Julian Barnes

Professor Nikolayev’s definition of a musicologist. Imagine we are eating scrambled eggs, the Professor used to say. My cook, Pasha, has prepared them, and you and I are eating them. Along comes a man who has not prepared them and is not eating them, but he talks about them as if he knows everything about them –that is a musicologist.
( Definition d'un musicologue du professeur Nikolayev.Imaginez que nous mangions des œufs brouillés , disait le professeur. Mon cuisinier, Pacha,les a préparés, et nous les mangions.Arrive un bonhomme qui ne les a pas préparés, ne les mange pas, mais en parle comme s'il connaissait tout sur eux, c'est le musicologue ).