#169. Why is music important to many people?
Music exists all around the world in thousands of forms and manifestations.
It spans time and geography as an ever-present theme in the lives of all people.
There is no culture without some form of music; from primitive man to the modern urban inhabitants, and from Tibet to New York City. Musicians come from all walks of life and express their emotions and their experiences, so that they may be shared with their community or even the world.
Different emotions call for different music. This idea is well illustrated by theatrical scoring and movie soundtracks. There is music that we listen to when we are sad, when we are happy, when we are angry, etc.. Music works with our emotions, and helps us to deal with the highs and lows of life. I believe that if there was no music, that man would live a much more stressful, embittered existence.
At different ages we develop tastes for different types of music. Some people feel that as one matures they appreciate more complicated themes, styles and emotions in their music. For example, many young people today enjoy pop music, while their parents prefer to listen to classical music. Perhaps this is because young people are full of energy and therefore enjoy faster music. Their parents, on the other hand, have enough excitement during the day, and would therefore prefer to listen to music that is more soothing.
As our world changes, different styles of music become more appropriate and more relevant. For example, as we become more and more technologically inclined, the music we listen to has followed the same trend. Young people today are currently experimenting with electronic music because of this. Musical instruments also advance technologically as time passes. In the last few decades, man has invented both the electric guitar and the synthesizer, which has revolutionized music around the world.
A person's choice in music is highly individualistic. Even family members can sometimes not agree on what the best type of music is. Through thousands of years of evolution, music has become one of man's greatest companions. It can help people to celebrate their joy, and it consoles people when they are depressed.
169. 音乐何以对人们非常重要？
音乐以数千种形式和表现方法存在于整个世界上。它跨越了时间和空间，成为全人类生活中一个永恒的主题。从原始人到现代城市居民，从西藏到纽约；任何文明都不会缺少某种形式的音乐。来自各行各业的音乐家们表现着他们自己的感情和经历，这样他们就能将其与他们的社会乃至世界分享。
不同的情感召唤着不同的音乐。这个概念被戏剧和电影的配乐表达得淋漓尽致。我们在悲伤、幸福、愤怒等时候都会听不同的音乐。音乐对我们的情绪起作用，并且帮助我们度过生活中的起起落落。我认为如果没有音乐，人类世界的生活会变得更加沉重和痛苦。
在不同的年龄阶段我们会喜欢不同类型的音乐，有些人认为随着一个人变得成熟，他们欣赏的音乐中会有更为复杂的主题、风格和情感。例如，现在的很多年轻人喜欢流行音乐，而他们的父母则喜欢听古典音乐。也许这是因为年轻人精力旺盛，所以会喜欢节奏更快的音乐，相反，他们的父母在一天之中已经够兴奋了，因此会喜欢听更舒缓的音乐。
随着我们的世界不断变化，不同风格的音乐变得更加适宜而且更加相互联系。例如，随着我们越来越倾向于使用科学技术，我们所听的音乐也跟随着同样的趋势。现在的年轻人正在进行电子音乐的试验也是因为这个原因。随着时间的推移，乐器在科学技术上也更为先进。在过去的几十年里，人们发明了电吉他和电子合成器，这在世界范围内彻底改革了音乐。
一个人对于音乐的选择是非常个性化的。即使家庭成员之间有时也很难就什么才是最好的音乐类型达成一致。经过上千年的发展，音乐已经成为了人类最好的伴侣之一；既可以帮助人们庆祝喜悦，也可以在人们沮丧的时候给予安慰。
- manifestation ［ˌmænəfeˈsteiʃən］ n. 表现形式
- embitter ［emˈbitə］ v. 使痛苦
- soothing ［ˈsu:ðiŋ］ adj. 起安慰镇静作用的
- span ［spæn］ v. 跨越
- primitive ［ˈprimitiv］ adj. 原始的；远古的
- inclined ［inˈklaind］ adj. 倾向…的
- inhabitant ［inˈhæbitənt］ n. 居民
- synthesizer ［ˈsinθiˌsaizə］ n. 电子合成器
- Tibet ［təˈbet］ n. 西藏
- individualistic ［ˌindiˌvidʒuəˈlistik］ adj. 个人主义的
- walk of life 行业；职业
- illustrate ［ˈiləˌstreit］ v. 阐明
- evolution ［ˌevəˈlu:ʃen］ n. 发展；演变
- theatrical ［θiˈætrikəl］ adj. 戏剧的
- console ［ˈka:nˌsəul］ v. 安慰；籍慰
- work with 对. . . 起作用