背景小知识:
故事发生在20世纪50年代的威尔顿预备学院,一所重视传统和观念保守的贵族学校。John Keating是位毕业于剑桥大学的新老师,与这个学校格格不入,而他所提倡的自由发散式的思维哲学在学生中引起了巨大的反响。渐渐地,一些人接受了他,开始勇敢地回应自己内心的呼唤,把握他们自己的人生。然而仅凭基廷和他的学生们是无法同这整个教育体系抗衡的。虽然基廷老师最终在重重压力下被迫离开,但他的影响留在了每一位学生乃至观众心中。文中选取了基廷先生的三次课堂讲话,且看他如何运用语言的魅力来唤起这群早已习惯制式教育的学生们的激情。
英式发音 适合模仿
第一课:倾听逝者的声音 Fisrt Lesson: Listen to the Voice of the Past
(Mr. Keating is pointing at the pictures on the wall.)
Mr. Keating: I would like you to step forward over here, and 1)peruse some of the faces from the past. You’ve walked past them many times, but I don’t think you’ve really looked at them. They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts, full of 2)hormones just like you, invincible just like you feel. The world is their3)oyster. They believe they’re destined for great things just like many of you. Their eyes are full of hope just like you. Did they wait till it was too late to make from their lives, even one 4)iota of what they were capable? Because you see, gentlemen, these boys are now 5)fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on. Lean in. Listen. Do you hear it? (Whispers) 6)Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives 7)extraordinary.
(基廷先生指着挂在墙上的画像。)
基廷老师:我要你们上前到这儿来,细细玩味这些逝去的面孔。你们可能从他们身旁经过无数次了吧,但我想你们从未认真端详过他们。他们和你们的差别并不大,对吧?同样的发型,和你们一样精力旺盛,和你们一样自信可所向披靡,世界尽在他们的掌握之中。跟你们中的大多数人一样,他们认为自己注定要成就大业。他们的双眼和你们的一样充满了希望。他们有没有虚度年华,以致到最后一无所成?因为正如各位所见到的,这些男孩现已化作护花春泥。但如果你们仔细倾听,便能听见他们在低声耳语。附耳过去,仔细听。听见了吗?(低语)“CARPE DIEM”,活在当下,孩子们。让你们的生命超凡脱俗。
第二课:尽信书不如无书 Second Lesson: Rip It Out and Think for Yourself
Mr. Keating: 8)Excrement. That’s what I think of 9)Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. We’re not laying pipe. We’re talking about poetry. How can you describe poetry like 10)American Bandstand? Now, I want you to rip out that page. Go on. Rip out the entire page. You heard me. Rip it out. Rip it out! (Students are ripping the book.) Thank you Mr. Dulton. Gentlemen, tell you what, don’t just tear out that page. Tear out the entire introduction. I want it gone. History. Leave nothing of it. Keep ripping, gentlemen! This is a battle, a war. And the 11)casualties could be your hearts and souls. Armies of academics going forward, measuring poetry. No! We’ll not have that here. No more Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. Now, my class, you will learn to think for yourselves again! You will learn to savor words and language! No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world. Now I see that look in Mr. Pitts’ eye, like 19th. century literature has nothing to do with going to business school or medical school, right? Maybe. Mr. Hopkins, you may agree with him, thinking “Yes, we should simply study our Mr. Pritchard and learn our rhyme and meter, and 12)go quietly about the business of achieving other ambitions.” I’ve a little secret for you. 13)Huddle up. We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering…these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.
基廷老师:鬼话!这是我对J·伊凡斯·普利查先生的看法。我们不是在铺设管道,我们是在评价诗。你怎能像跳舞选秀节目般去描述一首诗?现在,我要你们将这一页撕下来。动手啊!将整页撕掉。听见没,撕掉!撕掉!(同学们开始撕书。)谢谢你,道尔顿先生。各位,不只是那一页,把整个导论部分都删掉。我要它消失,成为历史,不留痕迹。继续撕,各位。这是一场较量,是场战争,葬送的将会是你的心智与灵魂。学术之军昂然向前,对诗句进行估量。不!我们这儿绝不如此,不再有J·伊凡斯·普利查。在我的课堂上,你们将学习独立思考,你们将学会品味文字与语言。不论他人告诉你些什么,文字与思想能改变世界。皮兹先生,我从你的眼神中读到你有这样的想法,认为19世纪文学与读商学院、医学院无关,对吧?也许是。霍普金斯先生,可能你也同意这个说法,心里想着:没错,我们只需研究普利查,学习押韵和韵律就可以了,好悄悄地实施其他的宏伟计划。我要告诉你们一个秘密,靠过来。我们读诗写诗,非为它的灵巧;我们读诗写诗,是因为我们是人类的一员,而人类充满了热情。医药、法律、商业、工程,这些都是崇高的理想,并且是维生的必需条件。但是诗、美、浪漫、爱,这些才是我们生存的理由。
第三课:高处大不同 Third Lesson: Stand Up High for Special Vision
Mr. Keating: Why do I stand up here? Anybody?
Dalton: To feel taller.
Mr. Keating: No! Thank you for playing, Mr. Dalton. I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way. You 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. ’Cause the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet 14)desperation.” Don’t be 15)resigned to that. Break out! Don’t just walk off the edge like 16)lemmings. Look around you. (Bell rings.) There! There you go, Mr. Priske. Thank you! Yes! Dare to strike outand find new ground!
基廷老师:我为何要站在这儿?谁知道?
道尔顿:以感觉高些。
基廷老师:不对,但谢谢你的玩笑话,道尔顿先生。我站在我的桌上以提醒我自己必须经常用不同的角度看事情。由这上面看见的世界很不一样。不相信我吗?自己来看,来啊!来啊!当你认为你知道某件事时,必须再以不同角度看它。即使那看来似乎愚笨或错误,你们都必须试试。当你阅读时,别只想到作者的见解,想想你的见解。孩子们,你们必须努力寻找自己的声音,因为你等候起步的时间愈久便愈不可能找到它。梭罗说“多数人都过着死寂般的生活“。别听天由命,要突破!别像旅鼠般盲目由崖边跳下,要喜闻乐见。(下课铃响了。)这就对了,普利斯基先生。谢谢,对了。要有胆量出发,找到新视觉。
