今天為你朗讀的是奧巴馬就職典禮上,黑人女詩人伊麗莎白·亞歷山德拉朗誦的英語詩歌Praise song for the day《贊歌獻(xiàn)給這一天》。
美國(guó)歷史上,只有三位總統(tǒng)在就職大典上邀請(qǐng)有份量的詩人朗誦自己的詩作。這三位總統(tǒng)都是民主黨人。第一位是肯尼迪,第二位是克林頓,第三位就是奧巴馬。美國(guó)民眾對(duì)這首詩的評(píng)價(jià)褒貶不一。有的人認(rèn)為這首詩是真實(shí)生活的寫照,寫得很實(shí)在;有的人則認(rèn)為其主題實(shí)在太過普通。
Praise song for the day
《贊歌獻(xiàn)給這一天》
Each day we go about our business,
walking past each other,catching each other’seyes or not,about to speak or speaking.
每天我們忙自己的事,
走過彼此身邊,
讓對(duì)方看見或無視自己,想說或正在說話。
All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and bramble,thorn and din,each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.
我們的一切只是噪音。
我們的一切只是噪音和鉤刺,荊棘和喧囂,
我們談?wù)撁恳晃蛔嫦取?br />Someone is stitching up a hem,
darning a hole in a uniform,patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.
有人在縫褶邊,
有人在補(bǔ)制服上的洞,有人在補(bǔ)輪胎,
修補(bǔ)需要修補(bǔ)的東西。
Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello,boombox,harmonica,voice.
有人試著用一雙木匙打擊油鼓,
伴著大提琴、轟鳴的音箱、口琴和人聲,
在某處演奏音樂。
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says,take out your pencils. Begin.
一個(gè)女人和兒子在等公汽。
一個(gè)農(nóng)夫思忖著變幻的天空;
一個(gè)教師說:“拿出鉛筆。開始。”
We encounter each other in words,
words spiny or smooth,whispered or declaimed,
words to consider,reconsider.
我們彼此在詞語中相遇,
多刺或光滑的詞語,喃喃低語或慷慨陳詞;
推敲、再推敲的詞語。
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark
the will of someone and then others,who said
I need to see what’s on the other side.
我們穿過塵土的路和高速公路,
它們是某人意志的記號(hào),而別的人說:
“我要看看另一邊有什么,
I know there’s something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
我知道路的前面有更好的。”
我們需要找一個(gè)安全的地方,
我們走進(jìn)未能看見的地方。
Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks,raised the bridges,
明白說吧,許多人為了這一天死去。
歌唱死者的名字吧,他們把我們帶到此地,
他們鋪設(shè)鐵軌,架起橋梁,
picked the cotton and the lettuce,built
brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.
摘棉花和萵苣,
一磚一瓦地建造閃耀的大廈,
他們希望保持干凈,在里面工作。
Praise song for struggle,praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.
贊美斗爭(zhēng),贊美這一天。
贊美每一塊手寫的牌子,在廚房餐桌上想出來的。
Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thyself”,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?
有人活著,“愛人如己”。
有人相信首先不要損人,或僅取所需。
如果最崇高的詞是愛,
Love beyond marital,filial,national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.
那么愛超越了婚姻、親子、民族。
愛投射出擴(kuò)大的光圈。
愛無怨尤。
In today’s sharp sparkle,this winter air,
anything can be made,any sentence begun.
On the brink,on the brim,on the cusp,
praise song for walking forward in that light.
在今天的耀眼閃光中,在這個(gè)冬天的空氣中,
一切皆可造就,一切從此開始。
在懸崖的邊緣,在酒杯的邊緣,
在極點(diǎn)——贊美那光明中的前行。
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