In this time and space background, American folk singer paul simon wrote this well-known and thought-provoking song: The Sound of Silence, dedicated to the turbulent 1960s. It's a pity that such a good song was not favored when 1964 was released, and people still listened but didn't hear it. Columbia Records will not consider rearranging the song and releasing it as a single unless a DJ likes it very much and increases the frequency of playing it on the radio. However, talents like paul simon seem destined not to be buried by the times. So the most beautiful duet in history, Simon and Garfinko (Simon &; Garfunkel) was reborn in this rearranged "The Sound of Silence".
Let's discuss in detail the "Song of Protest", the first sober-up. When discussing this song, you may have a question. Is this song The Sound of Silence, The Sound of Silence or The Sound of Silence? If Simon sings alone, it is the sound of silence. If Sego sings together, it is the sound of silence. Is there a definite article the? The track of the second album is the Sound of Silence, without The. So it depends on which album you buy, but most music books and periodicals are printed as the Sound of Silence. The correct song title should be this.
This song itself is a wonderful poem with a rigorous structure. It's really difficult to do everything in translation, so I have to leave out the phonological part and try to keep the form and meaning (content and structure) of the original poem in the process of text conversion, and then reread it when my translation skills are improved. Based on the meaning of this song, this paper discusses it paragraph by paragraph and explores its deep meaning.
This song * * * is divided into five sections, which are linked together in one go. In the first paragraph, the speaker came to his old friend in the dark and poured out his heart as an old friend. It can be seen that he has always been lonely, and it is not the first time to be alone or to meditate in the dark. This time, what I want to tell my dark friends is an illusion that haunts my mind. Vision is translated into illusion because it often appears in the narrator's dreams, which is so unreal but so real.
The second paragraph is about the phantom reality. In the dream, the narrator is always uneasy and walks alone on the cobblestone street. Judging from the words "glow under the street lamp" and "I turned my collar over to the cold dam", it must be a wet and cold night. On such a lonely and cold night, he was awakened by the sudden neon lights and experienced the real "silence". "Light" originally had positive meanings such as civilization, hope and enlightenment. Here, paul simon reversed this image.
The third paragraph enters the climax of the phantom. Naked is naked, naked women are naked women, naked eyes are naked eyes, and naked light is light without lampshade, which is very strong because it is direct. He saw thousands of people in such strong light. These people are talking, but the content of the conversation is empty and meaningless, so they are talking without saying; ; On the other hand, the person who receives the word is listening in one ear and out the other, so he is absent-minded, so he is listening but not listening. He can skillfully put these ordinary and simple words together to achieve artistic effects. He is really a master of folk songs. In addition to empty talk and absent-mindedness, some people sing insincerely and without feelings when writing songs. Writing songs is one thing, singing is another. People's voices can't be shared with their own songs. Even so, no one dares to face up to this problem and disturb this silence.
Therefore, the narrator is anxious and warns them angrily that silence is terrible, because silence, like cancer, will spread until it devours everyone. He asked everyone to listen to him carefully so that he could help them. However, no one paid attention to him. His words are like silent rain dripping at the bottom of a silent well, which can't arouse a ripple.
In this way, everyone is still the same, worshipping and praying for the neon god they created. The neon god here and the neon light in the second paragraph are interrelated, and the symbolic meaning is vividly displayed. It was not until this section of the five-line subway wall and the six-line Tanglou hall that the real meaning finally appeared. Subway walls are usually the homes of homeless people, and serviced apartments are better than slums at best. In contrast, neon lights form a strong contrast, which represents capitalist civilization and its decadent material enjoyment. In the second paragraph, paul simon used a metaphor to turn the positive meaning represented by light upside down, making it the source of chaos, because neon lights sting people and make them lose sight of the direction, and because people covet material comforts and ignore things around them. Therefore, neon lights are a symbol of money worship. Just as the narrator tried in vain to set things right, a warning message flashed on the neon sign, which read: "The prophet's words were written on the subway wall and in the lobby of the apartment." Prophets are not people who can predict the future mentioned in religion, but homeless people and poor people. They often write their complaints and dissatisfaction on subway walls and apartment halls, but these voices are drowned out in this materialistic society.
