Bad news, bad news,
Come to me where I sleep,
Turn, turn, turn again.
Sayin’ one of your friends
Is in trouble deep,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
Tell me the trouble,
Tell once to my ear,
Turn, turn, turn again.
Juliet prison
For ninety-nine years,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
Oh what’s the charge
Of how this came to be,
Turn, turn, turn again.
Manslaughter
In the highest of degrees
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
I sat down and wrote
The best words I could write,
Turn, turn, turn again.
Explaining to the judge
I’d be there on Wednesday night,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
Without a reply,
I left by the moon,
Turn, turn, turn again.
And was in his chambers
By the next afternoon,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
Did you tell me the facts?
I said without fear,
Turn, turn, turn again.
That a friend of mine
Would get ninety-nine years,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
A crash on the highway
Flew a car to a field,
Turn, turn, turn again.
There was four persons killed
And he was at the wheel,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
But I know him as good
As I’m knowin’ myself,
Turn, turn, turn again.
And he wouldn’t harm a life
That belonged to someone else,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
The judge spoke
Out of the side of his mouth,
Turn, turn, turn again.
Sayin’, “The witness who saw,
He left little doubt,”
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
That may be true,
He’s got a sentence to serve,
Turn, turn, turn again.
But ninety-nine years,
He just don’t deserve,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
Too late, too late,
For his case it is sealed,
Turn, turn, turn again.
His sentence is passed
And it cannot be repealed,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
But he ain’t no criminal
And his crime it is none,
Turn, turn, turn again.
What happened to him
Could happen to anyone,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
And at that the judge
jerked forward
And his face it did freeze,
Turn, turn, turn again.
Sayin’, “Could you kindly leave
My office now, please,”
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
The room was funny
And I stood up so slow,
Turn, turn, turn again.
With no other choice
Except but far to go,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
I walked down the hallway
And I heard his door slam,
Turn, turn, turn again.
I walked down the courthouse stairs
And I did not understand,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
And I played my guitar
Through the night to the day,
Turn, turn, turn again.
And the only tune
My guitar could play
Was, “Oh the Cruel Rain
And the Wind.”
Lord I’ve really been real stressed
Down and out, losin ground
Although I am black and proud
Problems got me pessimistic
Brothers and sisters keep messin up
Why does it have to be so damn tuff?
I don’t know where I can go
To let these ghosts out of my skull
My grandmas past, my brothers gone
I never at once felt so alone
I know you’re supposed to be my steering wheel
Not just my spare tire (home)
But lord I ask you (home)
To be my guiding force and truth (home)
For some strange reason it had to be (home)
He guided me to Tennessee (home)
(Chorus) Take me to another place
Take me to another land
Make me forget all that hurts me
Let me understand your plan
Lord it’s obvious we got a relationship
Talkin to each other every night and day
Although you’re superior over me
We talk to each other in a friendship way
Then outta nowhere you tell me to break
Outta the country and into more country
Past Dyesburg into Ripley
Where the ghost of childhood haunts me
Walk the roads my forefathers walked
Climbed the trees my forefathers hung from
Ask those trees for all their wisdom
They tell me my ears are so young (home)
Go back to from whence you came (home)
My family tree my family name (home)
For some strange reason it had to be (home)
He guided me to Tennessee (home)
Chorus
Now I see the importance of history
Why people be in the mess that they be
Many journeys to freedom made in vain
By brothers on the corner playin ghetto games
I ask you lord why you enlightened me
Without the enlightment of all my folks
He said cuz I set myself on a quest for truth
And he was there to quench my thirst
But I am still thirsty…
The lord allowed me to drink some more
He said what I am searchin for are
The answers to all which are in front of me
The ultimate truth started to get blurry
For some strange reason it had to be
It was all a dream about Tennessee
再看看我们。这段时间不断有新的“沾奶字的”食品被检出三聚氰胺,从咖啡伴侣到大白兔奶糖无一幸免。政府为什么不公布检测出来的具体含量?是否应该说明一下微量三聚氰胺是否有害?这件事又被美国人先做了。美国FDA不久前说,微量三聚氰胺(小于2.5PPM)对人体无害,请大家不要紧张。这条消息被国内网站转载后,立刻又被“扎堆正义者”们的口水淹没了。他们信誓旦旦地说:美国FDA从来没说过这话!中国政府无耻!中国奶制品企业无耻!那么好,请看下面这个英文报道:FDA: Tiny bit of melamine OK in most foods,不懂英语的请找人翻译一下。
If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine 如果我写的歌词能如金色的阳光般闪亮
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung 如果我作的曲调被一把无弦的竖琴奏响
Would you hear my voice come thru the music 你还会在歌声中分辨出我的声音吗?
