For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes. Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
对一些人来说，音乐一点也不好玩。大约百分之四的人口是科学家所说的“音盲”。音盲天生就没有识别或复制音调的能力。音盲常常分不清两首歌的区别。音盲只能分辨在音阶上相差很大的两个音调之间的区别。
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music sets them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
因此，歌曲对音盲来说和噪音一样。许多音盲把音乐声比作金属片互相撞击，音盲的生活可能很艰难。和其他人不同，他们无法欣赏音乐，其他人很难理解他们的状况。事实上，大多数人都无法开始理解音盲的感觉。音盲去餐馆或购物中心可能会感到不舒服甚至痛苦，这就是他们有意远离有音乐的地方的原因。然而，这可能导致退缩和社会孤立。“我以前讨厌聚会，”70岁的玛格丽特说，她最近才发现自己是音盲。通过研究像玛格丽特这样的人，科学家们终于学会了如何识别这种异常状况。
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
科学家们说，音盲的大脑与能欣赏音乐的人的大脑不同。这种区别很复杂，并不涉及听力缺陷。音盲可以很好地理解其他非音乐的声音，理解普通的语言也没有问题。科学家们把音盲比作色盲。
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed. For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”
当音盲的病情最终被诊断出来时，他们会很高兴。多年来，玛格丽特对自己的音乐问题感到尴尬。现在她知道她并不孤单。她的病情有了名字，这让她更容易解释。玛格丽特说：“当人们邀请我参加音乐会时，我只会说，‘不，谢谢，我是音盲’。我真希望我在17岁而不是70岁的时候学会了这样说。”
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