英語不太好。來美壇主要是潛水學習。由於以前錄過不少E歌，所以也湊熱鬧參加一下美壇的【E歌活動】。
不成句的帖文標題含有4首歌的歌名。被google翻譯為“昨天我生命中的加州寂靜”。感覺似乎還挺達意。
由於都是N年舊錄（由於種種原因現在基本上已經不知錄歌為何物），單獨貼有點不好意思（因為感覺大家應該都是新錄或者至少是最近幾年所錄），所以把幾首歌湊在一起。
這4首歌算是我錄過的E歌裏麵我最容易首先想到的4首。很巧合的是，我發現這些歌串在一起以後，正好契合了過往的一段有趣的經曆。
先說說關於“英語不好”的一個趣事：有一次從中國返回美國，下飛機以後去機場問詢處問一些事情。其間跟我對話的工作人員突然跟我冒出這麽一句：“You speak beautiful English，Where did you learn it？”。我當時腦子有點兒懵，順口答道“in college”。當時還挺高興（被老美誇英語好）。但後來想想不太對：這裏是美國，是舊金山啊！這裏最不缺的大概就是“英語好”的人了吧？所以感覺對方與其說是在誇我英語好，不如說更可能是因為 somehow 認定我不是本地人。
在我對自己的認知裏麵確實從來就沒有過“英語好”這一條。不論發音還是詞匯量，都不行，語法就更別提了。相對而言，發音方麵可能略好一些（因為我自認為我的聽覺能力似乎還行）。至於有些歌曲我的英文發音會被認為“很棒”，應該主要是由於對歌曲很熟的緣故，比如【Silence】這首，唱的很熟，而且完全模仿原唱的感覺（平時有時候會開大音響大聲跟唱），所以聽起來感覺發音“很棒”也正常。但即便是這麽熟的歌曲，錄的時候也是看著歌詞唱的，後來發現還是有唱錯詞的地方，比如後麵那個“silent raindrops fell”的地方，把“silent”錯唱成了“silence”。
這首【The Sound of Silence】算是我個人最喜歡的歌曲之一。第一次聽到是大學時期在一次唱歌比賽上，聽到台上兩位選手彈唱這首。當時就被震撼到：因為似乎從來就沒有過任何一首歌曲在被我第一次聽到時就會感覺這麽好聽的。
這首歌對我來說也算是故事最多的一首。 那是N久以前，當時剛加入一家公司。然後聽說公司年底的聖誕晚會上會有 Talent Show 的環節。由於我是屬於比較內向甚至極其安靜的個性，所以上台表演節目這種事兒對我來說基本上是不可想象的。但因為當時在公司裏是新人。跟誰都不認識。所以膽子也大了起來。有點想報名參加。當然更主要還是因為聽說 Talent Show 的第一名將會得到 200 美元現金獎勵。所謂“重賞之下必有勇夫”。所以當時鬼使神差就報了名（參加 Talent Show）。心想反正誰也不認識，即便演砸也無所謂。而萬一運氣爆棚的話，說不定還能拿到那個現金獎。
當時自己會彈唱的E歌就隻有【The Sound of Silence】和【Yesterday】這兩首。如果從效果考慮的話肯定是應該選【Yesterday】更好（因為【Silence】那首需要有和聲才會比較好聽）。但我當時不知道怎麽想的，居然選擇了【Silence】這首（可能是認為這首歌的旋律本身更好聽吧）。
等到了快要上台演出的時候才有些後悔自己的報名似乎是太魯莽了。因為對於一個從未上過舞台的人來說，第一次走上一個台下有兩百多觀眾的舞台，那種緊張感其實是很恐怖的。
在台上表演的那幾分鍾，對我來說是真正的折磨。由於緊張的緣故，加上舞台上聽不清回返音，不知道台下觀眾聽起來是什麽效果，所以自我感覺發揮很差，然後就越發緊張。到現在也不太明白當時那幾分鍾是怎麽竟然能撐下來的。
晚會所有表演結束後，由一個評審小組先選出能入圍前三的節目。沒想到的是：我竟然入選了。 另外兩個，一個是小品類，一個是吉他SOLO。
然後決定誰將是第一的那個過程很有意思：是由晚會主持人依次報出三個入圍節目演出者的名字。然後看誰能得到現場觀眾最熱烈的掌聲誰就第一。不知道算不算是幸運，我的名字是最後被念出的那個（按“一般規律”比賽中後出場者容易得高分），而台下觀眾也確實在我的名字被念出之後爆發出了最為熱烈的掌聲。於是我就這樣稀裏糊塗拿到了那個全場唯一的現金獎。
再然後就是台下“encore”聲四起。這時候就很有趣了：因為我當時是從來沒聽到過“encore”這個詞的，完全不知道是什麽意思。更糟的是我一直有個很惡劣的缺點就是：不懂也不會輕易去問別人。於是我隻能憑猜測認為似乎應該是讓我再加演一個的意思。於是就上台再彈唱了一首【Yesterday】。這次感覺發揮的還算可以。台下觀眾後來還跟著合唱起來。 不過後來想起來還是感覺好險啊：萬一當時對“encore”這個詞的意思猜錯了，那豈不是有可能就要出洋相了！ 當然也感覺有點兒神奇：一個從來沒聽過的詞，居然能猜對其含義。
在後來就是第二年。由於是“上屆冠軍”，所以很自然被主辦方要求繼續參加。
這次彈唱了一首【In My Life】。發揮不是很好（但自我感覺比前一年那個【Sound of Silence】要好一些）。這次不僅沒得第一，連前三都沒進。 得第一的是一個彈唱【Hotel California】的哥們（彈電子琴）。發揮確實不錯。不過這次第一名沒有現金獎勵。也沒有“encore”。而這次我的運氣倒真的是爆了棚：在抽獎環節中居然被抽到了全場最貴的一個抽獎（一個迷你音響，價值三四百美元的樣子）。
很好玩兒的一段經曆。。。
本來想簡短寫個貼，結果碼起字來有點收不住，越碼越多。整篇都在講故事了。文體似與活動貼格式不太符合。見諒。
就算是為美壇【E歌活動】加個油吧。 謝謝大家聽歌。 周末愉快！
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（1）【The Sound of Silence】 原唱：西蒙二人組 翻唱：又聽了三遍
Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again. Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain, Still remains Within the sound of silence. In restless dreams I walked alone, Narrow streets of cobblestone, 'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp. When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence. And in the naked light I saw, Ten thousand people, maybe more. People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening. People writing songs that voices never share, And no one dared Disturb the sound of silence. Fools, said I, you do not know, Silence like a cancer grows. Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you, But my words, like silent raindrops fell, And echoed in the wells of silence. And the people bowed and prayed, To the neon god they made. And the sign flashed out its warning, In the words that it was forming. And the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, And tenement halls, And whispered in the sounds of silence..
