小故事

Don't Quit, Keep Playing
不要停，继续弹
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.
一位妈妈为了鼓励儿子学好钢琴，就带儿子去帕德夫斯基的音乐会。当他们就坐后，妈妈看见听众席有一位朋友，就走过去跟他打招呼。
Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.
小男孩站起来，趁机对奇妙的音乐大堂一探究竟，最后走进了一个写着“请勿入内”的门。当听众席照明灯暗下去，音乐会快要开始时妈妈回到她的座位，发现儿子不见了。
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the key-board, innocently picking out Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
突然，帘幕拉开，灯光投聚在舞台的钢琴上。妈妈被吓坏了，她看见小儿子坐在钢琴前，天真地奏着《闪烁的小星星》的曲调。
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
就在那时，那位优秀的钢琴大师走上台，他快速地走向钢琴，在小男孩耳旁低声说：“不要停，继续弹。”
Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.
然后帕德夫斯基弯下身子，伸出他的左手，开始奏出低音部分。他很快又把右手伸到小男孩的另一边，弹奏出流畅的伴奏。这样，这位年长的大师和年轻的新手使令人心惊胆跳的一幕变成富有创造性的美妙体验。听众们都被迷住了。
That's the way it is in life. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
这就是生活。我们并不知道自己能完成怎样的功绩。有时候，我们竭尽全力，但是结果却弹不出优雅流畅的音乐。然而，若是获得强者的帮助，互相信任，我们的生命便能美妙异常。
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
下一次当你想成就一番丰功伟绩的时候，请仔细倾听。你会听到大师的声音在你耳边低语：“不要停，坚持下去。”

重点讲解

重点讲解：
1. be about to do sth.
即将（做…）的；快要（发生…）某事；
eg. I was just about to call you.
我正准备打电话给你。
eg. I had an intuition that something awful was about to happen.
我直觉感到要出乱子了。
2. on one's own
独立地；依靠自己地；
eg. I'm well able to manage on my own.
我完全能够独自处理。
eg. Many people who don't have the opportunity to go to university are studying on their own.
许多没有考上大学的人在自学。
3. transform sth. into sth.
转换；改变；改造；
eg. Your metabolic rate is the speed at which your body transforms food into energy...
新陈代谢率是身体把食物转换为能量的速度。
eg. He managed to transform the bucolic of butterflies into a dangerous sport.
他居然把捉蝴蝶的田园消遣变成了一种危险的游戏。
4. set out to do sth.
开始；着手做某事；
eg. He has achieved what he set out to do three years ago.
他已经实现了他3年前的奋斗目标。
eg. We set out to find the truth behind the mystery.
我们开始着手揭开谜团背后的真相。