every culture there has ever been, mothers have rocked and sung their babies to sleep.

幾乎所有文化,母親都會數拍子,哼歌來哄孩子入睡

A humbling point that a lullaby reveals is that it’s not necessarily the words of a

搖籃曲提供一個耳目一新的觀點，就是一首歌不需要太多文字

song that make us feel more tranquil. The baby doesn’t understand what’s being said

來讓人感到平靜。因為小嬰兒根本聽不懂內容在唱甚麼,

but the sound has its effect all the same. The baby is showing us that we are all tonal

但每首歌都有一樣的影響力。小嬰兒的反應告訴我們

creatures long before we are creatures of understanding.

在成為具理解力的生物前,很長一段時間我們都受到曲調影響

As adults, we grasp the significance of words of course, but there remains a sensory level which cuts through and affects far more

當然,成年人慣於在字詞中尋找意義,但透過感官卻能讓人理解得更快更深

than an argument or an idea ever could. The musician can, at points, trump anything the

那是其他理性論點無法比擬的。某些時候,音樂家甚至能擊敗

philosopher might tell us.

哲學家的學說。

Ancient Greek mythology was fascinated by the story of the famous

古希臘神話中一則著名故事,是關於

musician Orpheus. At one point he had to rescue his wife from the underworld. To get there

音樂家Orpheus，他想從冥界救回妻子。為了進入冥府,

he needed to make his way past Cerberus the ferocious three-headed dog who guarded the

他必須通過由地獄三頭犬Cerberus看管的

entrance to the land of the dead. Orpheus was said to have played such sweet, enchanting

冥界大門。據說Orpeus彈奏出甜美動人的

music that the wild beast calmed down and became – for a while – mild and docile.

曲調,就連地獄惡犬也暫時變得安靜溫馴

The Greeks were giving themselves a reminder of the psychological power of music. Orpheus

古希臘人強調音樂在心靈上的力量。Orpheus

didn’t reason with Cerberus, he didn’t try to explain how important it was that he

沒有向Cerberus解釋通過這扇門對他而言

should be allowed to pass, he didn’t speak about how much he loved his wife and how much

有多重要；也沒有大聲強調自己有多愛妻子

he wanted her back. Cerberus was – as we ourselves are at times of distress – pretty

多希望她回到身邊。Cerberus就像我們只在乎自己的痛苦一樣-根本

much immune to reason. But he was still open to influence. It was a matter of finding the

不在乎背後原因是甚麼,但還是有東西能打動牠的,只要找到

right channel to reach him. When we feel anxious or upset, kindly people sometimes try to comfort

對的方式和牠溝通。當我們感到焦慮或難過,有些人善意地想透過

us by pointing to facts and ideas: they try to influence our thinking and – via careful

指出事實和忠告幫助我們。他們試著影響我們的想法,透過

arguments – to quieten our distress. But, as with Cerberus, the most effective way to

建言來平息憂傷。但就像Cerberus一樣,處理這類問題

deal with the problem may simply be to play us music.

最簡單有效的方式莫過於播一首歌。

We might need to be quietened and made mild (by a lullaby, a Chopin prelude or something by Natalie Merchant), before

透過音樂,例如一首搖籃曲、蕭邦的前奏曲或Natalie Merchant的民謠,就能讓我們

we are in any position to listen to reason.

在聽取大道理前平靜心靈

Music is the greatest mood adjustor we have ever invented. Its benefits can be broken down as follows:

音樂是人類發明中最棒的心靈矯正器,它的好處列舉如下:

Music can reunite us with feelings we need but have lost touch with. It reconciles us to a sadness within we have had to be too

音樂能整合我們想要的情感元素但又會不觸碰太深；調和內在的悲傷和

brave and stoic not to feel.

隱忍不發的情緒

It is the axe that breaks the frozen sea within us.

它就像一把斧頭劈開冰凍的心房。

Music can lend dignity to our sorrows, framing and containing what might otherwise be unmanageable grief.

音樂能賦予不幸高貴的形象,型塑無法化為實體的殤働

Music is there for us like a comforting parent in moments of despair. Music returns us to

音樂就像失意時溫柔鼓勵我們的父母。音樂讓我們重回生活

life, gently nudging us to return to the side of generosity and hope. We can follow in music's

輕柔地將我們推向光明與希望。跟著音樂律動

grooves of confidence, when our own will is sagging.

讓消沉的意志重拾信心

Music is there to take us beyond the everyday, to transcend the ordinary and survey ourselves from a lofty height.

音樂就在那兒,帶領我們超越日常,越過瑣事,用更高的角度探索心靈內在

Music reconnectsus with our instinctual, bodily selves when reason, logic and discipline are in danger

音樂重新連結了我們內在本能和身體自主,尤其當我們被原因、邏輯和原則

of crushing us. Music breaks down the barriers between strangers – urging us to see what

摧毀時。音樂卸下陌生人之間的藩籬,促使我們去看彼此的共通點

we have in common, rather than what divides us. We fully discover our debt to music when

而不是之間的差異。

we can acknowledge just how powerless we sometimes are to change our moods through reason alone.

音樂讓我們認識到只透過了解原因來改變心境是不夠的

A good life does not only need a library of ideas: it requires a vast and ever-changing

美好的人生不只需要一座裝滿思想的圖書館,它還需要一個大容量、不停更換的

playlist that can systematically tug us back to our more hopeful, sensitive and resilient selves.

歌單,有效地將我們拖回充滿希望、更感性，能適應一切的自我