Would you hold it near as it were your own? 你还会珍视它,就像她属于你自己一样?
It’s a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken 这歌声来自传统,可其内涵早已变了样
Perhaps they’re better left unsung 也许我们不应该再把她们歌唱
I don’t know, don’t really care 我不知道该怎么做,也不想知道
Let there be songs to fill the air 我只想让歌声继续在空气中飘扬
(Chorus) (合唱)
Ripple in still water 死水泛涟漪
When there is no pebble tossed 没有人抛过石子
Nor wind to blow 也无风吹过
Reach out your hand if your cup be empty 如果你的杯子空了,请伸出你的手
If your cup is full may it be again 如果你的杯子已满,愿它永远不干
Let it be known there is a fountain 告诉所有的人,有一处喷泉
That was not made by the hands of men 但却绝对不是人类所建
There is a road, no simple highway 在黎明和黑夜来临之间有一条路
Between the dawn and the dark of night 但绝对不是一条宽广的高速公路
And if you go no one may follow 一旦上路就无人和你同行
That path is for your steps alone 你将只能听见自己的脚步
You who choose to lead must follow 一旦上路你必须跟随前人的脚步
But if you fall you fall alone 即使你摔倒在地也没人把你搀扶
If you should stand then who’s to guide you? 假如你站了起来,谁来为你指明方向?
If I knew the way I would take you home 假如我识途,我将把你引上回家的路
La la la la…… 啦啦啦……
说起来有点不好意思,我第一次对甘地事迹有些了解,不但很晚,而且是通过一个故事片,Richard Attenborough执导的《甘地》,它在1982年获得11项奥斯卡金像奖题名、最终获得包括最佳影片、最佳导演、最佳男主角等8个奖项。如此得奖的传记大片,一个特点就是对史实会相当考究不敢掉以轻心,所以从大众普及角度,这确是普通人了解一个历史人物和一段历史的捷径。电影是一种很煽情手段,一般来说,被电影煽过一煽,会对你喜欢的人物更喜欢,对你尊重的人物更尊重。所以那次看电影的经验着实让我吃了一惊,我可以说是带着景仰走进去,满怀狐疑走出来。从此提起甘地,我条件反射般的反应是问号。要消除这些问号,还是要看书。于是在去年我看了甘地自传《Mahatma Gandhi--His Own Story》,然后匆匆忙忙在年底去了一次印度。
近年来印度学界研究的“复杂甘地”逐渐向民间扩散。一个例证是印度到迪拜的飞机上,就在播放刚刚上映4个月的新电影:《我的父亲甘地》。虽然这不是一个精心制作的大片,可它是个货真价实的“印度电影”--由印度导演Feroz Abbas Khan执导,由印度宝莱坞明星Anil Kapoor制片,通过讲述甘地大儿子失败的人生故事,折射了甘地作为人的个性另一面:在家里的专制,剥夺孩子们上学的机会,给他们的人生带来极大困扰。虽然这无损圣雄光环,可是一个民间解构,对印度也并不寻常。
甘地的非暴力言论很多,象《Ganhdi on Non-violence》这样的书也不少。这些言论大多是类宗教的信条。例如:“非暴力抵抗精神的获得,是一种在自我否定和欣赏我们自身内部潜力的长期训练,它改变一个人的人生观……它是最伟大的力量,因为它是灵魂的最高表现。”“我的一贯经验使我确信,除了真理以外,没有别的神。”“非暴力的两个基本点是:1.非暴力是最高法或宇宙法。2.除了真理没有任何别的法。”而“非暴力”就是他追求的占据神位的“真理”。甘地把政治性非暴力的理论,建立在类殉教的信念和热情上。这也是甘地经常宣布绝食的原因;从小母亲宗教性的禁食始终留在他心里。