Writing here, we can find that this song basically contains two themes, one is attacking capitalist money worship, and the other is alienation and indifference between people, which leads to the loss of human communication ability. In fact, these two themes are mutually causal. Since the word "silent public" appeared, "silence" is almost equivalent to "indifference". The next paragraph is taken from a note written by art garfunkel for Simon's first book. From the annotation of the song "The Silent Voice", we can lose one thing:
The Sound of Silence is an important work. At that time, we were looking for a song with a wide range of themes. No one expected that the theme of this song was even worse. 1 1 month, Paul already has the theme and melody of this song, but the birth of this song still needs three months of hard work, and the process of hard work is sometimes frustrating. February 1964, 19, this song was written by myself. Its theme is that people can't communicate with each other. The author sees that the scope of communication between people is limited to superficial and commercial transactions (neon signs can show it). Because there is no serious communication, no serious understanding-"people are talking but not talking, people are listening but not listening", no one dares to risk reaching out.
(Take my arm so that I can reach out to you) Disturb the silence. The poet's efforts are also in vain (but my words are like raindrops falling silently in countless silent wells). The ending is puzzling. This is my understanding of this song, but like other good works, it is best for everyone to interpret it themselves. This song tells us that when meaningful communication fails, the only sound left is silence. 』
In today's era of advanced technology and unimpeded Internet, Simon's The Sound of Silence is of epoch-making significance. Simon's song seems to tell us: "In a sea of people, people follow others, and we feel lonely all the time.". Stop and let's have a good communication, or human relations will deteriorate day by day and become the victims of science and technology in the 20th century. 』
Song: The Sound of Silence
Singer: Simon &; Garfinkel album: graduates
[ti: the sound of silence]
[ar: Simon garfinkel]
[Al: Graduate]
The Voice of Silence-The Voice of Silence of Simon garfinkel
You are so dark, my old friend. Good night, my old friend.
I came to talk to you again.
Because an illusion is spreading quietly. Because a ghost crawled silently.
I left seeds when I slept. I left seeds when I slept.
The vision implanted in my mind. This illusion has taken root in my mind.
Still exists. I can't get rid of it.
In the sound of silence! In this silent moment!
In an uneasy dream, I walked alone. I walk alone in countless impetuous dreams.
A narrow street paved with pebbles. Walking on the narrow cobblestone street.
Under the halo of the street lamp. The halo of the street lamp overhead enveloped me.
I turned up my collar against the cold moisture. I turned up my collar against the cold and humidity at night.
When my eyes were shocked by the flash of neon lights.
Through the night sky. Also broke through the night sky.
Touched the silent voice. Broke the silence of night.
In the naked night, I saw. I saw it in the naked light-
Ten thousand people, maybe more. Thousands of people, maybe more.
People talk without talking. Some people are talking nonsense.
People listen but don't smell. Some people are listening to others casually.
Songs that people create are never shared by sound. Some people are writing songs that will never be sung.
No one dares. But no one dares to go-
The sound of breaking the silence. Break the silence.
"Fool," I said, "you don't know." I said, "Fool, you don't know."
"Silence grows like cancer." Silence will spread like cancer cells.
"Listen to me and I may teach you." Listen to me so that I can teach you.
"Hold my arm, I can reach you." Take my hand, I can save you.
But my words are like silent rain drops. But my words are like silent raindrops.
Echoes in the silent well. Echoes in the quiet yard in vain.
People bow and pray. People still worship.
To the neon lights they created. We made our own neon statue.
The sign flashed its warning. The neon lights suddenly flashed warning signals.
In the words of its formation. The epigram gradually took shape.
The sign says "Prophet's Word". Omen display: Prophet's prophecy.
It is written on the wall of the subway tension hall. " It's all written on the subway wall and in the corridor of the serviced apartment.
Whisper in the silent voice. This kind of warning is also passed softly in silent silence.