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（2）【Yesterday】 原唱：Beatles 彈唱：又聽了三遍
Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it look as though they're here to stay, Oh, I believe in yesterday. Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be. There's a shadow hanging over me, oh, yesterday came suddenly. Why she had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday. Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I need a place to hide away, oh, I believe in yesterday. Why she had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday. Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I need a place to hide away, oh, I believe in yesterday.
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（3）【In My Life】 原唱：Beatles 彈唱：又聽了三遍
There are places I remember all my life, Though some have changed Some forever, not for better, Some have gone and some remain. All these places have their moments, Of lovers and friends I still can recall Some are dead and some are living, In my life I loved them all. And with all these friends and lovers, There is no one compares with you And these mem'ries lose their meaning, When I think of love as something new And I know I'll never lose affection, For people and things that went before I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life I loved you more.
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（4）【Hotel California】 原唱：老鷹 翻唱：又聽了三遍
其實似乎一直沒覺得這首歌有多好聽。但可能主要由於其“世界名曲”光環籠罩的緣故，聽多了以後感覺似乎還蠻好聽。所以後來看到網上有伴奏時就懷著好奇的心情也錄了一個（好奇想看看把自己的聲音放進這麽大的世界名曲裏會是什麽效果）。再後來就是各種折騰包括用後期對背景音樂做各種改進等等。比如這一版就是把前後奏都替換成了我個人很喜歡的老鷹76插電版的結果：
On a dark desert highway, Cool wind in my hair, Warm smell of colitas, Rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night. There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell. And I was thinkin' to myself 'This could be heaven or this could be hell. Then she lit up a candle, And she showed me the way. There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say.. Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), Such a lovely face. Plenty of room at the Hotel California, Any time of year (any time of year), You can find it here. Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, She got the Mercedes Benz, uh She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys She calls friends. How they dance in the courtyard, Sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, Some dance to forget. So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine" And he said, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969". And still those voices are calling from far away.. Wake you up in the middle of the night, Just to hear them say.. Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), Such a lovely face. They livin' it up at the Hotel California, What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), Bring your alibis. Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice, And she said, "We are all just prisoners here of our own device". And in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast, They stab it with their steely knives But they just can't kill the beast. Last thing I remember, I was running for the door. I had to find the passage back To the place I was before, "Relax", said the night man "We are programmed to receive, You can check out any time you like, But you can never leave".
