四月初，一條訊息傳遍美國，一位在紐約長島長大，17歲的非裔少年，憑著一篇優秀的申請essay，被8所常春藤盟校同時錄取，創下一段佳話。美國17歲少年誇西(Kwasi Enin)就讀於紐約長島的威廉弗洛伊德高中，在SAT(美國高中生能力測試)中取得了2250的高分(而該考試總分為2400)，向常春藤8大名校提交申請，希望能夠到其中一所就讀。然而令誇西意想不到的是，這8所名校紛紛發來錄取通知，表示願意錄取。
今年3月27日，在美國，成千上萬的高考生在電腦前耐心等候自己報考大學的錄取通知，誇西也不例外。但是錄取他的大學可不止一所，而是常春藤八大名校。誇西說道，“我真不敢相信他們全都想要錄取我。”誇西不僅考試成績好，而且也是一位星級運動員，還是校交響樂隊的歌手與中提琴演奏者。誇西祖籍迦納，父母都是護士，在20世紀80年代移民到美國紐約。誇西的父親埃比尼澤(Ebenezer Enin)說道，“誇西很出色，也很謙虛。當他還小的時候，我們就想把他培養成一名成功的人，鼓勵他全面發展。現在，他做到了。”
今天小編就來給大家分享一下這篇神級的Essay，咱們先看原文：
A Life in Music
Kwasi Enin
A wrong decision can be beginning orend to lifestyle. In the seventh grade, I nearly ended my music career by opting to select a simple course-music in OUR LIVES-that met the state music requirement. But this decision would have left me empty. With the help of n, my then orchestra teacher was able to not only meet the basic requirement, but also continue the beginning of my musical journey. I am now aviolist who has joyously played for nine years. I also now take music in mylife. It is the first self-taught-and the longest-course I have ever taken.
Music has become the spark of my intellectual curiosity. I directly develop my capacity to think creative lyaround problems due to the infinite possibilities in music, there are millions of combination of signatures, chords melodies, and rhythms in the world of music that wait to become attached to a sheet of staff lines and spaces. As I began to explore a minute’s fraction of these combination from the third grade onwards, my mind began to formulate round about methods to solve anymathematical problem, address any literature prompt, and discover any exit in an undesirable situation. In middle school, my mind also started to become adept in the language of music. Playing the works of different composers, such as Kol Niderei by Max Bruch and coronal overture by Ludwig Van Beethoven, expands my diverse musical vocabulary, my breadth of technical and my ability to practice in order to succeed in solo performance.
Music has also become the medium for my roles in the community. While onstage as Big Jule of Guys and Dolls during my favorite musical, l helped create a wonderful atmosphere in the school auditorium by singing and dancing. Whenever I perform, whether as a bassist in Men’s Doo Wop Group or as a violist in Chamber Ensemble, I become immersed in the conversations between performers and the audience. As I become lost in these conversation, I create blissful memories in which I am truly part of my community’s culture-and eventually its history would not have the admiration of my teachers and friends if I had not let the charisma of music persuade me to become a performer in my school, town, and state.
Lastly, music has become the educators that has taught me the important of leadership, teamwork and friendship. It has taught me the importance of order and balance. When I lead a group how strong that group can be if every number put one hundred percent effort into our ership is not always about directing others. The most important task of a leader is to create harmony between each member of group, which reveals the group’s maximum potential. With improvement and school years endures through stress. These powerful bonds came to be because my friends and I endured against the adversity found in the high level pieces of musical literature. Thank my teachers, viola and voice for creating the environments that nurtured these friendships and learning experiences.
My haven for solace in and away from home is in the world of composers, harmonies and possibilities. My musical haven has shaped my character and without it, my life would not be half as wonderful as it is today. It was a wise decision to turn down the course musicin our Lives. The self- guided journey known as music in my life excites my mind every day. My heart sings every day because the journey is already wonderful. Although I hope that my future career is in the medicine love that I still have much to learn about and from the world of music.
下面是中文翻譯：
音樂人生
錯誤的決定會是另一種生活模式的開端。7年級的時候，我差點就要結束我的音樂學習生涯。幸運的是我選擇了正確的方向。如果當時放棄了音樂，我的心靈將會沉浸在空虛之中(這個是鋪墊。。。請注意，這真的是鋪墊)。那年，我遇到了我的管絃老師——布朗女士，我不僅跟著她學習了簡單的音樂知識，還為現在的音樂生涯打下了堅實的基礎。如今，我已經成為了一名中級提琴演奏者，快樂得演奏了9年，音樂融入到我的生命之中。音樂是我人生中第一門自學的課程，並一直伴隨我成長。
音樂激發了我濃濃的求知慾。無限的樂譜開發了我創造性的思維方式。音調、和絃、旋律、節奏可以組合成無限種的樂曲，讓我的思維變得靈活。我懂得用巧妙的方式來解數學題(學霸的世界我們不懂)。用合適的語言來回答語文題，從不受歡迎變得受歡迎。在中學，我能在音樂中自由飛翔。演奏不同的樂曲，比如布魯赫的《科爾尼德萊》和貝多芬的《科里奧蘭序曲》，增長了我的音樂知識，提高了我的演奏技巧，為今後成功的獨奏奠定了基礎。
音樂使我融入了社會之中。當我有機會在舞臺上表演喜愛的音樂劇，我的歌聲和舞蹈使得音樂氛圍瀰漫在學校禮堂。無論是作為一名男低音歌手，或是中提琴演奏者，我不可自拔的沉浸在與觀眾的心靈交流中，漸漸迷失在這種氛圍中，真是喜悅的記憶片段。我相信我是社會文化的一部分，是社會歷史的一部分。如果沒被音樂的魅力所征服，我就不會站在學校、城市、州的舞臺上進行表演，就無法贏得老師和朋友的欣賞。
最後，音樂是我的恩師，讓我明白領導能力、團隊合作和友情的重要性，音樂告訴我，秩序和平衡很重要，當我帶領一個團隊的時候(Leadership能力的無縫嵌入啊有木有)，我牢記每一個成員全身心的付出，感知團隊的力量是無窮的。領導別人並不意味著指揮別人，而應該協調好隊員之間的關係，使大家都發揮出最大的潛能。一個團隊，只有不斷進步，團隊和諧，最後才能成功。音樂告訴了我這些優良品質。團隊合作幫助我應對在校期間的困難，團隊合作讓我和我的朋友完成了高難度的樂曲。再次，我要感謝我的老師，感謝我的中提琴。給予我一個充滿友情的生活環境，給予我良好的學習機會。
對我來說，一個充滿作曲家、和諧和無限可能的世界史安撫心靈的港灣。我的音樂世界塑造了我的性格，如果沒有它，生活將不及現在一半的好。這都歸功於那一年我做的正確的決定，音樂伴隨我成長，每天帶來新的思想，新的活力。我的心靈每天都在歌唱，因為人生旅程如此美好。我希望以後能在醫學領域工作，所以要學習的地方還有很多。我要從音樂的世界中汲取經驗，幫助自己完成這個夢想。