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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A Worker Reads History

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+ A& x  {" O  W' m" K; v5 @; P4 {Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
The books are filled with names of kings.
Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
And Babylon, so many times destroyed.
  ]( _9 v* m- f! uWho built the city up each time? In which of Lima's houses,
6 B. \4 r8 m" v+ bThat city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?
0 N, o% u' c* F# n$ hIn the evening when the Chinese wall was finished
- e7 Q; i( _# r+ ~8 X- [Where did the masons go? Imperial Rome
5 i$ W  U0 {7 {" Q: JIs full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up? Over whom
Did the Caesars triumph? Byzantium lives in song.
5 f- H# z6 T4 \; A3 jWere all her dwellings palaces? And even in Atlantis of the legend
The night the seas rushed in,
1 M. E2 q( q$ Z9 }9 \8 rThe drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.

Young Alexander conquered India.
He alone?
9 E2 j' @: d5 D% U7 d. KCaesar beat the Gauls.
% y' t1 E( }* S- LWas there not even a cook in his army?
Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet
was sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears?
1 b0 M) Y" u& k4 I0 P8 Y+ ^3 oFrederick the Greek triumphed in the Seven Years War.
Who triumphed with him?

& S6 \, |# O: b( n8 d3 b' SEach page a victory
! l& N7 E) V" j* [( a+ Y( i( ?At whose expense the victory ball?
Every ten years a great man,
Who paid the piper?

So many particulars.
So many questions.
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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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