名校励志英语演讲 63:拯救世界 拯救儿童

 　　I have started reflecting on the fact that my father grew up in the South, in a very poor family. He came of age during the Depression and his own father, who struggled to feed his children, showed little affection towards his family and raised my father and his siblings¹ with an iron fist. Who could have imagined what it was like to grow up a poor black man in the South, robbed of dignity, bereft² of hope, struggling to become a man in a world that saw my father as subordinate. I was the first black artist to be played on MTV and I remember how big a deal it was even then. And that was in the 80s!

　　我回想我的父亲是在南方一个非常贫穷的家庭长大的。他来自大萧条时期，而他自己的父亲艰难地养育着孩子，也没有对家人表现出多少慈爱，我父亲和他的兄弟姐妹是在我爷爷的铁拳下长大的。谁能想到一个在南方长大的贫穷的黑人的处境是怎么样的？被剥夺了尊严，失去希望，想拼力在这个视我父亲为下等人的世界里争得立足之地。我是第一个登上音乐电视台的黑人艺人。我还记得那有多么艰难，那还是在20世纪80年代！

　　My father moved to Indiana and had a large family of his own, working long hours in the steel mills, work that kills the lungs and humbles³ the spirit, all to support his family. Is it any wonder that he found it difficult to expose his feelings? Is it any mystery that he hardened his heart, that he raised the emotional ramparts? And most of all, is it any wonder why he pushed his sons so hard to succeed as performers, so that they could be saved from what he knew to be a life of indignity⁴ and poverty?

　　后来我父亲搬到印第安纳州并且有了自己的大家庭。他在炼钢厂长时间工作，那种工作很低下，而且对肺有害，这一切都是为了养家。难怪，他很难表露自己的感情。于是，他心肠变硬了，他树起了感情壁垒，这一切都不足为怪，不是吗？于是，他逼他的儿子们成为成功的演员，就是为了让他们不再过他所知道的那种没有尊严只有贫困的生活，这一切还奇怪吗？

　　I have begun to see that even my father's harshness was a kind of love, an imperfect love, to be sure, but love nonetheless. He pushed me because he loved me. Because he wanted no man ever to look down at his offspring.

　　我开始明白，就连父亲的咆哮也是一种爱，尽管肯定是一种不完美的爱。他逼我是因为他爱我，他不希望有人会鄙视他的后代。

　　背景资料

　　2001年3月，迈克尔·杰克逊拖着刚刚摔伤的右脚，驾着双拐在久负盛名的英国牛津大学以“保障儿童权益”为主题发表了演讲，宣传由他捐资建立的儿童慈善机构。在演讲中，杰克逊强调父母的重要性，孩子心灵的成长，父母与孩子之间的相互谅解以及对孩子的爱等等。

　　杰克逊建议所有的父母都应做到每晚在床边给孩子讲故事，以使他们时刻都能感受到爱。在讲到自己的童年以及与父亲的关系时，杰克逊满含热泪，声音颤抖。同时也理解了父亲为什么对自己和兄弟姐妹们那么严格要求。这篇演讲展示了迈克尔·杰克逊对儿童的观点及对全世界儿童真正的爱。

1 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

2 bereft   

adj.被剥夺的

参考例句：

• The place seemed to be utterly bereft of human life.这个地方似乎根本没有人烟。
• She was bereft of happiness.她失去了幸福。

3 humbles   

v.使谦恭( humble的第三人称单数 )；轻松打败（尤指强大的对手）；低声下气

参考例句：

• The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 他使人贫穷、使人富足．人卑微、使人高贵。 来自互联网
• Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before Me? 29亚哈在我面前这样自卑，你看见了么？ 来自互联网

4 indignity   

n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑

参考例句：

• For more than a year we have suffered the indignity.在一年多的时间里,我们丢尽了丑。
• She was subjected to indignity and humiliation.她受到侮辱和羞辱。