Long conversation
长对话二
Man: Miss Yamada, did you ever think that you would find yourself living and working in the western world?
Woman: No, not really, although I’ve always listened to recordings of great orchestras from Europe.
Man: So you enjoyed classical music even when you were very young?
Woman: Oh, yes. I was an only child.
Man: You were born in 1955, is that right?
Woman: Yes, I began violin lessons at school when I was 6.
Man: As young as that, did you like it?
Woman: Oh, yes, very much.
Man: When did you first play on your own? I mean, when did you give your first performance?
Woman: I think I was 8…? No, Nine. I just had my birthday a week before, and my father had bought me a new violin. I played a small piece at the school concert.
Man: Did you know then that you would become a professional violinist?
Woman: Yes, I think so. I enjoy playing the violin very much, and I didn’t mind practicing, sometimes three or four hours a day.
Man: And when did you first come to Europe?
Woman: I was very lucky. When I was fifteen, I won a scholarship to a college in Paris. That was for a three-year course.
Man: How did your parents feel about that?
Woman: I think they were pleased and worried at the same time. It was the chance of a lifetime. But of course I would be thousands of miles from home. Anyway, I studied in Paris for three years and then went back to Tokyo.
13. What do we know about the woman before she went to Europe?
14. What does the woman say about her music experience?
15. What does the woman say about her study in Paris?
