From 《The Music of Man》 (2)

Music may happen to be expressive, communicative, moving and inspired, but it is rarely accidental, even when it recalls the everlasting sounds of the sea or the spontaneity of birdsong. The cry of the newborn child is as much the intrinsic sound of music as is the staccato hammering of the woodpecker, the crash of thunder, the rustle of wind through the wheat field, the cooing of the dove, the rattle of seed pods, the clank of metal, the soft tread of feet on underbrush. Is it not in these very natural sounds that is largely found the raw material for the creation of man's music? Out of these we have built, constructed, continue building and constructing, musical languages, whether the most subtle and sophisticated monodic (melodic) and rhythmic textures such as developed thousands of years ago in India, or the most complex harmonic textures which have developed only recently in Western Europe.

我从来也不知道那些创作音乐的人是怎么思考的。音乐的表达(expressive, communicative, moving and inspired)不象语言的表达一样对于每一个人来说那么自然，因为我们从小和世界的交流是从会讲话起才变得清晰而意义明确的，所以虽然文字的创作可以有许多的技巧或是玄虚在里面，但是对于我来说还是比音乐要易懂得多。但是语言也是人类进化的产物，也许在没有语言之前，音乐是通过声音表达人类的感受更自然的方式。

刚想到这儿，几页之后就读到了这一段：

Music is our oldest form of expression, older than language or art; it begins with the voice, and with overwhelming need to reach out to others. In fact, music is man far more than words, for words are abstract symbols which convey factual meaning. Music touches our feelings more deeply than most words and makes us respond with our whole being.

本来很基本的东西自己还要思考才能明白。这么没有天份，实在是应该藏拙才对，还要写下来广而告之简直太没有廉耻之心了。但是写下来记录一下学习的足迹，算是对自己的鼓励吧。