爷爷的钟 第10期

My grandfather’s clock

Was too large for the shelf

So it stood ninety years on the floor

It was taller by half

Than the old man himself

Though it weighed not a pennyweight注 more

It was bought on the morn[早晨]

Of the day that he was born

It was always his treasure and pride

But it stopped short

Never to go again

When the old man died

*Ninety years without slumbering[睡眠]

Tick, tock, tick, tock

His life seconds numbering

Tick, tock, tick, tock

It stopped short

Never to go again

When the old man died*

In watching its pendulum[钟摆]

Swing[摇摆] to and fro

Many hours had he spent as a boy

And in childhood and manhood

The clock seemed to know

And share both his grief and his joy

And it struck twenty-four

When he entered at the door

With a blooming[妙龄的] and beautiful bride

But it stopped short

Never to go again

When the old man died

Repeat*

It rang an alarm

In the dead of the night

An alarm that for years had been dumb

And we knew that his spirit

Was pluming his flight

That his hour of departure had come

Still the clock kept the time

With a soft and muffled[压抑的] chime[鸣]

As we silently stood by his side

But it stopped short

Never to go again

When the old man died

我爷爷的钟好大

连架子都搁不下

于是它在地板上一站就是九十年

尽管它比爷爷本人

高出半个身子

它并不比老人重

爷爷出生的那天早晨

它被买进家门

一直是爷爷的宝贝和骄傲

但老人离世那一刻

座钟突然停下

再也不走了

*九十年来没有打过盹儿

滴答,滴答,滴答,滴答

记录着他生命的每一秒

滴答,滴答,滴答,滴答

但老人离世那一刻

座钟突然停下

再也不走了*

小小少年

看着钟摆摇来摇去

一看就是数小时

童年渐逝,长大成人

座钟读懂他的心

分享他的悲伤与欢乐

当他带着美丽的妙龄新娘

踏进大门时

它敲了二十四响

但老人离世那一刻

座钟突然停下

再也不走了

重复*

夜深人静

它敲响钟声

那是沉寂多年的一声钟响

让我们明白

他的灵魂准备远飞

离别的时刻已经到来

我们默默地站在他床边

座钟还在用柔和低沉的钟声

继续走动

但老人离世那一刻

座钟突然停下

再也不走了

歌的故事

这首创作于19世纪的著名童谣经久传唱,已被世人演绎出无数各具特色的版本,从童声合唱的清新嘹亮到平井坚的悠扬深情,每每总能给听者带来不同的感受。而最近听见的这个版本来自巴西,满缀着南美特有的、“巴萨诺瓦”(Bossa Nova)式的慵懒风情。傍晚时分,歌声飘荡在落日的窗台,仿佛遥遥看见雨林渐渐沉睡的夜色――那份童年的纯真和美好,让最焦躁不稳的心也不由沉静下来,不由侧耳倾听,那首记载着久远记忆的、轻柔舒缓的

摇篮曲……

注:英钱,也有人音译为“本尼威特”,英国金衡单位。