A worker reads history
-------------Brecht
Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
底比斯七门何人建起
The books are filled with the names of kings.
问青史 唯帝王之名
Was it kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
难道是帝王搬起了基石与墙砖
And Babylon so many times destroyed.
几番倾颓的巴比伦
Who built the city up each time?
又是谁将它重建
In which of Lima's houses.The city with gold，
金碧辉煌的利马城
lived those who built it? 它的缔造者此刻栖居何处
In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished
万里长城完工之夜
Where did the masons go?
工匠们又要去向何方
Imperial Rome,is full of arcs of triumph.
帝国罗马 笑尽凯旋
Who reared them up?
那是谁的心血
Over whom did the Caesars triumph?
谁的战斗浇筑了凯撒的胜利
Byzantium lives in song.
笙歌缭绕的拜占庭啊
Were all her dwellings palaces?
宫殿岂是它全部的居所
And even in Atlantis of the legend
即便是在那传说中的亚特兰蒂斯
The night the sea rushed in,
在那汪洋肆虐之夜
The drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.
濒死的主人们仍在怒吼 为了他们的奴隶
Young Alexander conquered India.
亚历山大英姿勃发剑指印度
He ale?
岂是千里单骑
Caesar beat the Gauls.
凯撒挥师北征高卢
Was there not even a cook in his army?
莫非凭借匹夫之力
Philip of Spain wept as his fleet was sunk and destroyed.
当菲利普为沉没的无敌舰队哭泣
Were there no other tears?
落泪的 又难道仅此一人
Frederick the Great triumphed in the Seven Years' War.
腓特烈大帝 伟大的七年战争
Who triumphed with him?
谁与他一同凯旋
Each page a victory.
翻过一页页光辉的胜利
At whose expense the victory ball?
谁为金杯斟满了庆功的美酒
Every ten years a great man.
人间十年一伟人
Who paid the piper?
谁的白骨遍地 谁说莫问封侯
So many particulars. 这样多的历史
So many questions.
这样多道不清的谜题。