我步入丛林
因为我希望生活有意义
我希望活得深刻
汲取生命中所有的精华
把非生命的一切都击溃
以免当我生命终结时
发现自己从没有活过
电影中的Keating老师热爱人生、崇尚自由、充满激情,他希望并鼓励重压之下的孩子们能够张扬个性,体会生命存在的浪漫与美好。他告诉孩子们不要墨守陈规,一味服从。如果站在讲台上可以使我们换一种视角看世界,那就站上去。下面我们将要听到的就是Keating老师鼓励孩子们站上讲台的片段。
Mr Keating: Why do I stand up here? Anybody?
(To feel taller.)
Mr Keating: No! Thank you for playing.
I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.
See, the world looks very different from up here.
You don't believe me? Come see for yourselves. Come on. Come on.
Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try.
Now when you read, don't just consider what the author thinks. Consider what you think.
Boys, you must strive to find your own voice.
Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all.
Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."
Don't be resigned to that. Break out.
Don't just walk off the edge like lemmings. Look around you.
There you go, Mr. Priske. Thank you!
Yes! Dare to strike out and find new ground.
Now, in addition to your essays, I would like you to compose a poem of your own, an original work.
Ooh! That's right. You have to deliver it aloud, in front of the class on Monday.
Bon chance, gentlemen.
Mr. Anderson. Don't think I don't know this assignment scares the hell out of you, you mole.
站上讲台只是一个形式,它不可能真的改变一个人既有的理解世界的方式。但这个做法的目的却在于remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way. Remind 提醒。Constantly经常地;不断地。我们必须时常提醒自己用不同的角度看待事物。
Keating老师的做法也是为了告诉学生们,阅读的时候不能just consider what the author thinks,仅仅考虑作者的观点是什么,而是要Consider what you think. 而是要考虑你自己的观点是什么。
他让学生们 must strive to find your own voice. Strive to do something 努力、力求做某事。Voice除了做“嗓音”讲,还有“(表达的)观点”之意。也就是要能够独立思考。这样做的原因就是,the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. 句子意思是,你越晚开始独立思考,找到自己的想法,就越不可能找到它们。这里用到了比较级的一个特殊句型,the + 比较级, the + 比较级,翻译为“越……;就越……”。来看一个例子:
--- How much water do you need? 你需要多少水?---- The much, the better. 越多越好。
Keating老师引用了梭罗的一句诗:"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Lead…life表示“过……的生活”,大部分人过着什么样的生活呢?quiet desperation. 看过《绝望的主妇》desperate housewives的网友们对desperation的意思一定不陌生了,它的意思是“绝望”。
诗句可以翻译为“大部分人在平静的绝望中过活”。之所以这样,是因为否定了自己可以做些改变,完全be resigned to that。Resign to“顺从”。比如:I am resigned to my fate. 我听从命运的安排。
也许对于年过半百的人说这些,意义不大,但对于一群风华正茂的高中生来说,寻找珍贵的激情和梦想却是必须的。因此Keating老师告诉孩子们Don't just walk off the edge like lemmings. 不能像疯狂地小旅鼠那样,什么都不看,就一门心思往前走,直到walk off the edge,掉下悬崖。
最后,Keating老师给大家留的作业是,写一首诗。不限定主题,不限定字数。听起来很简单的任务,对于习惯了从书本里找答案,按老师规定的方式完成作业的学生来说,还真不是意见容易事儿。所以,Keating老师用法语Bon chance,戏谑地表达了“祝好运气”。
这次作业有人认真完成,有人只写了一句来为难老师,还有学生干脆没有完成。那么Keating老师是怎样“批改”的这次作业呢?我们下期一起听。