"Chasms" | Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes

譯者: Val Zhang 審譯者: Bighead Ge

There are some chasms so deep and so wide,

有一些鴻溝是如此深、如此寬

我們難以想像如何才能到達彼岸

we find it hard to imagine how we'll ever make it to the other side.

That space between who we are and who we want to be,

那差距──介於我們的現狀與自許之間

the gaps between our high ideals

那隔閡──介於我們的 崇高理想與既有現實之間

and our base realities.

The distance between what we say

那落差──介於我們的辭與意之間

and what we really mean.

The raging river that flows between what actually happened

那洶湧的河流──介於發生過的事實 和我們的選擇性記憶之間

and our convenient memories.

The lies we tell ourselves are lakes,

我們自圓的謊言是湖泊

overflowing their banks,

淹沒了他人的堤防

flooding our speech with waters, caustic and rank.

氾濫了我們的言語 既刻薄又偏激

The only bridge is the truth,

而事實是唯一的橋樑

passing through me and you, as we look one another eye to eye.

當我們四目相接時 便會搭起串聯你我之間

But so often, that look is filled with our hesitations,

但常常，我們的眼神充滿了遲疑

and we can't help but glance to the side.

我們不禁側目回避

See, we've long ago let go of the language

瞧，我們早就捨棄那些透露脆弱的言語

with which we describe our softer parts.

We learn early that those with softer hearts suffer.

我們早就學到人善被人欺

So we allow lean emotion to reign,

所以我們任冷漠主宰

never noticing that only strain has been the fruit of our restraints.

從來沒有注意到，壓抑只帶來壓力

We haven't escaped pain.

我們仍沒有擺脫痛苦

And our battle scars are far from faint.

戰後的傷疤仍清晰可見

Yet and still, despite our desire and willingness to heal,

但是且依然，儘管我們渴望且願意癒合

we often find ourselves fighting hard in the paint,

我們發現自己全力以赴

holding onto false images of everything we ain't.

緊握的卻是虛假的自我投射

So while our dream coincide, our fears collide.

疊合──彼此的期待想望 發現──彼此的恐懼相撞

And we want to know one another, but think we can't.

我們想要瞭解彼此 卻預設行不通

The gulf between empathy and equity

同理心和公平性之間的深淵

is as unfathomable as the fissures that line our collective integrity.

如同分列我們整體性的裂縫般 令人難以理解

And we spend eternal eternities

我們窮盡一生

trying to translate that into virtue.

試著將之轉化成為一樁美事

Perhaps you have met one or two of the virtuous on your path.

也許你曾在途中 遇過幾位擁有美德的君子

They are only very few,

他們猶如麟毛鳳角

and I know that I have, from time to time,

我也知道，時不時

mistaken pretenders for real,

我也會誤判偽君子

yet still make room for the possibility that it's I who's been pretending.

但仍自問或許我亦是偽善的人

Please, bear with me, I'm still mending,

請諸位，與我一起承擔吧 我的傷口正在癒合

but I'm no longer bending to the will of my injuries,

但是，我再也不會對我的傷口 或傷害過我的人卑躬屈膝

nor my injurers.

I much prefer to stretch my arms like Nüt until I become the sky.

我願像Nüt一樣張開我的雙臂 直到我成為了廣闊的天

I'd rather stretch my tongue with truth,

我願將口舌用於事實

our bridge to cross when we look one another in the eye.

成為我們四目相交時 彼此溝通的橋樑

But the tongue, like the heart, gets tired.

但是舌頭，就像心一樣，會疲憊

The weak make it hard for the strong to stay inspired,

弱者會阻礙強者保持積極的心態

like the lost prevent the found from escaping the mire,

就像無法挽回的人阻撓失而復得的人 逃離痛苦的泥沼

and the degraded stop the enlightened from taking us higher.

墮者不想讓智者 帶領我們走向高處

But no matter what you hear from the mouths of these liars,

但無論你從這些騙子的口中聽到什麼

we are one people

我們是生命共同體

with one destiny and the common enemy,

有著同樣的命運、共同的敵人

that's why it really stresses me to see our hearts so tattered,

這就是為什麼我如此憂慮 每當看到我們的心傷痕累累

our minds so scattered,

我們的心思如此渙散

our egos so easily flattered.

