As I Grew Older                                                长大后

    Langston Hughes                                           兰斯顿.休斯

It was a long time ago.                                      那是很久以前了。

I have almost forgotten my dream.                            我已快忘了我曾有梦。

But it was there then,                                       不过那时的确是有的，

In front of me,                                              在我面前，

Bright like a sun--                                          像太阳一样耀眼——

My dream.                                                    我的梦。

And then the wall rose,                                      后来竖起了一堵墙，

Rose slowly,                                                 渐渐越来越高，

Slowly,                                                      渐渐地，

Between me and my dream.                                     竖在我和我的梦之间。

Rose until it touched the sky--                              一直高到与天相接——

The wall.                                                    那墙。                   

Shadow.                                                      暗影。

I am black.                                                  我全身漆黑。

I lie down in the shadow.                                    我躺倒在那暗影里。

No longer the light of my dream before me,                   面前再无那梦的光芒，

Above me.                                                    头上也没有。

Only the thick wall.                                         只有那堵厚厚的墙。

Only the shadow.                                             只有那片暗影。

My hands!                                                    我的双手啊！

My dark hands!                                               我黝黑的手啊！

Break through the wall!                                      将那墙打穿！

Find my dream!                                               寻回我的梦！

Help me to shatter this darkness,                            帮我粉碎这片漆黑，

To smash this night.                                         将这暗夜摧毁。

To break this shadow                                         让这片阴影碎成

Into a thousand lights of sun,                               一千束灿烂的阳光！        

Into a thousand whirling dreams                              一千束炫目的梦想

Of sun!                                                      的光芒！