It was a koto player carefully  tuning her instrument.

这是一位古筝演奏者正在仔细地调音她的乐器。

But the koto player just smiled a mysterious smile and went back to playing.

但这位古筝演奏者只是神秘地笑了笑，然后继续弹奏。

Yoshio bowed to the koto player and ran to school.

吉雄向古筝演奏者鞠了一躬，然后跑向学校。

No sounds of footsteps, no people chattering, no radios, no bamboo, no kotos being tuned.

没有脚步声，没有人们的闲聊声，没有收音机，没有竹子，没有调音的古琴。

" Sensei, " Yoshio said, " do you have a favorite sound? " " The most beautiful sound, " the koto  player said, " is the sound of ma, of silence." " Silence? " Yoshio asked.

“老师，” 吉雄说，“你有最喜欢的声音吗？ ” “最美丽的声音，” 这位古筝演奏者说， “是‘ma’的声音， 即寂静的声音。” “安静？ ” 吉雄问道。

When the song finished, Yoshio said, " Sensei, I love sounds, but I've never heard a sound like that! " The koto player laughed, and it sounded like the metal bell that  swayed in the wind in Mama's garden.

当歌曲结束时， 吉雄说：“老师，我喜欢声音， 但我从来没有听过这样的声音！ ” 古筝演奏者笑了，听起来就像妈妈花园里随风摇曳的金属铃。