Music,we may say,is the art of organising sounds.Music is a rhythmic poem that inspires, a harmonious tone that tranquilizes a melody of mystery and beauty.
These are many kinds of music,as does art or literature.Since people have different ideas of what is beautiful,so we have our choices from the magnificent compositions of music masters like Beethoven.Bach,Chopin Wagner, to the popular songs and tunes of the common music-hall. Only people of educated musical taste can appreciate the former,and they find no pleasure in the latter,while the common people are
bored with what is called classical music, and find pleasure only in what musicians would call vulger tunes.
However, good music often has a wonderful effect upon the feelings of even ignorant people.One poet has said :"Music has charms to soothe savage breast."
Soft and sweet music will fill strong men with great ambitions.The regimental band puts courage into the hearts of troops,the solemn hymns fill the worshippers with reverence.Indeed,as the poet Dryden once asked,"what passion cannot music raise and quell?"

饼干老熊翻译的真是很精彩！这里只作稍微改动（供参考）：


我们或许可以认为音乐是组织声音的艺术。音乐是一首抑扬顿挫的诗篇，它能激发人们的灵感；音乐也是一串美妙和谐的音符，它能将充满神秘和美感的旋律表现得详和静谧。

音乐的种类繁多，就像艺术和文学一样。由于人们对美有各种不同的诠释，因此从贝多芬、巴赫、肖邦和魏格纳等音乐大师的作品到普通音乐厅中传出的流行歌曲和曲调，我们都会有各自不同的选择。只有接受过教育、具有音乐品味的人才会欣赏前者，他们对于后者毫无兴趣；而普通人则是觉得所谓的经典音乐太索然无味，他们更沉迷于后者被音乐家称为“俗乐”的歌曲。

然而，好的音乐常常会对人的情感产生奇妙的效果，即便是对一个无知的人也是如此。有位诗人曾经说过：“音乐拥有安抚野蛮人胸膛的魅力。”

轻柔、动听的音乐将会使坚强的人雄心满怀；军乐团演奏的军乐使全军上下斗志昂扬；而庄严的圣曲则使朝拜者对神灵充满敬畏之感。正如诗人德莱登曾经说的：“还有哪种激情是音乐无法激发和泯灭的呢？”