來看看Nas想對下一代的黑人孩童們說些什麼吧！
[Hook: Nas + Kids!]
我知道我可以 (我知道我可以！)
I know I can (I know I can!)
成為我想成為的人 (成為我想成為的人！)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be!)
只要我努力 (只要我努力！)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it!)
我就會抵達我的目標 (我就會抵達我的目標！)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be!)
[Verse 1]
當一個..., B-Boys 和女孩們, 聽好了 Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up
你可以成為世界上的任何人事物, 我們相信上帝
You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
成為建築師, 醫生, 或是女演員
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
但沒有不勞而獲的事, 凡事都需要反覆練習
But nothing comes easy, it takes much practice
像是, 我曾遇見一個女人, 準備要出道成為明星
Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
他非常的美麗, 讓所有人都為之驚嘆
She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
唱著歌, 像是蓮那荷恩, 只是是年輕版本的她
Singing songs, Lena Horne, but the younger version*1
沒想到跟錯了人混
Hung with the wrong person
讓她染上的毒癮
Got her strung on that*2
海洛因, 古柯鹼, 吸著這些毒品, 通通進了他的鼻子裡
Heroin, cocaine, sniffing up drugs, all in her nose
她很有可能就這樣丟了性命, 還如此年輕, 現在她看起來又醜又老
Could've died, so young, now, looks ugly and old
她的擁抱不再令人愉悅, 大家只是憋著氣
No fun cause when she reaches for hugs, people hold their breath
因為她散發著腐敗和死亡的味道
Cause she smells of corrosion and death
注意你的朋友, 和跟你混的人
Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
因為他們只想著毒品, 而你仍舊想著唱歌
Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
所以如果你想要成為最棒的, 讓我來告訴你如何辦到
So if you gonna be the best, I'mma tell you how
把你的手放在空中, 然後複誦這個誓約
Put your hands in the air, and take the vow
[Hook]
[Verse 2]
當一個..., B-Boys和女孩們, 再次聽到這邊
Be, b-boys and girls, listen again
曾有個看起來很成熟的十歲女孩
This is for grown-looking girls who's only 10
一個看到什麼影片就跟著做的小女孩
The ones who watch videos and do what they see
長的能多可愛就多可愛, 但她拿著假的身分證去夜店玩
As cute as can be, up in the club with fake ID
小心點, 在妳遇見帶著HIV的男人之前...
Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV
...妳還能主持電視節目, 像是歐普拉一樣
You can host the TV like Oprah Winfrey
無論妳要做什麼決定, 要三思, 因為妳遇見的人...
Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be
...很可能是強暴犯, 所以當個像妳年紀的人吧, 不要裝作...
Rapists, so act your age, don't pretend to be
...比自己實際還成熟, 給自己一點時間去長大
Older than you are, give yourself time to grow
妳以為他可以給妳財富, 但...
You thinking he can give you wealth, but so
...年輕的男孩們, 你確實是可以做到這點的, 你知道的
Young boys, you can use a lot of help, you know
你以為每天的生活就是呼麻或吸冰毒
You thinkin life's all about smokin weed and ice*2
你不會想要到了我這年紀卻還不識字
You don't wanna be my age and can't read and right*3
向不同的女人求著一個地方好讓你睡覺
Begging different women for a place to sleep at night
聰明的男孩成為男人後 他們便能做任何他們想做的事
Smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish
如果你相信自己能夠辦到, 就像我這樣說吧
If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
當一個..., 在我們來到這國家以前
Be, be, 'fore we came to this country
我們曾是國王和皇后, 從來不是什麼走廊猴
We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys*4
非洲曾有個國家叫做庫施
There was empires in Africa called Kush
還有廷巴克圖, 這些地方可是所有種族爭相前來學習的
Timbuktu, where every race came to get books
向黑人老師學習希臘文和羅馬文
To learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans
還有亞洲文和阿拉伯文, 也給他們黃金
Asian Arabs and gave them gold when*5
但當黃金被當做金錢之後, 事情全都變了
Gold was converted to money it all changed
錢變成了歐洲人權力的來源
Money then became empowerment for Europeans
波斯大軍也前來侵略
The Persian military invaded
他們耳聞過所謂的黃金, 還有知識和所有神聖之物
They heard about the gold, the teachings and everything sacred
非洲就這樣幾乎被洗劫一空
Africa was almost robbed naked
最後的賺錢之道剩下奴役, 所以他們開始打造奴隸船
Slavery was money, so they began making slave ships
埃及曾是亞歷山大帝前來的地方
Egypt was the place that Alexander the Great went
他被這些無數的黑色臉龐嚇到了
He was so shocked at the mountains with black faces
於是下令射下人面獅身像的鼻子, 這所作所為...
Shot up they nose to impose what basically
基本上直到今日都還能看到, 你看見了嗎？
Still goes on today, you see?*6
如果真相有被說出來, 那年輕的一代才得以成長
If the truth is told, the youth can grow
他們得學著活下去, 直到他們能掌握自己的生命為止
They learn to survive until they gain control
沒人對你說你只能成為痞子, 或婊子
Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes
多讀書, 多學習, 改變全球
Read more learn more, change the globe
貧民窟的孩子們, 做你該做的事
Ghetto children, do your thing
昂首闊步, 小大人, 你就是王者
Hold your head up, little man, you're a king
你就是年輕的小公主, 當妳拿到妳的婚戒時
Young Princess when you get your wedding ring
妳的男人會為你大喊 「她是我的女王」
Your man is saying "She's my Queen"
*1 Lena Horne除了是成功的歌手以外，也是60年代民權運動的重要人物之一，積極的支持廢除種族隔離制度。
*2 ice就是冰毒。學名甲基苯丙胺，之前其實提過，但我忘記是哪首了。
*3 Rap Genius給的歌詞是right，但我覺得write或許也對？
*4 porch monkey是詆毀黑人的詞語之一，搜尋一下，似乎有「走廊猴」這翻譯
*5 Asian翻成亞洲文怪怪的，但是...翻中文也不太對...
*6 ㄤㄤ，Nas出了一個小錯...射掉人面獅身像鼻子的事拿破崙...他能把拿破崙和亞歷山大搞混也是滿厲害的...
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