The Museum of Lost Music
城南开了一家很特别的博物馆。
City south open (PERF) one (M) very special (POSS) museum.
A very unusual museum opened in the south of the city.
它叫“失去的音乐博物馆”。
It call "lost (POSS) music museum".
It was called the Museum of Lost Music.
里面放的，是所有没写完的曲子。
Inside place (POSS), is all not write-finish (POSS) tune.
Inside, they played music that had never been finished.
有的只写了几个音，有的写到了一半。
Some only write (PERF) several (M) note, some write-arrive (PERF) one half.
Some pieces were just a few notes; others stopped halfway.
还有的，听上去快要写完，最后却突然停下了。
Also have (POSS), listen up-go almost want write-finish, last but suddenly stop-down (PERF).
Some sounded as if they were nearly done, then suddenly broke off.
我第一次去，是为了听一位音乐家的作品。
I first time go, is for sake-of listen one (M) musician (POSS) work.
The first time I went was to hear a particular composer's work.
他姓周，三十岁那年得病去世了。
He surnamed Zhou, thirty year-old that year get illness pass-world (PERF).
His surname was Zhou; he had died of illness at thirty.
他留下了一首没写完的大曲子，叫《春天》。
He leave-down (PERF) one (M, head) not write-finish (POSS) big tune, call "Spring".
He left an unfinished symphony called Spring.
我戴上耳机，坐在一张木椅上，按下开始的键。
I wear-on ear-machine, sit at one (M) wood chair top, press-down begin (POSS) key.
I put on the headphones, sat on a wooden bench, and pressed start.
音乐响起来了。
Music ring-up-come (PERF).
The music began.
开始的部分很高兴，像孩子在跑。
Begin (POSS) portion very happy, like child at run.
The opening was joyful, like children running.
后来慢下来，变得很温柔。
Later slow-down-come, become very gentle.
Later it slowed and grew very gentle.
然后，在最美的地方，它就停了。
Then, at most beautiful (POSS) place, it then stop (PERF).
Then, at its loveliest moment, it stopped.
我的眼泪一下子流了出来。
My (POSS) eye-tear one-down son flow (PERF) out-come.
My tears came all at once.
他没活到把这首曲子写完。
He not live arrive (BA) this (M) tune write-finish.
He had not lived long enough to finish it.
从那天起，我每个星期都去那家博物馆。
From that day rise, I every (M) week all go that (M) museum.
From that day on, I went to the museum every week.
我听了好几百首没写完的曲子。
I listen (PERF) several-hundred (M, head) not write-finish (POSS) tune.
I listened to hundreds of unfinished pieces.
有的来自有名的音乐家，有的来自普通的学生，有的甚至没有名字。
Some come-from famous (POSS) musician, some come-from common (POSS) student, some even not-have name.
Some came from famous musicians, some from ordinary students, some had no name at all.
我开始觉得，没写完的音乐，比写完的更让人难忘。
I begin feel, not write-finish (POSS) music, compare write-finish (POSS) more let person hard-forget.
I began to feel that unfinished music was more unforgettable than finished music.
一个秋天的下午，我又坐到那张木椅上。
One autumn (POSS) afternoon, I again sit-arrive that (M) wood chair top.
One autumn afternoon, I sat down again on that wooden bench.
我闭上眼睛，让机器随便给我放一首。
I close-up eye, let machine random give me play one (M, head).
I closed my eyes and let the machine play whatever it wished.
音乐响起来的那一秒，我整个身子都僵住了。
Music ring-up-come (POSS) that one second, I whole (M) body all stiff-stop (PERF).
The moment the music began, my whole body froze.
这首曲子，我从小就听过。
This (M, head) tune, I from small then listen (PERF).
I had known this piece since childhood.
是我外公常常哼的调子。
Is my outside-grandfather often hum (POSS) tune.
It was the tune my grandfather used to hum.
他没读过书，不会写字，更不会写曲。
He not-have read (PERF) book, not can write character, more not can write tune.
He had never gone to school, could not write, and certainly could not write music.
他只是一边干活，一边轻轻地哼。
He only is one side do-work, one side lightly hum.
He simply hummed quietly while he worked.
我十岁那年，他去世了。
I ten year-old that year, he pass-world (PERF).
When I was ten, he died.
他哼的这段调子，从此再也没人哼过。
He hum (POSS) this (M, segment) tune, from then again also not person hum (PERF).
After that, no one ever hummed that little tune again.
可是现在，它正从这里的耳机里流出来。
But now, it just from here (POSS) ear-machine inside flow-out-come.
Yet now, it was flowing out of these headphones.
我跑去找馆长。
I run go find hall-leader.
I ran to find the curator.
