Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
*我知道为什么笼中鸟要歌唱
自由的鸟儿欢跳
在赢的背上
顺流而下
直到小溪的尽头
然后将翅膀浸一浸
在太阳桔黄色的光芒中
并且敢于宣称拥有天空。
可是,一只鸟儿走进
窄小的笼中
他就无法看穿
令他愤怒的栅栏
他的翅膀被剪短
他的脚趾被束缚
因此他放开喉咙要歌唱。
笼中鸟唱着
带着可怕的颤音
唱着未知的事物
却渴望着平静
他的声调
在远方的山上也可以听到
因为笼中鸟歌唱着自由。
自由的鸟儿想着另一类微风
信风轻柔地穿过叹息的树林
肥胖的蠕虫在黎明的草坪上等候
他以自己的名字命名天空。
可是笼中鸟站在梦想的坟上
他的影子大叫
在噩梦中的哭喊之上
他的翅膀被剪短,他的脚趾被束缚
他放开喉咙要歌唱。
笼中鸟唱着
带着可怕的颤音
唱着未知的事物
却渴望着平静
他的声调
在远方的山上也可以听到
因为笼中鸟
歌唱着自由。
附原作:
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are
tied so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the
sighing trees and the fat worms
waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and
he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the
grave of dreams his shadow shouts
on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are
tied so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
4. It's in the reach of my arms/The span of my hips,/The stride of my step,The curl of my lips. 这里的”reach", "span", stride和curl,在这里都作为名词用,而它们每一个词,同时都可以作动词用。原文的这样一个flow, 每一行都是一个生动的image, 所以这几个词,个人认为要重点翻译,作为arms, hips, step和lips的描绘,并完成创造imagery的功效。