LESSON 24 WHAT I LIVE FOR 我為什么而活

1.I live for those who love me,

Whose hearts are kind and true;

For the heaven that smiles above me,

And awaits my spirit, too;

For all human ties that bind me,

For the task my God assigned^[1] me,

For the bright hopes left behind me,

And the good that I can do.

2.I live to learn their story,

Who suff ered for my sake;

To emulate^[2] their glory,

And follow in their wake^[3];

Bards, patriots, martyrs^[4], sages^[5],

The noble of all ages,

Whose deeds crown History’s pages,

And Time’s great volume make.

3.I live to hail^[6] that season,

By gifted minds foretold,

When man shall live by reason,

And not alone by gold;

When man to man united,

And every wrong thing righted,

The whole world shall be lighted

As Eden was of old.

4.I live for those who love me,

For those who know me true;

For the heaven that smiles above me,

And awaits my spirit, too;

For the cause that needs assistance,

For the wrongs that need resistance,

For the future in the distance,

And the good that I can do.

【中文閱讀】

1.我活著，為那些愛我的人，

那些心底善良、真誠的人。

我活著，為那在天上的國，

它靜候著我的靈魂。

我活著，為所有與我相連的人，

為上帝賦予我的使命，

為我死后能留下光明的希望，

和所有我能做的善。

2.我活著，為了解他們的故事，

那些因我而遭受苦難的人們；

為模仿他們的榮耀，

跟隨他們的足跡。

吟游詩人、愛國者、烈士和先賢，

那些歷史上高貴的靈魂，

他們的事跡榮耀了史冊

匯成波濤壯闊的歷史長河。

3.我活著，為那些時刻而歡呼，

那些睿者所鑄就的時刻：

人，需要理性活著，

絕不能淪為金錢之奴；

人與人應該和睦相處，

正義終將戰勝邪惡；

世界將陽光普照，

如同最初的伊甸園。

4.我活著，為那些愛我的人，

為那些真正了解我的人。

我活著，為那在天上的國，

它靜候著我的靈魂。

為那些需要聲張的正義，

為那些需要抵制的罪惡，

為那光明的未來，

和所有我能做的善。

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【注釋】

[1] Assigned, allotted, marked out.

[2] Emulate, to strive to equal or excel, to rival.

[3] Wake, the track left by a vessel in the water, hence, f iguratively, in the train of.Bard, a poet.

[4] Martyr, one who sacrif ices what is of great value to him for the sake of principle.

[5] Sage, a wise man.

[6] Hail, to salute.