馆长是一位很温和的老人，眼睛后面有一点笑意。
Hall-leader is one (M) very gentle (POSS) old-person, eye behind have one bit smile-meaning.
The curator was a gentle old man, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.
“先生，”我说，“你们刚才放的那首曲子，是从哪里来的？”
"Mister," I say, "you just-now play (POSS) that (M, head) tune, is from where come (POSS)?"
“Sir,” I said, “that piece you just played — where did it come from?”
他在电脑上看了一下，摇摇头。
He at electric-brain top look (PERF) one bit, shake-shake head.
He checked on his computer and shook his head.
“没有名字。也没写从哪里收的。”
"Not-have name. Also not write from where collect (POSS)."
“No name. No record of where it was collected.”
“可是这是我外公哼的调子。”我的声音在抖。
"But this is my outside-grandfather hum (POSS) tune." My (POSS) voice at shake.
“But it's my grandfather's tune,” I said, my voice shaking.
“他从来没写下来过。他不会写。”
"He from-come not-have write-down-come (PERF). He not can write."
“He never wrote it down. He couldn't write.”
馆长看着我，眼神很安静。
Hall-leader watch (CONT) me, eye-spirit very quiet.
The curator looked at me, his eyes calm.
“我们也不明白音乐是怎么来的，”他说。
"We also not understand music is how come (POSS)," he say.
“We don't know how the music gets here,” he said.
“它就是到了。我们只是放它。”
"It just is arrive (PERF). We only is play it."
“It simply arrives. We only play it.”
我在椅子上坐了很久，没说话。
I at chair top sit (PERF) very long, not speak-word.
I sat in the chair for a long time without speaking.
后来的几个星期，我又听到了很多熟悉的调子。
Later (POSS) several (M) week, I again hear-arrive (PERF) very many familiar (POSS) tune.
In the weeks that followed, I heard many more familiar tunes.
我母亲年轻时随口编过的一句歌。
My mother young time follow-mouth compose (PERF, POSS) one (M) song.
A line of song my mother once made up off the top of her head.
我父亲在洗碗时吹的口哨。
My father at wash-bowl time blow (POSS) mouth-whistle.
A whistle my father blew while washing dishes.
我姐姐小时候用钢琴乱按出来的几个音。
My elder-sister small time-of use steel-piano disorderly press out-come (POSS) several (M) note.
A few notes my elder sister had banged out on the piano as a child.
全都是从来没有写下来过的东西。
All all is from-come not-have write-down-come (PERF) (POSS) thing.
All things that had never been written down.
我没有再去问馆长。
I not-have again go ask hall-leader.
I did not ask the curator again.
我开始明白，那座博物馆不是只收死人的音乐。
I begin understand, that (M) museum not is only collect dead-person (POSS) music.
I began to understand that the museum did not collect only the music of the dead.
它收所有从来没被写下的音乐——所有人心里的那一段。
It collect all from-come not (PASSIVE) write-down (POSS) music—all person heart inside (POSS) that one (M, segment).
It gathered all the music that had never been written down — the music in every person's heart.
有一天晚上，我从家里带来了我一直没敢写完的一首小曲子。
Have one day evening, I from home inside bring-come (PERF) I always not-have dare write-finish (POSS) one (M, head) small tune.
One evening, I brought a small piece I had never dared finish.
我十六岁开始写的，二十年来一直放着。
I sixteen year-old begin write (POSS), twenty year come always place (CONT).
I had begun it at sixteen and set it aside for twenty years.
我把它放在馆里的一个小盒子里，没有留名字。
I (BA) it place at hall inside (POSS) one (M) small box inside, not-have leave name.
I placed it in a small box in the museum, leaving no name.
馆长在远远的地方看着我，没问话。
Hall-leader at far-far (POSS) place watch (CONT) me, not ask-word.
The curator watched me from a distance, asking nothing.
我对他点了点头，他也点了点头。
I toward him nod (PERF) nod head, he also nod (PERF) nod head.
I nodded to him; he nodded back.
走出博物馆的时候，外面已经下起了小雨。
Walk-out museum (POSS) time, outside already fall-rise (PERF) small rain.
When I walked out, a light rain had begun to fall.
我心里很轻，像是放下了一块很久没放下的东西。
I heart inside very light, like is place-down (PERF) one (M) very long not place-down (POSS) thing.
My heart was light, as if I had finally put down something I had carried for a long time.
有些音乐，本来就不是为了写完的。
Have some music, originally just not is for sake-of write-finish (POSS).
Some music was never meant to be finished.
它只是为了被人听见——哪怕只有一次。
It only is for sake-of (PASSIVE) person hear-see—even-if only have one time.
It was only meant to be heard — even just once.