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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/ ^: q; {% G% q. _A Worker Reads History

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Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
3 Y. I$ \. y# R* }3 d( rThe books are filled with names of kings.
Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
And Babylon, so many times destroyed.
; |! v1 S0 }3 d+ qWho built the city up each time? In which of Lima's houses,
5 _; J+ C  N( x. g4 e# jThat city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?
) D! ?0 _$ ~- g, RIn the evening when the Chinese wall was finished
Where did the masons go? Imperial Rome
2 L  t  {1 {5 {, v, fIs full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up? Over whom
, h3 C, c! \6 X9 iDid 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,
The drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.
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0 I$ p. i5 b+ L' v  Z) f; \Young Alexander conquered India.
9 T2 |) p; @( t% [) hHe alone?
! W2 h1 y$ y0 o& p: W1 bCaesar beat the Gauls.
. `+ X4 x. E& Z! u. ?0 k/ a' z7 jWas there not even a cook in his army?
; v" X  s& y; f6 K% w% c# ePhillip of Spain wept as his fleet
! v$ C; z% ]; T; ?/ ywas sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears?
+ H1 y. V3 l0 [+ ~4 s; B" `Frederick the Greek triumphed in the Seven Years War.
Who triumphed with him?

Each page a victory
  h$ A7 m' }  o  F$ n' _At whose expense the victory ball?
& n8 @! K# D0 A+ G4 FEvery ten years a great man,
3 E9 n4 _9 {, Z. M# ZWho paid the piper?
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8 D) i* F, e' zSo many particulars.
So many questions.

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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