我們都很美

Beauty is a good word.

Of course， when thinking of beauty， I usually think of physical beauty， the female form， a “face that could launch a thousand ships，” Helen op Troy注.

That is beauty， I suppose， or should I say superficial[表面的] beauty——eye-candy beauty. I am not sure that the above-mentioned is a full accounting of the word “beauty.”

When I was young， my mother thought the way to make me grow into a better person was to “beat the devil” out of me. She was convinced of the innate[先天的] sinful[有罪的] nature of all humans， especially her son——me. She would hold a switch[鞭子] over me and make me study for hours at a time. Come rain or shine， I studied: When finished with a book or passage， it was on to math or science. Nothing was more important than work. I did my work all right， all the while thinking， “When I grow up， I am going to kill that woman!”

I grew up. I have not killed her yet. I am pretty much over that notion[想法].

In thinking back， my mother had had the beauty beat down in her. Someone or something had injured her so that she could not—for the life of her—let her beauty show to her family. She is a beautiful woman and a beautiful person. She just could not， and still cannot， let her children see it.

I have seen her care， comfort and inner beauty manifested with other persons less fortunate——the downtrodden[受壓迫的] in life， and animals——but remain hidden from the persons she should really let it shine upon.

Over the years of performing music， I have tried to control the audience either by laughter or witty[詼諧的] banter[逗趣] or provocative[令人振奮的] songs or any number of little acting tricks to entertain while also not really showing much of my real self. Little bits of the real me can be gleaned[收集] from the lyrics of my songs——bits here and there——little hints， so to speak.

I no longer think that is enough for me. I no longer want to hide behind this facade[外觀] of I-will-kick-your-ass attitude.

I have decided now after some time and much introspection[反思] that I should not be afraid to reveal my beauty.

As men， we think it must be all machismo[男子氣概]， bluster[怒號]， bad-ass attitude and scowls[不悅之色]. I know that， speaking for myself， I was and still am to a great extent[在很大程度上] afraid to reveal my soft， sensitive and beautiful nature.

I am going to try to do better and trust that while opening and pulling back the curtains， so to speak， others will be inspired and see themselves in the process——see themselves as beautiful. We all really are， you know. We just have to have the courage to divulge[泄露] that tender inner side. I am trying.

So when you pass someone and they say， “Hey， what’s the good word，” just say， “Beauty.”

You see， “beauty” is a good word.

“美麗”是一個好詞。

當然了，每當想起“美麗”這個詞的時候，我通常都會想到外在的美麗、女性的外貌、一張“能夠發動千帆的絕世容顏”——特洛伊的海倫。

這就是美麗，我想，或者我是否應該說這只是表面上的美麗——“看上去很美”。我不確定以上所述是否能夠概括“美麗”一詞的意義。

小時候，母親認為讓我長大成才的方法就是“棍棒底下出孝子”。她深信所有人都有邪惡的天性，她兒子——我尤其如此。她會拿著一根鞭子盯著我，每次都讓我一學習就是好幾個小時。無論是下雨還是晴天，我都要學習：每學完一本書或是一段文章，接著就要做數學或是科學題。沒有什么比學習更重要了。我的成績還不錯，但也一直在想：“長大以后，我要殺了那個女人！”

后來我長大了，卻沒有殺她。我已經完全放棄了那個念頭。

現在回想起來，母親已經在內在扼殺了自己的美麗。某些人或事傷害了她，于是她一生都無法向家人展現自己美麗的一面。她是一個美麗的女人，也是一個內在美麗的人。她只是無法讓自己的孩子們看到這種美麗，直到現在還做不到。

我見過她對其他那些更為不幸的人們表現出來的關懷、安慰和內在美——例如為生計所迫的人和動物——但在家人面前，在這些真正應該向其展現關懷和美麗的人面前，她始終將其一一隱藏。

在演奏音樂的那些年里，我也曾試著掌控觀眾的情緒，利用笑聲、詼諧的玩笑、振奮人心的歌曲或是些小小的表演技巧去取悅他們，沒有真正展示出太多的自我。從我的歌曲的字里行間只能夠發現一小部分真實的自我——這里一點點，那里一點點——可以說都是些細微的暗示。

但我現在覺得這對于我來說已經遠遠不夠了。我不想再將自己隱藏在這副“我會給你點顏色看看”的面具之下。

經過一段時間的反思，如今，我決定大膽地展現自己的美麗本真。

作為男人，我們都認為男性美一定要有男子漢氣概，要呵斥咆哮、態度惡劣、橫眉怒目。我也懂，說到我自己，無論是以前還是現在，我都非常害怕展現自己溫柔、敏感和美麗的本性。

我會試著做得更好，并試著相信在帷幕拉起和放下之時——可以這么說——其他人將在這一過程中得到鼓舞并認識自我——認識到他們自己的美麗。其實我們大家都很美，你知道。我們只不過需要鼓起勇氣去展示我們溫柔的內心。我正在為此而努力。

所以說，當你經過某人身邊，他說“嗨，哪個詞是好詞”的時候，你就說“美麗”吧。

你看，“美麗”是一個好詞吧。

注：傳說特洛伊的海倫（Helen of Troy）貌若天仙，她的被誘拐成為希臘發動特洛伊戰爭的借口，由此產生了“能夠發動千帆的絕世容顏”這一說法。

AA制

關于中國的“AA制”，其淵源眾說紛紜，據維基記載，“AA”非舶來品，大概是中華的獨創。“AA制”在國外，英美人習慣上叫“Dutch treat”。看來，源于17世紀那場“英荷戰爭”，荷蘭人真的要永留英國“史冊”了。

17世紀的“Anglo-Dutch Wars”（英荷戰爭），不僅讓荷蘭人丟掉了“海上馬車夫”的殊榮，而且，一系列非褒義性“Dutch”用語由此融入英國詞匯。由于英國人的偏見，荷蘭人似乎是“摳門”的代名詞，外出就餐如果“各付己帳”就可以說成是“It's a Dutch treat”（直譯為“荷蘭人請客”，treat在此指“招待、請客”）。

此外，“AA制”還可表達為“Let's go Dutch”或者“Let's split the bill”（此種說法比較直接，欠委婉）。

有趣的是，意大利語中的AA制“pagare alla romana”，意思是“象羅馬人那樣付賬”；而在南美洲，一些西班牙人稱AA制為“pagar a la americana”，表示“以美國人的方式付賬”。看來，哪個民族都不愿說自己“摳門”噢。