2015-03-21

【Aiden in English】

        Religion is a belief of the unexplainable. When people lose themselves, religion gives a direction. It is a way of life, and many of us believe in God because the way to live is somewhat laid out, the ethical rules setting boundaries of the things you can do.

        On this sunny day after the blizzard, mom took my grandma and me to Faith Hope Love Chinese Church in the Greater Philadelphia Area of PA. Now this event became special because a Chinese famous pop singer named Xulan Zheng was coming. Now my knowledge of Chinese actors, singers, and famous people is next to nothing, so I had no idea what to expect. All I could predict was that this wasn’t going to be a rock concert or something else. 

        While arriving at the church, the first impression that gave me was certainly bedazzling. The main hall had marble floors polished until they shined, stainless light yellow walls with large glass windows providing natural light, sparking chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and white candles turned on. Only modern thing that stood out was a flat screen Samsung smart TV. In these days, it’s tough to find a place where technology hasn’t invaded. 

        We got there right before the concert started, and so we had to grab a back row seat. Like China Grace Christian Church, musicians played, stories were told about life experiences, and a choir hymned at times. It had a large effect on the audience. Talent emerged as the show went on. A 13-year-old kid who played the piano really shocked the listeners. He claimed to only have played three years, practicing 4-6 hours a day. When he played, immediately I knew that those 4-6 hours weren’t wasted (unlike I do). I’m not saying he’s better than me, but all I’m stating is his …… practice time is more… efficient. That’s all. As this kid’s fingers flew, everyone became hypnotized. Although I couldn’t see him at all in the back, something told me that this kid was good by the eyes of the audience.

        Finally, after hearing some more life stories, the moment mom took me here for arrived. A woman walking on stage brightly introduced herself, but I knew she was the star of the show because the audience applauded so loud that I didn’t know how some hands didn’t snap or break. The singer, Xulan, recited some lines from the Bible, and then began to sing. As she started, the gap in my mind of Eastern and Western modem music widened a ton. The singer’s voice quivered on many notes, sometimes so much that the words weren’t even recognizable. Her pitch was also different from the pop, stretching and reaching to the peaks of sound, varying up and down, and singing the popular Chinese songs. On one occasion, she invited another man up to sing together. To be honest, I saw the disasters straight ahead, but they were false alarms. The brave volunteer had a deep, strong voice, yet was able to reach up and grab a few high notes. 

        Religion can give life to the lost and make happiness like this celebration. It affects all kinds of people, even Chinese stars like Xulan I’ve never heard of.

【红霞译文】

        宗教是难以用言语解释的一种信仰，当人们心灰意冷的时候，宗教犹如一盏指路明灯可以照亮迷茫的心田。正因如此，宗教已成为生活的组成部分，我们中许多弟兄姐妹相信上帝，因为神明主宰天下万物，制约人类的所作所为。

        雪过天晴的今天，妈妈带我和外婆来到宾州大费城地区信望爱华人教会参加音乐见证会，本次活动因为中国著名流行歌曲演唱家郑绪岚的加盟而备受瞩目，其实我对中国演员、歌手、社会名流等孤陋寡闻，因此事先无法想象“郑绪岚音乐见证会”到底怎样，但有一点我敢肯定，这与摇滚音乐会或其它形式的文艺表演完全不同。

        刚一走进教堂，其别致的内部设计格外令我震撼。正厅大理石地面锃明透亮，浅黄色墙壁一尘不染，玻璃窗宽大自然采光极佳，高悬半空的吊灯晶莹闪耀，布道台上的白色蜡烛正徐徐燃烧。只有三星智能电视与时俱进，成为教堂唯一时髦的新型电子装备，如今这年代，欲想摆脱科技渗透谈何容易。

        由于见证会开始前不久我们才匆匆赶到现场，因此只好坐在教堂后排位子上。正如神州基督教会一样，见证会先由音乐家奏乐，然后再请教友们分享各自源于生活的基督见证实例，其间唱诗班不时地以歌代颂，引领全体敬拜者体会神的威严感激主的荣光祈求祂的恩典。每每此刻，极富天赋的奇才怪杰尽展技艺，眼前这位年方十三岁的男孩就是其中代表，他以精湛的琴艺赢得了在场观众一片喝彩。据说他仅学过三年钢琴，而每天却能坚持练习四～六小时。他手一触键，我立刻感觉出四～六小时的功效绝对货真价实（与我不同），当然这并等于说他比我弹得好，只不过想强调他的……练习时间比较……见效，仅此而已。随着他的手指在键盘上快速移动，观众全都听呆了。尽管坐在后面的我完全看不到他的演奏状况，但从观众的面部表情上，我可以断定其弹奏水平值得称道。

        在听完更多基督见证事迹之后，妈妈带我来此观摩“郑绪岚音乐见证会”的精彩时刻才终于到来，只见一位女演员面带微笑走上舞台，单凭观众玩命地鼓掌欢迎，我足以判定她就是这台戏的主角。郑绪岚首先背诵了几段《圣经》经文，随后立刻开始演唱。她张口不久，我便觉察到东西方歌手演唱流行歌曲所表现出的极大区别。郑绪岚喜欢用美声颤音唱流行歌曲，结果把很多歌词给吐得模模糊糊，并且高音区放不开喉咙，上下起伏变化不定，她演听的《哈尔滨的夏天·太阳岛上》、《少林寺·牧羊曲》、《大海的呼唤·大海啊，故乡》、《红楼梦·枉凝眉》等几首中国流行歌曲都是如此。演唱会上，郑绪岚还曾邀请台下一位男士共唱《梁山伯与祝英台·化蝶》。坦率地说，起初我真担心那位自愿上台的歌手会唱砸了这首歌，想不到他不但勇气十足，而且功力浑厚，甚至连高音部分也把握得相当出色。

        宗教能够为失去生活信心的人带来光明，同时还可为今天的布道会增添快乐；可以说，它不仅影响着各界人士，甚至还包括像郑绪岚这样我前所未闻的中国明星。