在2011年圣诞节前夕,歌手Taylor Swift通过自己的Twitter账号发布了新单曲Safe and Sound的链接。许多乐迷在听过这首歌后惊讶于Taylor Swift演唱风格的变化。Taylor Swift在这支新单曲中更加注重气息的运用,加上民谣乐队The Civil Wars的和声衬托,整首歌显得柔和凄美又暗含力量。美国音乐资讯网站Pop Crush的一位乐评人在听过这首歌后评价说:“在吉他的伴奏下,富有层次而又空灵的声音使人仿佛置身于丛林里的篝火旁,听一个真实的、让人害怕的故事。”
这首歌的确来源于一个有关战争和杀戮的骇人故事,它是电影《饥饿游戏》(The Hunger Games)的插曲。Taylor Swift受剧组的邀请为电影创作插曲,最初她听到电影名字时的第一个反应是要写一首气势磅礴的歌曲,但当Taylor Swift一口气读完与电影同名的原著小说后,她发觉细腻和情绪化的词曲似乎更契合电影和小说的主题,也更容易使听众产生共鸣,由此这首歌便以现在这种形式出现在了歌迷面前。歌曲仿佛把听者带到了战火弥漫的年代,歌词里的“你”和“我”可以有多种解读。他们可能是亲密恋人,也可能是手足至亲,无情的战火让两人不得不面对分离,在诀别的夜晚,他们能做的只能是为最爱的人唱一首摇篮曲,默默祈祷一切都会好起来。歌词中提到的“The sun is going down”(太阳西沉)和“Come morning light”(晨光初现)似乎更像是一种隐喻,分别象征着苦难的到来和终结。整首歌曲表达出的情绪是复杂的,在黑夜里期盼光明,在绝望中不放弃希望,正如Taylor Swift自己所形容的,那是一种苦涩又甜蜜的情绪。摇篮曲特有的悠扬曲调,再加上歌词字里行间流露出的怜爱和保护的意味,使这首歌在感伤之余还有着抚慰人心的力量。
“请闭上双眼,太阳就要落山。”歌曲所描绘的故事并没有落幕。在这颗蓝色星球上,仍有许多人在暗淡无光的夜里等待黎明,他们饱受战争和贫穷的摧残,承受着与至亲生离死别的痛苦。20世纪30年代,英国诗人W. H. 奥登在一首名为《安眠曲》(Lullaby)的诗中这样写道:“枯燥的午时使你饱尝/不由自主之力的控制/但当你把粗野的夜消度/任何凡人之爱都把你守护。”但愿爱的力量能赶走黑夜,但愿晨光初现之时,我们都会安然无恙。
Safe and Sound
By Liu Xiangtao (QJNU)
接下来,Gao Sir为大家推荐由曲靖师范学院的刘向涛同学为大家w演绎的Safe and Sound,请大家共同来欣赏!
I remember tears streaming down your face
我记得泪水顺着你的脸颊流下
When I said, I'll never let you go
当我说我将永不放开你的手
When all those shadows almost killed your light
当所有的阴影几乎挡住了你的光亮
I remember you said, don't leave me here alone
我记得你说过:“别把我一个人扔下。”
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight
但这一切都在今晚化作尘埃
Just close your eyes
只需闭上你的眼睛
The sun is going down
太阳已西沉
You'll be alright
你会没事的
No one can hurt you now
如今没有人能伤害你了
Come morning light
当明日晨光初现
You and I'll be safe and sound
我们都将安然无恙
Don't you dare look out your window darling
亲爱的,你害怕看到窗外吧
Everything's on fire
一切都在燃烧
The war outside our door keeps raging on
门外的战争仍在激烈的进行
Hold onto this lullaby
牢牢记得我为你唱的这只摇篮曲
Even when the music's gone
即使音乐已经停止
Just close your eyes
只需闭上你的眼睛
The sun is going down
太阳已西沉
You'll be alright
你会没事的
No one can hurt you now
如今没有人能伤害你了
Come morning light
当明日晨光初现
You and I'll be safe and sound
我们都将安然无恙
Just close your eyes
只需闭上你的眼睛
You'll be alright
你会没事的
Come morning light
当明日晨光初现
You and I'll be safe and sound
我们都将安然无恙
stream down
[for a liquid or light] to flow downward onto someone or something (逶迤漫延;流入;泉涌)
The water streamed down on all of them.
The light broke through the clouds and streamed down on all of them.
The waterfall streamed down and soaked them all.
leave sb alone
to not annoy or interrupt someone (不理会;让独自呆着;不干涉)
If you just leave her alone she'll do the job right.
go down
to lower, sink, or fall (下沉,下降,降低)
We need to get home before the sun goes down!
Police are still investigating the site where the private plane went down last night.
Stocks in the company have gone down for the third straight week in a row.
safe and sound
unharmed and whole or healthy (安然无恙)
It was a rough trip, but we got there safe and sound.
I'm glad to see you here safe and sound.