The Second Test

Professor Su Lin, a well-known expert on vocal music, found something very
puzzling. Twenty-year-old girl Chen Yiling from Chorus Training Class of more than 200
students had come out exceedingly well in the preliminary test, scoring high marks in
vocal music, sightsinging ear training and music theory. Her beautiful tone color and broad
range, in particular, won high praise. But, to the great disappointment of everybody, she
failed the second test. The professor, who had trained a large number of students, many of
them now of international fame, had never seen a young girl with a brilliant talent. And the
above strange happening was something he had never known before.
The preliminary test took place in a specious hall of antique style. Chen Yiling stoodcalmly before the eminent vocal music experts on the Test Committee. When she finishedsinging Xian Xinghai’s famous When February Comes, throngs of listeners could be seenstanding entranced outside the doors and windows, and even the professors, who usuallywore an air of casual indifference, could not help exchanging knowing looks at one another.At it was required of each candidate to sing a foreign song as well, Chen sang the aria Unbel di from the Italian opera Madama Butterfly. The audience were amazed by her splendidtone color and deep comprehension. Even Professor Su, known for his strict demands, alsonodded his approval, his stern eyes twinkling with delight. Chen, wearing a light greenwoollen sweater and close-fitting brown trousers, stood there like a graceful tree on aspring morning. However, under the silent stare of so many eyes, the smiling girl appearedsomewhat ill at ease.The second test came to pass a week later. The result of this test was to determineeach candidate’s fate-accepted or otherwise, and what his or her future career would belike. With most of the candidates already eliminated by the preliminary test, this secondtest was even more demanding in every respect. All celebrated local musicians werepresent. During the test almost all Test Committee members and visitors wore a harsh andnitpicking look. Nevertheless, they were all under the impression that all the remainingcandidates Chen would undoubtedly be the last one to fail the second test.Unfortunately, the result was contrary to everybody’s expectation. When Chen’s turncame last, she sang the same two songs, but her voice was unpleasant and utterly lacklusteras if she were no longer her old herself. Was it due to stage fright, nervousness orindisposition? People even suspected some sort of impropriety in her private life. Theystared at each in speechless despair and eyed her questioningly. Weariness was written allover her face. Her bright eyes now looked dejected and dull. And the corners of herotherwise playful mouth wore an expression of unspeakable anxiety. But, as a whole, shewas bright, candid and trustworthy. People just could not understand what little accident, ifany, had been the cause of her frustration. She smiled apologetically and disappeared outof the room.Professor Su was obviously upset. He had always believed that to win people’sgenuine love and esteem, an artist must first of all be exemplary in every way, first of all anoble-minded person. A singer was of course no exception. But a girl like Chen, who hadno urge for self-improvement, would never become a successful singer. He turned in angerto look out of the window. The city had just been hit by the worst typhoon of the year. Theground outside was strewn with broken twigs and dry leaves. Fallen bamboo fences on thesodden ground. What a pitiful sight!The Test committee were divided in their opinions about Chen. Some held out littlehope of her achieving success as a vocalist, saying that the two tests had shown her voicefar from able to hold its own. Others wanted to give her an opportunity for another try.Professor Su, however, had a view of his own. He thought it important to find the rootcause of her failure in the second test. He maintained that if her failure was due to herquestionable attitude towards her career and life, she should on no account be admitted nomatter how highly gifted she was. That, he said, should be the first and foremost of allthings to be considered.Now what on earth was the cause of her failure?Professor Su got Chen’s application form for enrollment form his secretary andunderlined in red pencil the address she had put down on it. The photo attached to the formshowed a very cute face with a pretty little mouth, lucid guileless eyes and a nose whichwould pucker up a little bit whenever she smiled. All that seemed to warn the professoragainst treating a person in a simplistic way—a person alive with thought and emotion.There must be certain practical aspects of the young girl which the simple application formmade no mention of. Her failure to pass the second test might mean her life-long divorcefrom music and hence a permanent stifling of her musical talent. Should that be the case,the professor, whose duty it was to foster young musical talents, would never forgivehimself.The next morning, Professor Su took the first tram of the day. Thanks to the addressgiven on the application form, he finally managed to find the secluded street in Yangshupu.The moment he stepped into the lane, he was taken aback by what he saw.There were broken walls, charred beams of a ghastly black and scorched rags hereand there among debris—all telling of the destruction wrought by the recent typhoon andthe ensuring fire. Since early in the morning, some people had already been busyingthemselves amongst the rubble.Professor Su, with a slip of paper in hand, was wondering where to find the addresswhen all of sudden he heard a child crying out randomly from an upstairs window of theopposite building, like a singer practicing his voice:“Mi—yi—yi—yi—, ma—ah—ah—ah—” The professor could not help smiling. Heguessed right that the kid was Chen’s younger brother affectedly parroting his elder sister’svoice.The professor then learned from the child that his elder sister Chen, ex-member of thePLA art troupe, was now on the administrative staff of a factory after being transferredfrom the army to civilian work in Shanghai. As a Youth Leaguer, she was enthusiastic andearnest. Whenever the factory or her neighborhood was in need of some help, she wasalways considered the right person to approach. Just a couple of days before, the neighborhoodhad caught fire as a result of electric wire sparking caused by the typhoon.Consequently, many families were left homeless. Chen spent a sleepless night caring forthe disaster victims, which in turn affected her voice. The next day, when it occurred to herthat it was the very day for the second test, she blurted out, “Oh, my!” Yet, she went to thetest all the same.That was the whole story.“Look, she’s still busy working over there!” exclaimed the child from the window,gesticulating with his raised hand. “Let me call her! I’ll go and call her!”“No, don’t. But just tell your sister that she’s been admitted after passing the secondtest! She has every qualification for being a superb singer, hasn’t she? I’ve almost made amistake!”The professor walked away from Chen’s house, and that very quickly. Yes, his bosomswelling with a thrill, he wanted to hurry back to let everybody know of the music studenthe had discovered and the whole story about her.