如果你能將時(shí)間儲(chǔ)存下來(lái),裝進(jìn)小瓶子里,你會(huì)用它來(lái)做什么?是給快要結(jié)束的期末考試再加上一分鐘,還是延長(zhǎng)即將去世的親人的生命?或許,每個(gè)人的答案都不盡相同。但如果問(wèn)美國(guó)民謠歌手吉姆·克羅斯(Jim Croce)這個(gè)問(wèn)題,他會(huì)說(shuō):“I’d save every day like a treasure and then I would spend them with you.”這個(gè)you指的是他的孩子。
《時(shí)光寶瓶》(Time in a Bottle)這首歌是克羅斯在得知妻子懷孕時(shí),為自己尚未出世的兒子寫(xiě)的。然而三年后,他在一次飛機(jī)失事中喪生,永遠(yuǎn)地離開(kāi)了妻子和孩子。克羅斯本想借此曲抒發(fā)初為人父的興奮與開(kāi)心,表達(dá)自己希望長(zhǎng)伴孩子身邊的心聲。誰(shuí)知命運(yùn)弄人,他沒(méi)來(lái)得及看兒子長(zhǎng)大就匆匆離開(kāi)人世。歌曲原本是美好夙愿的寄托,后來(lái)卻仿佛成了不幸災(zāi)難的預(yù)示。克羅斯去世后,這首感情真摯、曲調(diào)溫婉、風(fēng)格清新又帶有幾分哲理的歌開(kāi)始流行,并連續(xù)兩周蟬聯(lián)Billboard Hot 100排行榜冠軍。即使在今天,這首歌仍然膾炙人口,這也算是對(duì)克羅斯妻子及孩子的一個(gè)安慰——大家從未忘記他。在歌曲中,克羅斯表達(dá)了自己對(duì)理想的向往,同時(shí)也伴隨著對(duì)現(xiàn)實(shí)的無(wú)奈:向往的是將每分每秒都儲(chǔ)存在瓶子里好好收藏,然后和孩子一起度過(guò);無(wú)奈的是人生匆匆,時(shí)間從來(lái)都不夠用,他也因此更想在有限的時(shí)間里盡可能陪伴孩子左右。
《時(shí)光寶瓶》曾成為多部電影的插曲或背景音樂(lè),最近一次登上銀幕是在2014年的熱門電影《X戰(zhàn)警:逆轉(zhuǎn)未來(lái)》(X-Men: Days of Future Past)中。影片中,當(dāng)X戰(zhàn)警們即將遭到人類警察襲擊時(shí),快銀俠(Quicksilver)以閃電般的速度在眾人中間移動(dòng),將人類警察射出的子彈移位,保證了X戰(zhàn)警的安全。他在不到一秒的時(shí)間內(nèi)完成了這一系列動(dòng)作,使得時(shí)間仿佛是靜止一般,真的被儲(chǔ)存了下來(lái),而《時(shí)光寶瓶》這首歌便十分應(yīng)景地出現(xiàn)在了這段電影情節(jié)中。
當(dāng)然,對(duì)常人來(lái)說(shuō),時(shí)間只能流動(dòng),不能被儲(chǔ)存。漫長(zhǎng)歲月中,我們并非事事如意,有歡笑的時(shí)候,也有垂淚的時(shí)候。但正是由于時(shí)間從不停止前行,人生的每一段經(jīng)歷才變得特別而難忘。好在雖然時(shí)間不能儲(chǔ)存,但記憶可以儲(chǔ)存。那就在有限的時(shí)間里多做自己想做的事,多陪伴自己所愛(ài)的人吧——我們?nèi)绻麚碛胸S富、溫暖的記憶,又何懼時(shí)間的流逝?
TIME
IN A BOTTLE
Listening amp; Speaking
——如果
時(shí)間能儲(chǔ)存
Time in a Bottle
If I could save time in a bottle,
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day till eternity passes away,
Just to spend them with you.
If I could make days last forever,
If words could make wishes come true,
I’d save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with you.
★ But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do, once you find them.
I’ve looked around enough to know
That you’re the one I want to go through time with. ★
If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true,
The box would be empty, except for the memory of how
They were answered by you.
(Refrain ★)