Abigail Washburn: Building US-China relations ... by banjo

譯者: Diwen Mueller 審譯者: Ya-Chun Chuang

If you had caught me straight out of college

假如你在我大學剛畢業的時候認識我

in the halls of the Vermont State House

那時， 我還在佛蒙特州政府

where I was a lobbyist in training

接受培訓，準備成為遊說員

and asked me what I was going to do with my life,

如果你問我的志向

I would have told you

我會告訴你說

that I'd just passed the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi,

我剛通過了漢語水平考試，

the Chinese equivalency exam,

也就是中文等級考試，

and I was going to go study law in Beijing,

而且我打算到北京去學習法律，

and I was going to improve U.S.-China relations

然後致力於改進中美關係

through top-down policy changes

透過將政策改弦易轍

and judicial system reforms.

和改革司法制度的方式。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I had a plan,

我曾經有這個計劃過，

and I never ever thought

但是我從來都沒想到過

it would have anything to do

我會用五弦琴

with the banjo.

來實現這個計劃。

Little did I know

我從沒想過

what a huge impact it would have on me one night

那一夜對我的影響是如此巨大。

when I was at a party

那是在一個聚會上

and I heard a sound coming out of a record player

我聽到一個聲音

in the corner of a room.

是從房間角落的唱片機里傳出來。

And it was Doc Watson

是多克.沃曾

singing and playing "Shady Grove."

邊彈邊唱着那首 “格魯夫”.

♫ Shady Grove, my little love ♫

♫格魯夫，我的愛♫

♫ Shady Grove, my darlin' ♫

♫格魯夫，我親愛的♫

♫ Shady Grove, my little love ♫

♫格魯夫，我的愛♫

♫ Going back to Harlan ♫

♫ 回到哈蘭 ♫

That sound was just so beautiful,

多克的聲音

the sound of Doc's voice

和五弦琴的繞樑之音配合在一起

and the rippling groove of the banjo.

簡直是美妙至極

And after being totally and completely obsessed

在完全沉迷於

with the mammoth richness and history

中國文化巨大的

of Chinese culture,

豐富與歷史性之後，

it was like this total relief

再聽到這樣純正美式的東西

to hear something so truly American

完全就像一種解脫

and so truly awesome.

簡直太美妙了。

I knew I had to take a banjo with me to China.

我意識到我必須帶着五弦琴去中國。

So before going to law school in China

所以在去中國上法學院之前

I bought a banjo, I threw it in my little red truck

我買了一把五弦琴，丟到我那輛紅色的小卡車上

and I traveled down through Appalachia

然後一路旅遊到了阿巴拉契亞

and I learned a bunch of old American songs,

學到了不少美國的歌曲，

and I ended up in Kentucky

最後到達肯塔基

at the International Bluegrass Music Association Convention.

去看了國際藍草音樂聯合會會議。

And I was sitting in a hallway one night

有一天晚上，我坐在大廳

and a couple girls came up to me.

幾個女孩走了過來。

And they said, "Hey, do you want to jam?"

她們問我，“嘿，你想和我配合彈幾曲嗎？”

And I was like, "Sure."

我回答，“當然。”

So I picked up my banjo

然後，我拿起了我的琴

and I nervously played four songs that I actually knew with them.

緊張地彈了四首我會的歌曲。

And a record executive walked up to me

然後，一個唱片製作向我走了過來

and invited me to Nashville, Tennessee to make a record.

邀請我到田納西州的纳什维尔, 去製作唱片。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's been eight years,

8年了

and I can tell you that I didn't go to China to become a lawyer.

我可以告訴你的是，我沒有去中國成為律師

In fact, I went to Nashville.

事實上，我去了纳什维尔

And after a few months I was writing songs.

幾個月後，我開始寫歌。

And the first song I wrote was in English,

第一首歌，我用英語創作

and the second one was in Chinese.

第二首歌，我就用中文寫

(Music)

（音樂）

[Chinese]

［中文］

Outside your door the world is waiting.

