听歌学英语: 重温经典-寂静之声The Sound of Silence

来自保罗·西蒙(Paul Simon )

Hello darkness my old friend.你好黑暗，我的老伙计
I've come to talk with U again.我又来和你海阔天空神侃
Because a vision softly creeping.因为有个影子悄悄潜入
Left its seeds while I was sleeping.在我熟睡时播下种子　
And the vision that was planted in my brain 这影子根植于我的大脑里
still remains¹.至今还留在
Within the sound of silence静默之声的地盘中

In restless dreams I walk alone.在不安的梦境中我独自游荡
Narrow streets of cobble stone.鹅卵石的街道狭窄幽长
'Neath the halo of a street lamp在一盏街灯的光晕下
I turned my collar to the cold and damp.我竖起衣领抵挡寒冷潮湿
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light.就在我的眼睛被一盏霓虹灯的闪光刺穿的同时
That split the night.光芒划破了夜空
And touched the sound of silence.触动了静默之声

And in the naked light I saw.在孱弱的烛光中我看到
Ten thousand people maybe more.成千上万的人们，或许更多
People talking without speaking.人们缄口却倾述心声
People hearing without listening.人们闭听却声声贯耳
People writing songs that voices never share.人们写歌却从没嗓音分享
And no one dare.没人敢
Disturb the sound of silence.打搅这寂静之声

"Fool" said I "U do not know.“傻瓜透顶”，我说，“你见识不长
"Silence like a cancer grows."静默会像癌细胞那样生长扩散
Hear my words that I might teach U."有益的教诲你当听取
"Take my arms that I might reach U.有助的臂膀你该挽起
But my words like silent rain-drops fell.但是我的话却如寂静无声的雨点落下
And echoed in the wells of silence.徒然在静默的源泉中久久回荡

And the people bowed and prayed.人们仍然顶礼膜拜着
To the neon God they made.自己塑造的霓虹灯神（文明）
And the sign flash out its warning.告示牌上闪烁出神灵的警告
In the words that it was forming若隐若现显示成行
And the sign said "The words of the prophets.告示牌上这样写道：先贤们的箴言
Are written on the subway walls and tenement² halls".涂鸦在地铁的大墙以及公寓走廊上
And whispered in the sounds of silence.在静默之声中流传远扬”

歌词解析:

Hello darkness my old friend.I've come to talk with U again.Because a vision softly creeping.Left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain still remains within the sound of silence.
第一段里，作者把黑暗当作老友来倾吐心事，可见他一向孤独，在黑暗中独语或沉思已然成为了一种习惯。而这次他要向老友说的是一个在脑中挥之不去的vision。vision,我们在这里将其翻译成‘幻影/幻象’，在这个幻影里，万籁无声。

In restless dreams I walked alone. Narrow streets of cobblestone.'Neath the halo of a street lamp. I turned my collar to the cold and damp. When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light that split the night and touched the sound of silence.
第一段提到了一种vision。到底是何种幻影呢？第二段里将这个幻影实物化了：孤寂冷湿的夜，鹅卵石铺就的街，寂寥刺眼的灯光，因为灯光的出现，寂静的一切似乎被打扰了。

And in the naked light I saw.Ten thousand people, maybe more.People talking without speaking.People hearing without listening.People writing songs that voices never share.And no one dared disturb the sound of silence.
第三段，在灯光下，一切突然分明可见。naked light指的是没有灯罩的灯所发出来的光。灯光下，人头攒动，但是人与人之间却没有真正的交流和倾听。有人写歌但是却没有人能与之产生共鸣(share)。这一切的一切没有人敢去打破。

"Fool" said I "U do not know.""Silence like a cancer grows."Hear my words that I might teach U.""Take my arms that I might reach U."But my words like silent rain-drops fell.And echoed in the wells of silence.
第四段中能看出作者的心急如焚。他告诫人们说，寂静/冷漠会像癌症一样蔓延和恶化。他希望大家能听听他的话，这样也许能够拉他们一把。但是他的话像无声的雨滴落在沉默的井底，激不起一丝涟漪。

And the people bowed and prayed to the neon God they made.And the sign flashed out its warning.In the words that it was forming. And the sign said "The words of the prophets.Are written on the subway walls and tenement halls".And whispered in the sounds of silence.
第五段里的neon God实际上代表了资本主义糜烂的物质享受。与之形成鲜明对比的是里面提到的地铁和廉价公寓，住在这些地方的人一般是流浪汉和贫困的人。歌词里面所说的先知预言实际上说的是流浪汉和穷人们涂鸦的怨言与不满。然而他们的心声被物欲横流的社会吞噬了。歌词在这里其实是抨击了一个社会事实：拜金主义导致了人与人之间的疏离和淡漠。（啊，我发现这样讲解歌词会很容易让人睡着。）


现在我们来一起朗读以下这首歌里面的生词：
darkness , n黑暗 经典例句：Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. 与其诅咒黑暗,不如燃起蜡烛。
vision，n 幻影，洞察力；想像力： He is a man of great vision.他是位非常有远见的人。
creep v 爬行，n，讨人厌的家伙 I'm a creep and I'm a weirdo.我是个讨厌鬼是个怪胎！
restless adj 不安的；好动的 He was a restless man他是个不安于现状的人。
cobble n 鹅卵石
Neath the halo of a street lamp: Neath=beneath，halo光环；荣耀 The sun had a faint halo around it太阳周围有圈淡淡的光晕。
stabbed 原形stab，刺进，n,刺伤 He doesn't have his heart in the right place. He would find every opportunity to stab in the back of others他的心术不正,动不动就在别人的背后捅刀子
neon light 霓虹
naked light 裸灯；裸光（没有灯罩的灯所发出的光）naked：赤裸的 He wandered about naked and hungry. 他衣不蔽体食不果腹在大街上游荡。
disturb v 打扰 I hate to disturb you, but I have to tell you something important. 我真的不想打搅你，可我得告诉你点儿重要的事情。
echo v回响n,回声 As the call,so the echo发出什么样的声音就会听到什么样的回声（善有善报恶有恶报）
prophet n 先知 The pity is that we are not prophets. 可惜我们不能未卜先知。
tenement n出租房 They live in a tenement.他们住在廉价公寓里
whispered 原形whisper，悄声说；低语 Then he spoke³, not this time in a whisper. 于是他说话了，这回可不是压低声音的耳语。

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 tenement   

n.公寓；房屋

参考例句：

• They live in a tenement.他们住在廉价公寓里。
• She felt very smug in a tenement yard like this.就是在个这样的杂院里，她觉得很得意。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。