Naima Penniman: "Being Human" | TED Countdown

譯者: Jennifer Yu 審譯者: Helen Chang

I wonder if the sun debates dawn

我想知道是否太陽和黎明 在某些早晨會爭論

some mornings

not wanting to rise

不想從羽絨般的地平線下 的床上昇起，

out of bed

from under that down-feather horizon

if the sky grows tired

天空是否對於要隨時隨地

of being everywhere at once

adapting to the mood

適應天氣的心情波動而感到厭倦，

swings of the weather

if clouds drift off

雲朵飄來飄去是否是試圖不散開，

trying to hold themselves together

make deals with gravity

和重力達成協議 以便多遊蕩一會兒。

to loiter a little longer

I wonder if rain is scared

我想知道雨是否害怕落下，

of falling

if she has trouble

是否有放手的困擾。

letting go

if snowflakes get sick

雪花是否厭倦要一直保持完美，

of being perfect all the time

each one

每一片試圖成為獨一無二？

trying to be one-of-a-kind

I wonder if stars wish

我想知道星星死前 是否會向自己許願，

upon themselves before they die

是否需要教他們的孩子如何發光。

if they need to teach their young

how to shine

I wonder if shadows long

我想知道影子是否渴望 感受僅此一次的太陽，

to just-for-once feel the sun

if they get lost in the shuffle

是否在曳步中迷路， 不知道自己來自何處。

not knowing where they’re from

I wonder if sunrise

我想知道日出和日落 是否彼此尊重

and sunset

respect each other

even though they’ve never met

儘管未曾謀面，

if storms have regrets

暴風雨是否有遺憾，

if volcanoes get stressed

火山是否受到壓力，

if compost believes in life

堆肥是否相信死後有來生。

after death

I wonder if breath ever thinks of suicide

我想知道呼吸是否想過自殺，

if the wind just wants to sit

風是否有時只想坐著不動

still sometimes

and watch the world pass him by

看著世界從他身邊經過，

if smoke was born

煙是否天生就知道如何升起，

knowing how to rise

if rainbows get shy backstage

彩虹在後台是否害羞

not sure if their colors match right

不確定顏色是否協調。

I wonder if lightning needs an alarm clock

我想知道閃電是否需要鬧鐘

to know when to crack

才知道何時該爆裂，

if rivers ever stop

河流是否曾經停止

and think of turning back

想要回頭，

if streams meet the wrong sea

是否溪水一旦流到錯誤的海洋

and their whole lives run off-track

一生就偏離了軌道。

I wonder if the snow

我想知道雪是否想變成黑色，

wants to be black

if the soil thinks she’s too dark

土壤是否覺得自己太黑，

if butterflies want to cover up their marks

蝴蝶是否想掩蓋他們的痕跡，

if rocks are self-conscious of their weight

岩石是否意識到自己的重量，

if mountains are insecure of their strength

山對他們的力量是否沒有信心。

I wonder if waves get discouraged

我想知道海浪是否氣餒

crawling up the sand

爬上沙灘卻又被拉回原處，

only to be pulled back again

to where they began

if land feels stepped upon

大地是否覺得被踩，

if sand feels insignificant

沙子是否覺得微不足道，

if trees need to question their lovers

樹是否需要問戀人

to know where they stand

才了解立腳點，

if branches waver at the crossroads

樹枝是否在分叉處猶豫不決

unsure of which way to grow

不確定要往哪個方向長，

if leaves understand they’re replaceable

葉子是否明白可被替換

and they still dance when the wind blows

卻仍在起風時跳舞。

I wonder

我想知道

where the moon goes

月亮躲起來時去哪裡了，

when she is in hiding

I want to find her there

我想找到她，

and watch the ocean

從遠處看海洋旋轉，

spin from a distance

listen to her

傾聽她在睡夢中翻身，

stir in her sleep

effort give way to existence

翻身而露出蹤跡。

(Music)

（音樂）