布莱希特诗一首 Fragen eines lesenden Arbeiters / A Worker Reads History

Karldeutsch

某个英文译本


* Y( S0 i9 [! @* T' B8 V# |6 UA Worker Reads History
: d6 L; Q  ~  c& }

! ~% e7 ^6 r8 H
Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
The books are filled with names of kings.
) U+ W) q4 \  RWas it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
& a) `4 u' z$ SAnd Babylon, so many times destroyed.
8 `) W) Z  c/ F8 g2 t% ~Who built the city up each time? In which of Lima's houses,
That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?
In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished
Where did the masons go? Imperial Rome
Is full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up? Over whom
Did the Caesars triumph? Byzantium lives in song.
Were all her dwellings palaces? And even in Atlantis of the legend
The night the seas rushed in,
! Y4 E7 Y1 Q5 J7 K& q! {The drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.

Young Alexander conquered India.
- A5 {6 ~' R! `: k* @$ ~He alone?
) h' s7 p) }3 c' r& Z0 P! WCaesar beat the Gauls.
7 s5 U0 P7 i, Q# a& HWas there not even a cook in his army?
Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet
was sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears?
Frederick the Greek triumphed in the Seven Years War.
$ X5 n# E9 M8 ]' g" q4 dWho triumphed with him?

! y" ]" \$ X$ P) @% G# ^Each page a victory
2 N+ M/ K! X- X( _At whose expense the victory ball?
; A) K6 f  H' L/ @9 x) P: G& XEvery ten years a great man,
! F- R% u: o! x6 A4 z$ }) e! Z+ w6 CWho paid the piper?
* i( `, m& L- r( ]$ o8 B/ x
So many particulars.
So many questions.

) V/ j4 ]/ ]. l# ?+ ?$ J此诗为耶鲁大学John Merriman历史202（现代欧洲史）第一堂大课所提，引人深思。历史到底是个啥？
' V' I- i) B9 S! T' K
+ f5 T" d- Y9 U2 Z' ~