'You have to be deaf to understand'

你必须聋了才能明白

Willard J. Madsen威尔德-马德森

 

“听”手讲话是什么滋味？What is it like to 'hear' a hand?

你必须聋了才能明白。You have to be deaf to understand.

 

一个小孩心里是什么滋味？What is it like to be a small child,

在学校教室里 In a school, in a room void of sound --

看到老师不停地说话 With a teacher who talks and talks and talks;

却不知所云

当她来到你身边 And then when she does come around to you,

她希望你知道她说的是什么话？She expects you to know what she's said?

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand

 

或许教师认为说话使你聪明 Or the teacher thinks that to make you smart, =

你一定首先学习怎么开口说话 You must first learn how to talk with your voice;

因此 啊喔呃 用手捂住脸 So mumbo-jumbo with hands on your face

一小时又一小时，无奈无尽 For hours and hours without patience or end,

直到发出一个模糊相似的声音 Until out comes a faint resembling sound?

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

好奇心是什么样？What is it like to be curious,

渴望拥有知识 To thirst for knowledge you can call your own,

发自内心的渴望，燃烧起来 With an inner desire that's set on fire --

你问兄弟姐妹或朋友 And you ask a brother, sister, or friend

他们知道答案却说“没事” Who looks in answer and says, 'Never Mind'?

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

站在角落是什么滋味？What it is like in a corner to stand,

你没有做错什么事 Though there's nothing you've done really wrong,

你只是使用双手 Other than try to make use of your handsW

与同学悄悄地交流 To a silent peer to communicate

你头脑中灵光一现的念头 A thought that comes to your mind all at once?

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

被大声呵斥是什么滋味？What is it like to be shouted at

当别人认为大声喊叫能让你听见 When one thinks that will help you to hear;

或者误解一个朋友的词 Or misunderstand the words of a friend

他企图解释一个笑话 Who is trying to make a joke clear,

你仍不明白他的意思 And you don't get the point because he's failed?

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

被人取笑是什么滋味？What is it like to be laughed in the face

当你试图重复地再说一遍 When you try to repeat what is said;

为了确认你已经明白的话 Just to make sure that you've understood,

你发现一些词看错了 And you find that the words were misread --

你想哭诉：“朋友，帮帮我吧” And you want to cry out, 'Please help me, friend'?

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

必须依靠别人接听朋友的电话 Upon one who can hear to phone a friend;

是什么滋味？What is it like to have to depend

给一个公司打电话 Or place a call to a business firm

发现你的话语没有传达清楚 And be forced to share what's personal, and,Then find that your message wasn't made clear? z

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

聋和孤独是什么滋味？What is it like to be deaf and alone

在听人云集的公司里与人相处，你只能猜测 In the company of those who can hear，and you only guess as you go along,

没人给你提供帮助 For no one's there with a helping hand,

你力图捕捉每个词和歌 As you try to keep up with words and song?

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

在生活的道路上 What is it like on the road of life

遇到开口的陌生人---说话速度特别快 To meet with a stranger who opens his mouth -- And speaks out a line at a rapid pace;

你不明白就看着对方的脸 And you can't understand the look in his face

因为是初次上场，你就竞争失利 Because it is new and you're lost in the race?

是什么滋味？

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

理解一些敏捷的手指描绘的情景 Some nimble fingers that paint the scene,

是什么滋味？What is it like to comprehend

使你展露笑容和感觉安宁 And make you smile and feel serene,

舞动的双手创造语词 With the 'spoken word' of the moving hand

使你本身成为那语言的一部分 That makes you part of the word at large?

你必须聋了才能明白 You have to be deaf to understand.

 

“听”手讲话是什么滋味？What is it like to 'hear' a hand?<

是的，你必须聋了才能明白 Yes, you have to be deaf to understand.

 

(Written at 1971 by Willard J. Madsen, professor of journalism at Gallaudet University. This poem was translated into seven different languages and reprinted in publications, including DEAF HERITAGE, p. 380.) 威尔德-马德森（Willard J. Madsen ）写于1971年，加劳德特大学新闻专业教授。这首诗被翻译成7种语言，多次重印，包括在美国《聋人历史》第380页刊登

问：走上艺术这条道路是受家人的影响吗？
答：几乎没有。我们家搞美术的至今就我一个。我学美术完全是个人爱好。