LESSON 24 WHAT I LIVE FOR 我为什么而活

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.

【中文阅读】

1.我活着，为那些爱我的人，

那些心底善良、真诚的人。

我活着，为那在天上的国，

它静候着我的灵魂。

我活着，为所有与我相连的人，

为上帝赋予我的使命，

为我死后能留下光明的希望，

和所有我能做的善。

2.我活着，为了解他们的故事，

那些因我而遭受苦难的人们；

为模仿他们的荣耀，

跟随他们的足迹。

吟游诗人、爱国者、烈士和先贤，

那些历史上高贵的灵魂，

他们的事迹荣耀了史册

汇成波涛壮阔的历史长河。

3.我活着，为那些时刻而欢呼，

那些睿者所铸就的时刻：

人，需要理性活着，

绝不能沦为金钱之奴；

人与人应该和睦相处，

正义终将战胜邪恶；

世界将阳光普照，

如同最初的伊甸园。

4.我活着，为那些爱我的人，

为那些真正了解我的人。

我活着，为那在天上的国，

它静候着我的灵魂。

为那些需要声张的正义，

为那些需要抵制的罪恶，

为那光明的未来，

和所有我能做的善。

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【注释】

[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.