English Original
As a boy in Shenyang, I practiced piano six hours a day. My mother taught me to read notes, and my father, a concertmaster, showed me how to control the keys. I started on cheap Chinese keyboards, then progressed to a Swedish piano, which I broke while playing Tchaikovsky. At eight, my parents and teacher decided I needed to move to Beijing to pursue music seriously.
My father knew the path was difficult, with millions vying for fame. "You need fortune," he said, "If you don't work, no fortune comes. But music exists to make us happy."
To accompany me, he sacrificed his beloved job. My mother remained in Shenyang to support us financially. They warned me about the hardships ahead.
In Beijing, we were outsiders with northern accents. We lived in a cold, shared apartment. My father became a homemaker, cooking and caring for me. Our school was far, so he cycled me there daily, a 90-minute trip each way, even in winter. On cold nights, he would warm my bed while I practiced.
My misery stemmed not from poverty but from my new teacher, who disliked me, declared I had no talent, and eventually dismissed me. At nine, I was devastated and quit piano for two weeks, longing for home.
My father waited patiently. A turning point came when a school teacher asked me to play holiday songs. Reluctantly, I played and realized I could prove my talent. That day, I told my father I wanted a new teacher. From then on, everything changed.
中文翻译
在沈阳长大的我，童年时每天练习钢琴六小时。母亲教我识谱，担任首席小提琴手的父亲则教我如何控制琴键。起初我用的是廉价的中国产键盘，后来父母给我买了一架瑞典钢琴，我却因弹奏柴可夫斯基的作品弄断了一半的琴弦。八岁时，父母和老师认定，为了严肃地学习音乐，我必须前往文化中心北京。
父亲深知这条路不易，中国有数百万琴童竞争成名。他说：“你需要运气。不努力，运气不会来。但音乐终究是音乐，它的存在是为了让我们快乐。”
为了陪我去北京，他做出了巨大牺牲，辞去了心爱的工作。母亲则留在沈阳的科研所工作以供养我们。他们都告诫我：“成为钢琴家很难。你能离开母亲生活吗？”
在北京，我们成了带着北方口音的外来者。我们只能住在一栋没有暖气、五户共用卫生间的公寓里。父亲做饭、打扫、照顾我，基本上成了一名“家庭主夫”。学校很远，公交太贵，父亲便每天骑自行车载我，单程一个半小时，冬日亦然。在最寒冷的夜晚，当我练琴时，父亲会躺在我床上为我暖被窝。
我的痛苦并非源于贫穷或压力，而是北京的新老师不喜欢我。她常说“你毫无天赋，永远成不了钢琴家”，并最终“开除”了我。九岁的我崩溃了，决定不再弹琴，想回到母亲身边。接下来的两周，我都没碰钢琴。父亲明智地没有逼迫，只是等待。
转机出现在学校老师请我演奏节日歌曲那天。虽然不情愿，但当手指触键时，我意识到我可以向他人证明自己的才华。那天，我告诉了父亲他一直等待的话——我想换一位老师。从此，一切开始好转。