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

Karldeutsch

某个英文译本
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' ^( f4 N( \' Z" F, [4 lA Worker Reads History



% }8 A8 L* }& N1 }Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
9 f: A; C0 P4 T$ C9 D" MThe books are filled with names of kings.
2 a( @4 M) W2 TWas it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
And Babylon, so many times destroyed.
Who built the city up each time? In which of Lima's houses,
+ T- V# u2 K- N% u1 TThat city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?
' J# |) L& @9 qIn the evening when the Chinese wall was finished
+ U. B. d5 u  }Where did the masons go? Imperial Rome
Is full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up? Over whom
; n, @1 r* Z% UDid the Caesars triumph? Byzantium lives in song.
Were all her dwellings palaces? And even in Atlantis of the legend
6 h; ?. a7 L6 `6 m/ W9 ^The night the seas rushed in,
, O* T4 `" ~& P4 SThe drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.
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Young Alexander conquered India.
He alone?
# J3 ~5 K$ z& F; CCaesar beat the Gauls.
0 A5 I& H2 ^/ N" u& y. i* z* tWas there not even a cook in his army?
Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet
! G! z* E1 X1 V! o6 Twas sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears?
Frederick the Greek triumphed in the Seven Years War.
' ^3 S  d* V2 H$ |" w9 m5 i' t7 M5 i1 BWho triumphed with him?

Each page a victory
4 R& L7 M- G' ~' fAt whose expense the victory ball?
Every ten years a great man,
Who paid the piper?

So many particulars.
So many questions.

$ U- P. s8 i3 E- Q, y$ f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？
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