佚名/Anonymous
The auditorium is full of people conversing in the audience. On the stage the performers are shuffling their music and tuning their instruments as they prepare for the performance. The conductor enters, takes a bow, and all is silent. He raises his baton and the symphony begins to play. All of the instruments have different sounds, and the parts they play blend and harmonize with one another. The music would not be as exciting if every part were the same. The symphony is a symbol for life, especially in a community. Diversity and the coming together of each instrument is what gives the symphony its unique and special sound. This is also true in life and the world we live in. Individuals bring in their own input that infuences others.
A symphony orchestra is composed of a variety of brass, woodwind, percussion and stringed instruments. Each of these instruments has its own unique sound but when played together theycomplement each other. Like a symphony and its instruments, the world is composed of many races and cultures. They are uniquely different but can have an influence on each other even if it is not intentional. If you are walking down the street, for example, and move out of the way so as not to bump into someone, they are infuencing your actions when you move inside.
Individuality is an important part of the symphony. Each player has his or her own part to perform. These parts can be played on their own but do not have the same effect as when they are combined with the other parts of the orchestra. They blend into a harmonious piece of music. In other words, you can hear what each person has to contribute and how each performer works together. In life, each person has a talent that they are particularly good at. When they work together, it accentuates their talent. A surgeon can be very gifted but is more capable of saving a life if he has a team of medical personnel assisting him.
In an essay called“The Gospel of Wealth”，Andrew Carnegie discussed his views on wealth, the public good, and individualism. He described individualism as“a nobler ideal that man should labor, not for himself alone, but in and for a brotherhood of his fellows, and share with them all in common.”Carnegie felt that individuality was important, but should not be taken so far that it separates everyone from each other. Each person should contribute their own ideas that better help the community as a whole.
Another similarity between life and the symphony is that a performer may not always have the melody but will accompany someone who does. Or in another case, a performer will not always have a solo and the chance to be in the spotlight. In life, everybody has their moments of glory although they may go unnoticed likethe accompanist. This does not mean, however, that they are any less important than anyone else. The melody does not stay with one instrument for the whole song but moves throughout the orchestra. As in life, everyone eventually has their moment to shine and their chance to be in the spotlight.
