這期給大家?guī)硪敶髮W(xué)非裔教授Elizabeth Alexander(1962— )于今年1月20日在奧巴馬就職典禮上朗誦的由她所作的這首Praise Song for the Day。Elizabeth Alexander同時(shí)還是個(gè)詩人、散文家、劇作家,曾獲普利策獎(jiǎng)。這首詩屬于傳統(tǒng)詩歌形式中的“occasional poem”——起源于古典拉丁詩人為慶賀、紀(jì)念或緬懷特殊事件、場合、典禮(如生日、婚禮、喪禮、建筑物落成、戰(zhàn)爭勝利等)而寫下的詩作。
美國民眾對這首詩的評價(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)為其主題太過普通,“借著枯燥乏味的日常生活寫照,試圖呈現(xiàn)美國多元文化的大合唱,但其實(shí)只在詩中輕描淡寫地帶過非裔美國人在美國的歷史地位?!?nbsp;
拋開這首詩作的任何政治目的不管,我認(rèn)為這首詩還是寫得挺不錯(cuò)的,“平淡中見真”。如果一個(gè)國家的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者能做到讓人們安居樂業(yè),且有正面的精神追求,那么這個(gè)國家就是充滿希望的。正是那腳踏實(shí)地默默實(shí)干的勞作者構(gòu)成了一個(gè)國家最堅(jiān)固的基石。
文字難度:★★☆
Praise song for struggle!
Praise song for the day!
Each day we go about our business,
walking past each other, catching each other’s
eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.
All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and 1)bramble, thorn and 2)din, each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.
Someone is stitching up a hem, 3)darning
a hole in a uniform, 4)patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an 5)oil drum,
with 6)cello, 7)boombox, 8)harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.
We encounter each other in words, words
9)spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed,
words to consider, reconsider.
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.
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.
10)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,
picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering 11)edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.
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?
Love beyond marital, 12)filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to 13)pre-empt grievance.
In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the 14)cusp,
praise song for walking forward in that light.
每一天,我們忙于自己的事,
彼此擦肩而過,或瞥見對方
或無視對方,想說話或正在說話。
我們周遭全是噪音。我們周遭全是
噪音和荊棘,芒刺和喧囂。我們
談?wù)撝恳晃蛔嫦取?
有人在縫褶邊,補(bǔ)
制服上的一個(gè)洞,修補(bǔ)一個(gè)輪胎,
修補(bǔ)需要修補(bǔ)的東西。
有人試著用一對木勺敲擊油桶,
用大提琴、音箱喇叭、口琴和人聲,
在某處奏樂。
一個(gè)女人和她的兒子在等公車;
一位農(nóng)夫在細(xì)看變幻的天空;
一位老師說,拿出你們的鉛筆,開始。
我們彼此在言辭中相遇,帶刺
或溫和的言辭,喃喃低語或慷慨陳詞,
需要推敲、再推敲的言辭。
我們穿過泥路和高速公路,它們
標(biāo)志著某人和后來其他一些人的意愿,
他們說,我要看看那一頭會(huì)有什么。
我知道路的前方有更好的東西。
我們需要找一個(gè)讓自己安全的地方。
我們走進(jìn)還未能看見的地方。
明白地說吧:許多人為了這一天而犧牲。
歌唱死者的名字吧,是他們把我們帶到今天,
他們鋪設(shè)鐵軌,架起橋梁,
采摘棉花和萵苣,一磚一瓦地
建造閃光的大廈,
接著,他們打掃干凈,在里面工作。
贊歌獻(xiàn)給奮斗,獻(xiàn)給這一天。
贊歌獻(xiàn)給每一塊手寫的口號牌,
獻(xiàn)給在廚房餐桌上思索出來的妙想。
有人活著,愛人如己,
有人以不作惡,或僅取所需為導(dǎo)向
假若“愛”是最強(qiáng)大的一個(gè)字,會(huì)怎樣?
愛超越了婚姻、血緣、民族,
愛投射出的光圈不斷擴(kuò)大,
愛無需排斥怨尤。
在今天這耀眼的陽光中,在這冬日的空氣里,
一切事情皆可造就,任何句子皆可作為開場白。
在懸崖邊,在河岸邊,在重要關(guān)頭,
贊歌獻(xiàn)給在光明中的前進(jìn)。