我有一個志愿

I Have a Dream

老舍

Lao She

我是個沒有什么大志愿的人。我向來沒說過自己有如何了不起的學問與天才，也沒覺得誰的職業比我自己的高貴或低賤。我只希望吃的飽，穿的暖，而盡心盡力的寫些文章。

I am not an amb’s profession as superior or inferior. I merely hope to have enough to eat and enough to wear so that I can dedicate myself to writing.

在寫文章中我可是有個志愿——希望能寫出一本好的劇本來。雖然我是沒有什么遠大志愿的人，這個志愿——寫個好劇本——可的確不算很小。要達到這個志愿，我須第一，去讀很多很多的書——頂好是能上外國去讀幾年書。第二，我須有戲必看，去“養”我的眼睛。第三，我想我應當到什么劇團中作二年職員，天天和導演、演員、與其他的專門的技術人員有親密的接觸。第四，或者我還應當學學演戲，常扮個什么不重要的角色。把上述四項都作到，我還不知道我是否有寫劇的天才。假若沒有，我的工夫雖然下到了，可還是難以如愿。這個志愿真的不算小！

Talking about writing, I have a dream to realize. I hope I can write a good play some day. This dream, however, is not a small one. To realize my dream, firstly I need to read a lot or, better still, spend a couple of years studying abroad. Secondly, I must go to the theater and see as many plays as possible to cultivate my eyes. Thirdly, I should get a job at the theater for a year or two to be in everyday contact with directors, actors and all kinds of technicians. Fourthly, perhaps, I should also learn some acting, getting a minor role to play from time to time. Even with all these prerequisites fulfilled, I am still not sure that I have the aptitude of a playwright. If not, my dream cannot come true even if I have worked the hardest. So you see, in this sense, my dream is really not a small one.

恐怕有人以為我不很實誠吧——寫個劇本也值得發這么大的愿？好，讓咱們往遠里說說吧。第一，即使在沒有用文字寫出來的小說的民族中，他們也必定有口傳的詩歌與故事，人，從一個意義來說，是活在記憶中的。他記得過去，才關切將來。否則他們活在虛無飄渺中，不知自己從何而來，和要往哪里去。因此，文藝——不管是寫出來的還是口傳的一一老不會死亡。文藝出喪的日子，也就是文化死亡的時候。

You might think I am not telling the truth一making such a ftiss over the mere writing of a play. Very well. Let us look at the matter in a broader perspective. Even in a nation without written fiction, there must be bAllads and folk-tales passed down orally. Man, in a sense, lives in memory. As he remembers the past, he cares for the future. Otherwise he loses his sense of continuity not knowing where he comes from and where he is going. Therefore, literature and arts, either in written form or oral, will never die. If they did, culture would die too.

你看，文藝有多么重要！

You see how important literature and arts are!

第二，等到文化較高了，人們——受宗教的或社會行動的帶動——才發明了戲劇。戲劇比詩歌與故事年輕，而在服裝上，動作上，談吐上，都比它的哥哥們更漂亮、活潑、文雅的多。戲劇把當時的文化整個的活現在人的眼前。文化有多么高，多么大，它也就有多么高，多么大。有了戲劇的民族，不會再返歸野蠻，它需要好的故事，好的思想，好言語，好的音樂、服裝、跳舞，與好的舞臺。它還需要受過特別訓練的演員與有教養的觀眾。它不但要包括藝術，也要包括文化！戲劇，從一個意義來說，是文化的發言人。假如你還不大看起戲劇，就請想想看吧，有沒有第二個東西足以代替它？準保沒有！再看看，哪一個野蠻民族“有”真正的戲劇？和哪個文化高的民族，“沒有”戲劇？

And then, it was not until culture was further developed that man, stimulated by religious and social activities, invented drama. Drama is a genre much younger than poetry and fiction, but more beautiful and lively and more refined in constume, acting and monologue or dialogue. Drama presents to the audience the culture of the day in a vivid manner. It develops along with culture. When a nation is developed in drama, it can never be barbarized again because drama requires good stories with good ideas, refined language and good music, graceful dancing and a good stage; it also requires well-trained actors and actresses and well-mannered audiences. It is integrated with arts and culture as well. To a certain degree drama is the spokesman of culture. If by now you still held drama in contempt, I’d like you to think about one question: Is there anything else that can substitute for drama? I can assure you there is none. Here is another question for you to think about: Is there any barbarous tribe that is developed in real drama or any civilized country that is without drama?

你看，戲劇有多么重要！

You see how important drama is!

戲劇既是這么大的東西，我怎能不為要寫個劇本而下個很大的志愿呢？它的根子雖然生長在文藝的園地里，它所吸取的卻是藝術全部的養分啊！

Since drama is so important, don't you think I should make a resolution to write one? Drama is rooted in the soil of literature and arts, but it absorbs nourishment All arts.

好吧，雖然我是個沒有什么遠志的人，我卻要在今天——戲劇節一一定下這么一個大志愿。這并不是要湊湊熱鬧，而是想在文化的建設中寫寫少不得的戲劇呀！文化滋養藝術，藝術又翻回頭來領導文化，建設文化。在藝術中，能綜合藝術各部門而求其總效果的，只有戲劇。

Well, though I am not an ambitious person, I want to make a resolution on the occasion of this Drama Festival. I don’t mean to add to the clamor but to write some plays that are indispensable to the growth of culture. Literature and arts take nourishment from culture and at the same time guide and promote culture. Of all the genres of literature and arts, drama is the only one that integrates other arts with their artistic effects.

抗戰與文化建設須攜手而行。那么，我要立志寫個好劇本，大概并不能算作無聊。至于我能否如愿以償，那就看我的努力如何了。愿與戲劇同仁共勉之。

The construction of culture has an important role to play in the War against Japanese Aggression. So when I say I want to write a good play, I am not talking nonsense. As for whether I will be able to realize my dream, it all depends on how hard I work. I am willing to work in this field together with my friends and colleagues to achieve this goal.

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