When preparing for a concert, the musicians are reminded by their conductor to stagger their breathing. They can, of course, breathe when they need to but they have to try not to breathe at the same time as the person sitting next to them. If everyone breathed at the same time, there would be a noticeable moment of silence in the song. This is yet another example that can be applied to life.
The orchestra continues to play. It moves together as a group yet separately, with each person contributing their own part. Each musician is an active member of the symphony. We more together in life, contributing what we have to offer from day to day as active members in our community. The orchestra plays their last note and the song is over. There is a moment of silence that is broken by the applause of the audience.
觀眾們都在交談著。舞台上的表演者正在為表演調試著音樂和樂器。指揮登台後鞠了一個躬，全場一片寂靜。他的指揮棒一揮，交響樂隨之響起。所有的樂器都發出不同的聲音，各個部分的聲音混合得相當協調。如果樂器的每一個部分都是一樣的，音樂就不會如此激昂。交響樂就是生命的象征，特別是在團隊中，多種樂器交織在一起，才會演奏出唯一而獨特的聲音。我們的生命和所居住的世界也是如此。每個人都帶來他們的不同，而這種不同又影響著其他人。
交響樂隊是由許多種類的銅樂器、木管樂器、打擊樂器和弦樂器組成的。每一種樂器都有著獨特的聲音，但是當它們一起演奏時，又會產生互補的效果。整個世界就像交響樂和交響樂器一樣，由許多種族和文化構成。他們擁有各自的不同點，卻又在不經意間彼此影響著。比如，你在街上散步，為了不碰到某人，你會繞著他走。事實上，當你向裏挪動時，他們正影響著你的行為。
每個人都是交響樂中重要的一部分。每一位演奏者都有各自的演奏任務。這些部分都可以演奏出自己的音樂，但是與樂隊中的其他部分合奏時，它們就會產生不同的效果。它們混合在一起就成為音樂的和諧部分。換言之，你能聽到每一個人所作出的貢獻，也能聽到每一位演奏者是怎樣共同合作的。在生活中，每一個人都擁有各自的特長。當他們共同合作時，就更強調了他們每個人的獨特能力。一位外科醫生是很有能力的，但是，如果他加入醫療組，在別人的協助下，他拯救生命的能力就能更好地發揮了。
在一篇名為《健康福音書》的散文中，安德魯·卡耐基論述了他在健康、公共財產以及個人主義方麵的觀點。他將個人主義描述為“一個人不應該隻為自己勞作，而要為他的兄弟姐妹而活，並與他們分享一切，這是一種高尚的理想”。卡耐基認為個性是非常重要的，但也不能與他人太過偏離。每個人都應該貢獻自己的觀點，以便更好地幫助整個社會。
生活和交響樂之間的另一點相似之處在於，演奏者也許不會一直奏出悅耳的音調，但他可以為擁有悅耳音調的人伴奏。或者還有另一方麵，演奏者不會一直表演獨奏，也不會一直有作為焦點的機會。在生命中，每個人都有其光榮的時刻，即使他們或許會像伴奏者那樣被人忽視。但這也並不意味著他們不比別人重要。整首歌曲的悅耳音調不會隻停留在一個樂器上，而是由整個樂隊演奏出來的。生活中亦是如此，每個人最終都會有發光的時刻，也會有成為聚焦的機會。
當一場音樂會正在準備時，指揮會提醒音樂家交錯著呼吸。在需要呼吸的時候，音樂家們當然可以呼吸，但是不可以與鄰座的人在同一時間呼吸。如果大家同時呼吸，那麽他們的呼吸聲就會在音樂中的寂靜時刻凸現出來。生活中亦是如此。
樂隊繼續演奏著。他們雖然是分離的個體，但又組合成一個團隊。每一位音樂家都是交響樂中的積極分子。在生活中，我們更加團結，作為這個團體中的積極分子，我們每天貢獻著自己能夠做到的一切。樂隊演奏完他們樂曲中的最後篇章，音樂結束了。觀眾們雷鳴般的掌聲打破了片刻的寂靜。
心靈小語
生命是一首交響樂，隻有多種樂器的相互交織，才可能奏出獨特的聲音。生活中每個人都是獨立的音符，而隻有人們相互配合才能奏出美妙的曲子。假如你是一個特別的音符，那麽與人合作，會使你的獨特性得到完美展現；假如你感覺自己隻是一個普通音符，那麽通過配合，你將發現自己獨特的價值。
W詞匯筆記
auditorium[,?：di't?:ri?m]n.聽眾席；觀眾席；會堂；禮堂
例 Last night, the 2009 Academy Awards were presented at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, the USA.
昨晚，2009年的奧斯卡獎的頒獎儀式在美國洛杉磯的神殿大會堂舉行。
shuffle['??f?l]v.拖著（腳）走；跳（曳步舞）
例 The audience began to shuffle（their feet）impatiently.
觀眾已經不耐煩了，漸漸跺起腳來。
symphony['simf?ni]n.交響樂；交響曲
例 Love is a symphony in which the sweetest notes are kisses.
愛情是一首交響曲，其中最美妙的音符是吻。
percussion[p?'k???n]n.打擊樂器
例 In an orchestra, people who play percussion instruments sit at the back.
在管弦樂隊中，演奏打擊樂器的人會坐在後麵。
S小試身手
交響樂就是生命的象征，特別是在團隊中，多種樂器交織在一起，才會演奏出唯一而獨特的聲音。
譯________________________________________
一個人不應該隻為自己勞作，而要為他的兄弟姐妹而活，並與他們分享一切，這是一種高尚的理想。
譯________________________________________
生活中亦是如此，每個人最終都會有發光的時刻，也會有成為聚焦的機會。
譯________________________________________
P短語家族
……and the parts they play blend and harmonize with one another.
harmonize with：協調
造________________________________________
……for example, and move out of the way so as not to bump into someone……
bump into：偶然碰到；撞見
造________________________________________