到的是：我竟然入选了。 另外两个，一个是小品类，一个是吉他SOLO。
然后决定谁将是第一的那个过程很有意思：是由晚会主持人依次报出三个入围节目演出者的名字。然后看谁能得到现场观众最热烈的掌声谁就第一。不知道算不算是幸运，我的名字是最后被念出的那个（按“一般规律”比赛中后出场者容易得高分），而台下观众也确实在我的名字被念出之后爆发出了最为热烈的掌声。于是我就这样稀里糊涂拿到了那个全场唯一的现金奖。
再然后就是台下“encore”声四起。这时候就很有趣了：因为我当时是从来没听到过“encore”这个词的，完全不知道是什么意思。更糟的是我一直有个很恶劣的缺点就是：不懂也不会轻易去问别人。于是我只能凭猜测认为似乎应该是让我再加演一个的意思。于是就上台再弹唱了一首【Yesterday】。这次感觉发挥的还算可以。台下观众后来还跟着合唱起来。 不过后来想起来还是感觉好险啊：万一当时对“encore”这个词的意思猜错了，那岂不是有可能就要出洋相了！ 当然也感觉有点儿神奇：一个从来没听过的词，居然能猜对其含义。
在后来就是第二年。由于是“上届冠军”，所以很自然被主办方要求继续参加。
这次弹唱了一首【In My Life】。发挥不是很好（但自我感觉比前一年那个【Sound of Silence】要好一些）。这次不仅没得第一，连前三都没进。 得第一的是一个弹唱【Hotel California】的哥们（弹电子琴）。发挥确实不错。不过这次第一名没有现金奖励。也没有“encore”。而这次我的运气倒真的是爆了棚：在抽奖环节中居然被抽到了全场最贵的一个抽奖（一个迷你音响，价值三四百美元的样子）。
很好玩儿的一段经历。。。
本来想简短写个贴，结果码起字来有点收不住，越码越多。整篇都在讲故事了。文体似与活动贴格式不太符合。见谅。
就算是为美坛【E歌活动】加个油吧。 谢谢大家听歌。 周末愉快！
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（1）【The Sound of Silence】 原唱：西蒙二人组 翻唱：又听了三遍
Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again. Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain, Still remains Within the sound of silence. In restless dreams I walked alone, Narrow streets of cobblestone, 'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp. When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence. And in the naked light I saw, Ten thousand people, maybe more. People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening. People writing songs that voices never share, And no one dared Disturb the sound of silence. Fools, said I, you do not know, Silence like a cancer grows. Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you, But my words, like silent raindrops fell, And echoed in the wells of silence. And the people bowed and prayed, To the neon god they made. And the sign flashed out its warning, In the words that it was forming. And the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, And tenement halls, And whispered in the sounds of silence..
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（2）【Yesterday】 原唱：Beatles 弹唱：又听了三遍
Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it look as though they're here to stay, Oh, I believe in yesterday. Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be. There's a shadow hanging over me, oh, yesterday came suddenly. Why she had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday. Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I need a place to hide away, oh, I believe in yesterday. Why she had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday. Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I need a place to hide away, oh, I believe in yesterday.
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（3）【In My Life】 原唱：Beatles 弹唱：又听了三遍
There are places I remember all my life, Though some have changed Some forever, not for better, Some have gone and some remain. All these places have their moments, Of lovers and friends I still can recall Some are dead and some are living, In my life I loved them all. And with all these friends and lovers, There is no one compares with you And these mem'ries lose their meaning, When I think of love as something new And I know I'll never lose affection, For people and things that went before I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life I loved you more.
========================================================================
（4）【Hotel California】 原唱：老鹰 翻唱：又听了三遍
其实似乎一直没觉得这首歌有多好听。但可能主要由于其“世界名曲”光环笼罩的缘故，听多了以后感觉似乎还蛮好听。所以后来看到网上有伴奏时就怀着好奇的心情也录了一个（好奇想看看把自己的声音放进这么大的世界名曲里会是什么效果）。再后来就是各种折腾包括用后期对背景音乐做各种改进等等。比如这一版就是把前后奏都替换成了我个人很喜欢的老鹰76插电版的结果：
On a dark desert highway, Cool wind in my hair, Warm smell of colitas, Rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night. There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell. And I was thinkin' to myself 'This could be heaven or this could be hell. Then she lit up a candle, And she showed me the way. There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say.. Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), Such a lovely face. Plenty of room at the Hotel California, Any time of year (any time of year), You can find it here. Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, She got the Mercedes Benz, uh She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys She calls friends. How they dance in the courtyard, Sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, Some dance to forget. So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine" And he said, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969". And still those voices are calling from far away.. Wake you up in the middle of the night, Just to hear them say.. Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), Such a lovely face. They livin' it up at the Hotel California, What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), Bring your alibis. Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice, And she said, "We are all just prisoners here of our own device". And in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast, They stab it with their steely knives But they just can't kill the beast. Last thing I remember, I was running for the door. I had to find the passage back To the place I was before, "Relax", said the night man "We are programmed to receive, You can check out any time you like, But you can never leave".
实在没有抵抗力。
我今年一定要完成我的new year's resolution，说到做到：）
方偶像不忙时来学学英语，奥，
是“你不忙时来美坛，我和你学学英语”的简写：）
中午的阳光真好，是因为你的歌声：）
The singing master comes from the folk!
谢谢 woodwishper，谢谢 FuRongLi，谢谢 xiaoruo，谢谢 山丘，谢谢 xiaosai，谢谢 Marauders，谢谢 忒忒绿， 谢谢你们的热情鼓励。
谢谢美风，谢谢美景， 偶像称号受之有愧，但还是真心感谢。
刚才把LG叫过来， 背对着我， 我放了＂ The Sound of Silence＂ 他说： 很好， 很好！！