听英文歌曲解析歌词:Blowing in the Wind

Blowing in the Wind

How many roads must a man walk down
Before they call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove¹ sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
How many times must the cannon²-balls fly
Before they 're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years must a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea?
How many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head
Pretend³ that he just doesn't see?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind.
The answer is blowin' in the wind

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
How many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
How many deaths will it take
Till he knows that too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin'in the wind
The answer is blowin'in the wind.

歌词大意

一个人要走多少路才能真正称作是一个人？
一只白鸽要翱翔多少海洋才能安息在沙滩上？
炮弹要飞行多少次才能永远被禁止？
我的朋友，答案在随风飘荡。
答案在随风飘荡。

一座山要生存多少年才能被冲进海洋？
一个民族要生存多久才能获得自由？
一个人要扭多少次头还是假装看不见？
我的朋友，答案在随风飘荡。
答案在随风飘荡。

一个人要抬多少次头才能看清天空？
一个人要长多少耳朵才能听见人们哭泣？
要死多少人才会知道太多的人已死去？
我的朋友，答案在随风飘荡。
答案在随风飘荡

歌词、句型分析

1．How many roads must a man walk before you call him a man?
一个人要走多少路才能真正称作是一个人？
before在此句是连接词，引导一个时间状语从句，意为：“在…前”，在翻译应特别注意。
例: I'll do it now before I forget it.
我趁着还没有忘记的时候就做吧。
We had scarcely⁴ left our school before it began to rain.
我们刚离开学校，天就下雨了。
before作为连接词，还有“与其…（宁愿…）”之意
例: The soldiers would fight to death before they surrendered⁵.
战士们宁愿战斗到死，决不投降。

2．How many times must the cannon balls fly before they're forever banned?
=炮弹要飞行多少次才能永远被禁止？
ban: 禁止，取谛；禁止，禁令
例: Swimming in this river is banned.
此河禁止游泳。
Smobing is banned in this train.
火车里禁止抽烟。
The magazine is under a ban.
那本杂志禁止持有。

3．How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?
要死多少人才会知道太多的人已死去？
take一词在英语中比较活跃，在表示（时间、劳力等）的意为：需要，费，多将it作形式主语。
例: It took(me) an hour to walk there.
步行到那儿需1个小时。
How long will it take you to finish the work?
要完成那项工作需要多久时间?

4．The answer, my friend, is blowin’in the wind.
= My friend, perhaps nobody knows the answer to these questions except God.
我的朋友，答案在随风飘荡。
（我的朋友，问题的答案除上帝之外没有人知道。即指只有上帝知道。）
这句话是一种比喻修辞用法，似乎以随风飘荡赋于听众的不定之感中暗示了这种意义。

5．How many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?
一个民族要生存多久才能获得自由？
some在句子中是形容词，意为：“某一”，表示不定。
例: He is working at some place in the north
他在北方某地工作。
Some person at the door is asking to see you.
门口有人要见你。
exist: 存在、生存、生活
例: Salt exists in many things.
许多东西中存在着盐分。
One can't exist without air.
人没有空气就不能生存。
allow: 允许、准许
allow sb. to do sth. 允许某人做某事
例: Please allow me to introduce Mr. White
请允许我来介绍怀特先生。
be allowed to do sth. 被允许做某事
例：You are not allowed to smoke here.
不允许你在此处抽烟。

1 dove   

n.鸽，温和派人物，“鸽派”人物

参考例句：

• A dove is often used as a symbol of peace.鸽常作为和平的象征。
• Paul seemed more impressed by the dove.保尔似乎对鸽子更感兴趣。

2 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

3 pretend   

vt.假装，假托，装扮；vi.假装，装作

参考例句：

• So you don't need to pretend,do you?所以你不必装假了，对吧？
• Many people pretend that they understand modern art.许多人装着自己懂得现代艺术。

4 scarcely   

adv.几乎不，简直没有，勉强

参考例句：

• He found the dullness of his work scarcely bearable.他觉得他的工作枯燥乏味，简直无法忍受。
• She scarcely earns enough money to make ends meet.她几乎挣不到足够的钱以维持开支。

5 surrendered   

n.电子放单；Telex releasedv.投降( surrender的过去式和过去分词 )；放弃，抛弃

参考例句：

• The bandit chief surrendered himself to despair and took his own life. 匪首在绝望中自杀了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She gradually surrendered her dream of becoming an actress. 她渐渐放弃了当演员的梦想。 来自《简明英汉词典》