Famous fan: Matt Lauer quizzed Amato about his bizarre experiences on the Today Show(dailymail.co.uk) |
A man who suffered concussion after diving into a shallow pool has made a seemingly improbable discovery: it made him a musical genius. Derek Amato, from Denver, Colorado, is just one of 30 people in the entire world suffering from Acquired Savant Syndrome, where people display profound abilities after suffering head trauma. After years of failed jobs and homelessness, the 40-year-old is now enjoying a career in music and can play eight instruments - despite never having a lesson in his life. He has now recounted the startling moment he felt drawn to a friend's piano after the October 2006 accident and immediately began playing. 'It was one of those moments when you just knew,' he told Matt Lauer on the Today show. 'It was just drawing me to it.' Amato, who can not read music, explained that he knew what to play as he could see black and white squares in his head that triggered his fingers to move. 'That's my notation,' he said. 'When those black and white squares are going, that's what my hands do. I'm convinced it's all for a reason and it's my job to do it right.' Amato, who is recording his second album, plays eight instruments he could not play before, as well as brushing up on his guitar skills, which he described as being a '2.5 out of 10' before the accident. In October 2006, he was partying with friends when he jumped into the pool and hit his head. 'I remember the panic set in that I knew I hurt myself,' he said. 'I knew it was something bad.' In a post for the Wisconsin Medical Society, he added: 'As I dove into the swimming pool, I remember coming up out of the water complaining that my ears were bleeding.' 'As I looked to my friends for explanation, I recall their lips moving but without sound. As I touched my ears to check for bleeding, I realised there was no blood, and I couldn't hear anything at all.' After collapsing, Amato was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with a serious concussion. Doctors also found he had a permanent 35 percent loss of hearing, as well as memory loss. But, Amato told the Today show, this is a small price to pay for what he can do now. 'The headaches and the loss of hearing are the price tag for this gift,' he said. 'I'd like it to stay.' (Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
美國(guó)一名男子在一個(gè)較淺的游泳池跳水導(dǎo)致腦震蕩,之后卻意外發(fā)現(xiàn)這起事故使他成為了音樂(lè)天才。 來(lái)自科羅拉多州丹佛的德里克?阿馬托是全球30名患有“后天性學(xué)者癥候群”的人之一,這種癥候群的表現(xiàn)是在腦部受到創(chuàng)傷后,展示出非凡的才能。 在數(shù)年的工作失意和無(wú)家可歸之后,這位40歲的男子現(xiàn)在很享受自己的音樂(lè)事業(yè),而且會(huì)彈奏八種樂(lè)器,盡管他從沒(méi)接受過(guò)音樂(lè)訓(xùn)練。 他回憶起自己2006年10月受傷后的令人驚奇的時(shí)刻,當(dāng)時(shí)他突然被朋友家中的鋼琴吸引,立刻彈奏起來(lái)。 他告訴《今日秀》節(jié)目的馬特-勞爾,“在那種時(shí)刻,就像我突然意識(shí)到了什么??吹戒撉伲胰滩蛔∽哌^(guò)去坐下彈奏?!?/p> 阿馬托看不懂樂(lè)譜,他解釋說(shuō)他知道如何彈奏是因?yàn)樗茉谀X海中看到黑白琴鍵,而且手不自覺(jué)地跟著琴鍵動(dòng)起來(lái)。 他說(shuō),“那就是我的樂(lè)譜。腦海中的黑白琴鍵如何移動(dòng),我的手就會(huì)怎樣彈奏。我相信這其中一定有某種原因,而且我應(yīng)該這樣做?!?/p> 阿馬托正在錄制自己的第二張專(zhuān)輯。他現(xiàn)在會(huì)彈奏之前不會(huì)的八種樂(lè)器,而且還在溫習(xí)自己的吉它演奏技巧。他描述稱(chēng)自己在事故前的吉它演奏水平只能打2.5分(總分10分)。 在2006年10月,阿馬托到朋友家參加聚會(huì),在游泳池跳水時(shí)頭部撞到池底。他說(shuō):“我記得當(dāng)時(shí)的恐慌場(chǎng)景,因?yàn)槲野炎约簜搅?。我知道這很糟?!?/p> 在寫(xiě)給威斯康星州醫(yī)學(xué)協(xié)會(huì)的文章中,他補(bǔ)充說(shuō),“我跳進(jìn)游泳池里時(shí),記得浮出水面后抱怨耳朵流血。” “我想聽(tīng)一下朋友的解釋?zhuān)矣浀盟淖齑揭粡堃缓?,我卻聽(tīng)不到任何聲音。我摸了摸自己的耳朵想看一下流血情況。我意識(shí)到已經(jīng)不流血了,但我什么也聽(tīng)不見(jiàn)?!?/p> 在暈倒后,阿馬托被送往醫(yī)院,醫(yī)生診斷他患上了嚴(yán)重的腦震蕩。醫(yī)生還發(fā)現(xiàn)他失去了35%的聽(tīng)力及部分記憶。 但他告訴《今日秀》節(jié)目,這是為自己如今的音樂(lè)才能付出的小小代價(jià)。他說(shuō):“頭疼和聽(tīng)力損失是這份特別禮物的代價(jià)。我愿意這樣?!?/p> 相關(guān)閱讀 白宮“故意”泄露國(guó)家機(jī)密 FBI介入調(diào)查 美國(guó)一小鎮(zhèn)遭污染變“毒鎮(zhèn)” 僅剩唯一住戶 美8歲女生獲“災(zāi)難獎(jiǎng)” 因不完成作業(yè)理由最多 食人案引發(fā)僵尸話題 美辟謠稱(chēng)僵尸并不存在 (中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津 Julie 編輯:陳丹妮) |
Vocabulary: concussion: 腦震蕩 |