我們自尊如此易於被奉承

We're enslaved, yet think of our shackles as gifts.

我們淪為奴隸 卻視鐐銬為主人的饋贈

Rather than resist our masters, we let them widen our rifts,

不但沒有共同反抗權勢 還讓他們進一步分裂我們

like mindless, material junkies,

就像愚蠢、勢利的癮君子

we seek that which lowers, not lifts.

我們尋求墮落，而非提升

But somewhere in our midst,

但就在我們之中

there's been a paradigm shift.

新的思考方式萌芽了

Justice is getting restless in its chains.

正義在枷鎖中躁動不安

Our youth find it useless to separate their souls from their brains,

青年不再徒勞地區分靈魂與理智

their truth is ingrained, their integrity insustained.

他們的真理根深蒂固 他們的正直毫髮無傷

Let me call your attention to those who serve as examples.

請大家把目光轉到那些榜樣身上

Those who daily give their all,

那些每天付出一切

but their reserves are still ample.

但仍充滿力量的人

Those who battle friend and foe,

那些敢於質疑朋友和挑戰敵人的人

yet their hope is never trampled,

但他們的希望從未被踐踏

they make music, never sample,

他們創作音樂，從不取樣

and the world's ugly could never cancel

世間的醜陋永遠無法抵消

the fullness and the sweetness of their composition.

他們樂曲中的圓渾和甜美

Nor the unadulterated truth of their mission.

或損害他們任務中的純然事實

It's time we shut our mouths and listen.

是時候閉上我們的嘴、用心聆聽

Close our eyes and pray

讓我們閉上雙眼一起祈禱

為了謙遜、為了指引

for the humility and the guidance

to follow them to the way.

讓我們追隨他們踏上路程吧

Thank you.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

（掌聲）

(Cheers)

（歡呼）

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）

(Cheers)

（歡呼）

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you all so much,

非常感謝大家

you have no idea how fulfilling and energizing that is.

你們或許無法想像 這是多麼地令人有成就感、激勵人心

For the past three years,

在過去三年裡

I've had the privilege of codesigning with my neighbors

我很榮幸能夠和我的鄰居共同設計

a space in New Orleans known as Under the Bridge.

在紐奧良一個名為 「橋之下」的社區空間

In 1966, Interstate 10 landed on the Tremé neighborhood,

1966年，10號州際公路 來到杜梅（Tremé）社區

displacing 326 black-owned businesses,

驅逐了326家黑人營運的公司

over 300 live oak trees,

移除了逾300棵橡樹

effectively destroying the region's most successful black commercial district,

實際上摧毀了當地最繁盛的黑人商業區

disrupting intergenerational wealth

終止了代代相傳的財富

and truly unraveling the fabric

切切實實地瓦解了

全國歷史最悠久的非裔美國人社區

of the nation's oldest African American neighborhood.

Today, after 45 years of community advocacy,

如今，在經歷了45年的社區倡議

after 500 hours of community engagement

500個小時的社區互動

and 80 hours of community design,

以及80個小時的社區設計後

we are so excited that in 2018,

我們真的很興奮，在2018年

after capturing the voices of thousands of residents

在聆聽了成千上萬個居民的聲音

and the support of our local, federal and philanthropic partners,

和獲得當地聯邦及慈善夥伴的支持後

as the city celebrates 300 years of transforming the world,

正當這個城市在讚揚 300年來其對世界的影響

we will get to transform 19 blocks under the Interstate into community space,

我們將會把州際公路下的 19個街區轉變成社區空間

into black-owned businesses,

變成黑人營運的經濟體

in the form of the Claiborne Corridor Cultural Innovation District.

以「克萊本走廊」文創區的形式 和大家見面

(Cheers)

（歡呼）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

We will be bridging time, we will bridge memory,

我們將連結時光、我們將連結回憶

we will bridge disparity and injustice,

我們將消除貧困和不公的鴻溝

and we can't wait to see you all on the other side.

我們迫不及待和大家在彼岸相會

Thank you.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

（掌聲）