[Please note: This tribute was posted on behalf of Tan Dun]
我才知道，人在离世之前，内心是那么的平和、平静、平常。Shirley(杨雪兰)离开的前一夜，她从纽约打电话到兰州找到我，我们像往常一样的聊天....可24小时后，Shirley却走了，中国、美国的好朋友们，没有一个人相信，但纽约的报纸真的是登出来了啊！Shirley她去散步了，她旅行去了，她听音乐会去了，她在逛博物馆，她睡了....。 我和Shirley认识，是九六年马友友介绍的，25年来我心中的Shirley是一个做事和做人都永不放弃的人，一个总是乐意帮人的人，一个愿意分享的人，一个永远把帮助年轻人作为己任的人，一个中美文化沟通的筑桥人！她异常执着、坚强，更是一个慈祥的妈妈、孝顺的女儿，她是一个慈悲的人！Shirley走前，听说我在甘肃和兰州交响乐团及合唱团排练《慈悲颂》，她特意打电话来说，她真想来甘肃听《慈悲颂》，她说她想回中国，她想中国的朋友.....。其实，无论《慈悲颂》在世界的哪个城市上演，Shirley她每次都会在的，但唯有这一次，她沒有来....
谭盾
写于2020年12月30日
[Please note: This is a translated reposted message from Tan
Dun]
I didn't know until now how peaceful, calm,
and normal a person can feel before passing. The night before
Shirley passed, she called me from New York to Lanzhou. We chatted as
usual... but 24 hours later, Shirley was gone. None of her friends in China and
the United States believed it, but her obituary was announced in the
New York newspapers! Shirley is just going for a walk, going
on a trip, going to a concert, visiting a museum, falling
asleep... Shirley and I met in 1996, introduced by
Yo-Yo Ma. For 25 years, Shirley in my mind is a person who never
gives up, a person who always loves to help others, a person who is willing to
share, a person who always sees supporting the young people as her
responsibility, and a bridge builder of China-US cultural exchange! She is
extremely persistent and strong, and she is a kind mother and filial daughter.
She is a compassionate person! Before Shirley left, she heard that I was
rehearsing Buddha Passion with Lanzhou Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Gansu.
She called me and said that she really wanted to come to Gansu to listen to
Buddha Passion. She said she wanted to go back to China, and she missed friends
there... In fact, no matter which city in the world Buddha Passion was staged,
Shirley was there every time, but only this time, she did not come...
Tan Dun
Dec 30, 2020
