Section A Life in a Violin Case,Contents,Text A,Main Idea & Structure,Words & Expressions,Warming up,Do you like music? What does music mean to you? Listen to “Do-Re-Mi” from “The Sound of Music”, and discuss with your classmates.,Warming up,Do - a deer a female deer Re - a drop of golden sun Mi - a name I call myself Fa - a long long way to run So- a needle pulling thread La - a note to follow so Ti - a drink with jam and bread That will bring us back to Do,Reading Through,In order to tell you what I believe, I must briefly bring up something from my personal history. The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising career in business to study music. My parents, although sympathetic, disapproved of music as an occupation. This was understandable, I thought, in view of my family background.,Para. 1&2,Chinese,Life in a Violin Case,Text A,My grandfather taught music for nearly forty years at Spring Hill College. Despite being greatly respected in the community, he earned barely enough to provide for his large family. My father often said that it was only because my grandmother was so economical that the wolves were kept at bay. As a consequence of this example in the family, the very mention of music as a career carried with it the idea of an uncertain existence. My parents insisted upon college instead of music school, and so to college I went.,Para. 3&4,Chinese,Text A,Before my graduation from Columbia University, my family ran into some money problems, and so I felt it was my duty to leave college and find a job. Before I knew it, I had begun my career in businessa time in my life that I feel was wasted. Now, I do not for a moment mean to speak poorly of business; my whole point is that it was just not for me. I went into it for money, and aside from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was just not enough. I felt that life was passing me by. I became very sad. My aim was to save enough money to quit and go to Europe to study music.,Para. 5&6,Chinese,Text A,I used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for “downtown”. Instead of lunching with my coworkers, I would seek out some cheap caf and order a mean meal. I continued to make money, and finally, little by little, I saved enough to go abroad. At that time, my family no longer needed my help, and so I gave up my position and sailed for Europe. I stayed four years, worked harder than I had ever dreamed of working before, and enjoyed every minute of it.,Para. 7&8,Chinese,Text A,“Enjoyed” is too mild a word, really; I walked on air. I really lived. I was a free man and I was doing what I loved to do and what I was meant to do. If I had stayed in business, I might be a really wealthy man today. I do not believe, however, I would have made a success of living. I would have given up a happiness that money cant buysomething that is all-too-often done when ones primary goal is making money.,Para. 9&10,Chinese,Text A,When I broke away from the business world, it was against the advice of practically all of my friends and family. So conditioned are most of us to the idea that success is moneyso much so that the thought of giving up a good salary for happiness seems foolish. If so, all I can say is “Gee, its great to be foolish!” Money is a wonderful thing, but now I know that it is possible to pay too high a price for it.,Para. 11&12,Chinese,Text A,Meaning: In order to tell you my beliefs, I must first say a few words about what has happened to my family and me.,In order to tell you what I believe, I must briefly bring up something from my personal history.,Meaning of the Sentences,Meaning: My parents understood my feelings, but they didnt think it was a good choice for me to take up music as a job.,My parents, although sympathetic, disapproved of music as an occupation.,Meaning of the Sentences,Meaning: Though he was greatly respected by other people in his area, he earned so little that he was almost unable to supply his large family with what they needed for life.,Despite being greatly respected in the community, he earned barely enough to provide for his large family.,Meaning of the Sentences,Meaning: My father often said that they had just enough money to eat and live only because my grandmother knew how to use money carefully and without waste.,My father often said that it was only because my grandmother was so economical that the wolves were kept at bay.,Meaning of the Sentences,Meaning: Because my grandfather had set a negative example for the family, if anyone ever talked about taking up music as a career, the others would think immediately that it meant youd have to live without a stable income.,As a consequence of this example in the family, the very mention of music as a career carried with it the idea of an uncertain existence.,Meaning of the Sentences,Meaning: Before I graduated from Columbia University, my family was having difficulty pa