門外有個世界

Inside your heart a voice is calling.

心中有個聲音

The four corners of the world are watching,

四方等你來呀

so travel daughter, travel.

勇於遊歷

Go get it, girl.

去吧，女孩兒

(Applause)

（掌聲）

It's really been eight years since that fated night in Kentucky.

自從肯塔基那命中注定之夜後，到現在已經8年了

And I've played thousands of shows.

我也已經演出了過逾千場

And I've collaborated

和我合作過的

with so many incredible, inspirational musicians around the world.

有很多世界各地激發人靈感的出色音樂家

And I see the power of music.

我看到了音樂的力量

I see the power of music

我看到了

to connect cultures.

音樂聯接文化的力量

I see it when I stand on a stage

特別是在西維吉尼亞州的藍草音樂節

in a bluegrass festival in east Virginia

我站在舞台上

and I look out at the sea of lawn chairs

看着台下坐在草坪上的人海

and I bust out into a song in Chinese.

我突然間唱了首中文歌

[Chinese]

［中文］

And everybody's eyes just pop wide open

每個人都瞪大了眼睛

like it's going to fall out of their heads.

就像眼珠子快掉了似的

And they're like, "What's that girl doing?"

他們不禁在想，“那個女孩子在幹甚麼？”

And then they come up to me after the show

表演過後，他們紛紛來找我

and they all have a story.

大家都有自己的故事

They all come up and they're like,

比如說

"You know, my aunt's sister's babysitter's dog's chicken went to China

“你知道嗎，我阿姨的姊姊的保姆的狗的雞去中國了

and adopted a girl."

還領養了個女孩子”

And I tell you what, it like everybody's got a story.

我告訴你，每一個人都有他自己的故事

It's just incredible.

太神奇了

And then I go to China

在那之後，我去了中國

and I stand on a stage at a university

在一個大學的舞台上

and I bust out into a song in Chinese

我唱出了一首中文歌

and everybody sings along

台下的每個人都跟著唱

and they roar with delight

他們高興地沖着

at this girl

台上的這個女孩大聲唱

with the hair and the instrument,

儘管有着不同的頭髮，用着不一樣的樂器

and she's singing their music.

卻唱着他們的音樂

And I see, even more importantly,

我認為，更重要的是

the power of music to connect hearts.

音樂的力量能將心與心相連

Like the time I was in Sichuan Province

比如這次我在四川省

and I was singing for kids in relocation schools

的地震災區

in the earthquake disaster zone.

為臨時小學里的孩子們表演

And this little girl comes up to me.

有個小女孩走到我身邊。

[Chinese]

“［中文］”

"Big sister Wong,"

“王大姐”

Washburn, Wong, same difference.

沃什波恩，王，差不多啦。

"Big sister Wong, can I sing you a song

“王大姐，我可以給你唱一首

that my mom sang for me

我媽媽被地震吞噬前

before she was swallowed in the earthquake?"

唱給我的歌嗎？“

And I sat down,

我坐了下來，

she sat on my lap.

她坐在我腿上

She started singing her song.

開始唱着她的歌

And the warmth of her body

她身體傳來的溫度

and the tears rolling down her rosy cheeks,

滑落她粉紅臉蛋的淚珠

and I started to cry.

讓我開始哭

And the light that shone off of her eyes

閃爍在她眼睛里的淚光

was a place I could have stayed forever.

讓我久久不能忘懷

And in that moment, we weren't our American selves,

那一刻，我們不是美國人

we weren't our Chinese selves,

我們不是中國人

we were just mortals

我們只是凡人

sitting together in that light that keeps us here.

坐在一片將我們維繫在一起的光輝裡，

I want to dwell in that light

我想和你們大家

with you and with everyone.

一起住在那片光裡

And I know U.S.-China relations

而且我知道中美關係中

doesn't need another lawyer.

也不需要再多一名律師

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）