2024"新教育 新英语"研讨会｜英语音乐剧让我遇到了未来的自己

橄榄树老师说：

这篇文章本是雨桐为即将召开的“新教育·新英语”研讨会写的演讲稿。可写好之后，又舍不得把本来弹琴的时间用来练习演讲（几乎每次下课的第一秒，你总能听到他的琴声）。所以，就以文章的形式，发在这里啦（英文稿冯丽老师做了修订）！

看过，你能理解为什么是音乐剧——而不是诗歌或者小说——是触发雨桐学习英语的关键点吗？

总之，每个深入语言的孩子，都有自己进入语言的契机，背后，关联着每一个生命最独特的密码。

所以，与其问“怎样学好英语”，不如问，“你为什么要学英语”？

在六年级我没有来到贞元之前，我的英语课上的比较传统。那时候我可以考得很好，我以为这就代表我学好了英语。

Before grade six, when I didn't attend was not in Zheng Yuan school, I was taking traditional English classes in traditional way. Such as memorizing words and some texts. At that time, I could achieve quite satisfied scores, and I thought that meant I was learning English well.

但是当我来到贞元之后，我发现除了教材，他们竟然读那么多图很少文字很多的英文书，还会学歌曲，学音乐剧，这对之前没有英语阅读量，不怎么开口的我来说，冲击是巨大的。我在英语方面的优越感荡然无存。

However, when I became a student in Zheng Yuan, I discovered that in addition to the textbook, we were expected to read English books with many words and few pictures. as well as a lot of English songs and musicals. For me, who do not dare to speak and write little English much was a tough challenge, and my sense of superiority in English was gone.

不久，我看到我们的学长River班演出音乐剧《Hamilton》，我被深深地触动了。到现在我还记得他们在上台唱第一首歌时候的灯光，舞美，风格迥异的PPT，以及在其中的每一个激情四射的人唱出的非常有节奏感的歌曲。原来英语还可以这么玩，原来我所学的只是皮毛。这激起了我也想要这样学英语，想演出这部剧的极大渴望。

But when I saw the River class performing the musical "Alexander Hamilton" lively, I was deeply touched. To this day, I still remember them singing the first song on stage, the lighting, the stage design, and how everyone in the show sang the songs with such immense passion. English could be played like that! I realized Everything I had learned was just a small part of English. This deeply stimulated my interest in learning English and my desire to perform this musical on stage.

终于，一年后，我们也学习了这部剧。这让我走进了汉密尔顿的精神世界。

Ultimately, one year later, we learned the musical on class, which introduced me to know more about the spirit of Alexander Hamilton.

作为一个偏远岛国的孩子，被父亲抛弃，母亲又早死，所投靠的表兄也上吊自杀。但是他却凭借一支笔，妥妥把一手烂牌打成王炸，将自己送往了纽约。之后凭借着心中的热血与正义，参加了美国独立战争，并在建国之后为整个美国的经济和财务打下了根基，成为了美国开国国父。

As a poor child on a faraway and remote island, his father abandoned him as a child, and his mother died soon after. Soon after that, His older cousin who adopted him committed suicide. In that terrible situation, he relied on one pen, starting as a slave but eventually becoming a rich king. He sent himself to New York by the support of the rich. In New York, driven by the justice and passion in his heart. He joined the American Independence War, and became the first hand man of George Washington. after the new country was established, he wished to release economics and finance politics to make America strong and secure, becoming one of its founding fathers.

虽然他与众多国父政见都有不合，但是，他有着通过财政金融使美国这个新生国家变得强大，以自己的力量为世人留下所谓的legacy的这样一份志向。所以，他付出毕生的精力去努力，这种精神深深的打动了我。

Although he had political differences from other founding fathers, he faced a lot of hinderance and disagreement because his ideas were ahead of the time for the contemporary people. He strives hard to protect his ideal and even paid a price for a life. He used his own strength to leave a legacy for his people, paving a clear and bright way for America towards a powerful country。This spirit deeply encouraged me.

有了对人物精神的理解，我更想把这部剧演出来了。不过，初学歌曲的时候，觉得好难啊：为什么他们能在这么短的时间内说出这么多话？？为什么话里有这么多词我都不认识？？

Based on my understanding of the human spirit, I could not wait  to bring this musical onto the stage 。

But still, at first, when we started to learn this musical, I felt it was very tough for me. Why could they utter so many words within such a short period of time? Why were there so many complicated words I couldn't hardly remember?

但是，这些困难并没有浇灭我对于它的激情，反而让梦想之火更加熊熊燃烧。那段时间，我像着了魔一样，每天晚上放学回家，都要先在一首歌里挑选一个段落去听，遇到不会的词去查清楚，再从0.5倍速开始学唱，慢慢到0.75倍速，最后到原速度，总之就是一遍一遍。最终，我留在那个专辑里的观看记录竟然有2586遍。我们班很多同学跟我一样着迷，很多人都能从头到尾唱下几乎全剧的歌曲。

But difficulties and troubles didn't stop my passion. The fire of my dream burned harder. At that time, every night when I went back home, I would study one part of these songs, starting at a very slow speed and then speeding up. I still remember listening to that album thousands for many times. The figure of listening record finally was added up onto 2586!  Many classmates were fascinated with the musical as me, too, and all of us devoted into a perfect performance on the stage that year.

当年的截图

有了这次成功的学习体验，这几年，我们又学习并演出了《悲惨世界》，《身在高地》《巴黎圣母院》，我每次都会竞选台词量巨大的角色，并乐此不疲的投入其中，所以，每一部戏，我都获得了高峰体验。不知不觉中，我的听说读写的全面进步。现在，我仍然能够考出高分，但是，我知道，它的背后所意味的东西，和过去相比，有了本质的差别。

With this successful learning experience, in recent years, we have performed "In the Heights," "Les Misérables," and "Notre Dame de Paris." Each time, I would vie for managed to acquire the characters with long dialogues and large roles to play. I love it; I enjoy it. Before I know it I improved a lot in listening, speaking, and writing. But now, even though I can still achieve good scores, there is a fundamental difference compared to the past.

回过头再想，当时我之所以非常想要学习并演出音乐剧，其实第一动力并不是来自于我要学好英语，而是我被音乐本身吸引，之后，又通过故事喜欢上了里面的人物。而之所以被音乐吸引，是源自我对音乐的热爱。这些年，贞元英语传记课程和语文儒家大课程不断追问人生价值和意义的过程，让我确定了以音乐为志趣的人生方向。我的音乐之路，也从之前弹奏别人的曲子，到有了15首自己的原创。未来，我的目标是去美国大学读音乐专业。

When I look back, the reason I wanted to perform in the musical was that I was fascinated by the music itself. Through the stories, I fell in love with the characters. The reason I was fascinated by the music is the love between me and music. These years, English biography courses and Chinese Confucian classes have helped me determine the direction of my life with music as my interest. My musical path has evolved from playing other people's songs to creating my own. My dream for the future is to attend the Berklee College of Music.

所以，感谢River班，感谢冯老师，感谢贞元的课程，感谢汉密尔顿，感谢音乐剧，感谢音乐，感谢艺术！让我跟未来想成为的自己，有了一场真正的相遇。

Ultimately, thanks to the river, thanks to Teacher Leah, thanks to Zheng Yuan, thanks to Hamilton, thanks to musicals, thanks to music, thanks to art.

All in all, thanks to everything that lies ahead. It has allowed me to have a real encounter with my future self.