a baffled lady observed

有一位女士疑惑地

the shell where my soul dwells

望著我

And announced that I'm

然後誇我

"articulate"

有“語言天賦”

Which means that when it comes

意思是

to enunciation and diction

我根本不用

I don't even think of it

思考發音和用字

‘Cause I’m "articulate"

因為我有“語言天賦”

So when my professor asks a question

所以當教授提問我時

And my answer is tainted with a connotation

我的回答總會摻雜一些

of urbanized suggestion

新潮時髦的用詞

There’s no misdirected intention

這並不是我胡編亂造

Pay attention

要知道

‘Cause I’m “articulate”

因為我有“語言天賦”

So when my father asks, “Wha’ kinda ting is dis?”

每次我老爸問我：“這事情是怎麼了？”

My “articulate” answer never goes amiss

我都能“有才”的巧妙帶過

I say “father, this is the impending problem at hand”

“老爸，這是手上的現實問題”

And when I’m on the block

當我去逛街時

I switch it up just because I can

我會用另一種說話方式，只因為我能

So when my boy says, “What’s good with you son?”

所以當我的孩子說：“怎麼了？”

I just say, “I jus’ fall out wit dem people but I done!”

我只會說：“我剛和該死的傢伙吵架，但我吵完了！

And sometimes in class

有時在課堂上

I might pause the intellectual sounding flow to ask

我可能會使用不標準的英語發音發問

“Yo! Why dese books neva be about my peoples”

“嘿，為什麼這些書從來不關注我的同胞？”

Yes, I have decided to treat

沒錯，我已經決定

all three of my languages as equals

輪流使用我的三種說話方式表達平等

Because I’m “articulate”

因為我有“語言天賦”

But who controls articulation?

但是誰規定要咬字清晰？

Because the English language is a multifaceted oration

因為英語本就是一門多語素的語言

Subject to indefinite transformation

有著大量不定的句式變換

Now you may think that it is ignorant to speak broken English

現在，你可能會覺得 說一蹩腳的英語有些無知

But I’m here to tell you that even “articulate” Americans

但我想說 即便“咬字清晰”的美國人講英語

sound foolish to the British

在英國人聽來也會覺得好笑

So when my Professor comes on the block and says, “Hello”

所以當我的教授在路上碰到我 用“你好"跟我打招呼時

I stop him and say “Noooo …

我會打斷他，說：“不不不…

You’re being inarticulate …

您打招呼的方式不對…

the proper way is to say ‘what’s good’”

應該說‘近來好嗎？’”

Now you may think that’s too hood, that’s not cool

現在你們可能覺得這太死板，不酷

But I’m here to tell you that even our language has rules

但我想說 即使是我們自己的語言都有規則

So when Mommy mocks me and says

所以當我媽咪調侃我

“ya’ll-be-madd-going-to-the-store”

“你又瘋去商店了”

I say “Mommy, no, that sentence is not following the law

我會跟她說：“媽咪，這句話不合語法

Never does the word "madd" go before a present participle

沒人會在現在分詞前用“madd”這個詞

That’s simply the principle of this English”

這是英語的基本語法”

If I had the vocal capacity I would

如果我有一副好嗓子

sing this from every mountaintop,

我會從山頂，

From every suburbia, and every hood

郊外和街區大聲高唱

‘Cause the only God of language is the one recorded in the Genesis

"因為最標準的語言記錄在《創世紀》

Of this world saying “it is good"

說這個世界"很好"

So I may not always come before you

所以和在座各位相比

with excellency of speech

我的言語略顯笨拙

But do not judge me by my language and assume

但不要以我說的說話方式 來評判我，並且認為

That I’m too ignorant to teach

我過於無知，不可教也。

‘Cause I speak three tongues

因為我會說三種語言

One for each:

這三種語言的場合分別是：

Home, school and friends

家人、師生，和朋友

I’m a tri-lingual orator

我是一個會三種語言的人

Sometimes I’m consistent with my language now

有時我會一直使用 現在跟你們說話的語言

Then switch it up so I don’t bore later

然後偶爾轉換一下，這樣就不會感到無聊

Sometimes I fight back two tongues

有時我會在課堂上使用另一種語言時

While I use the other one in the classroom

這時我必須靈活運用這兩種說話方式

And when I mistakenly mix them up

當我不慎混用語言時

I feel crazy like … I’m cooking in the bathroom

我會覺得很瘋狂就好像… 在浴室裡做飯一樣

I know that I had to borrow your language

我知道我必須學會你們的語言

because mines was stolen

因為我自己的語言遭到竊取

But you can’t expect me to speak your history wholly

但是如果我的語言很蹩腳 你們不能期望我從頭到尾

while mines is broken

一直使用標準的英語

These words are spoken

用這個說話方式的人

By someone who is simply fed up with

只是表達對歐洲理想主義

the Eurocentric ideals of this season

煩透了

And the reason I speak a composite version of your language

而且我說多種口音的英語的原因

Is because mines was raped away along with my history

是因為我的母語已經遭到歷史“抹殺”

I speak broken English so the profusing gashes can remind us

我說著一口不標準的英語 太多的語言差異能夠提醒我們

That our current state is not a mystery

我們黑人的現狀並不是一個難解的謎

I’m so tired of the negative images that are driving my people mad

我受夠這些對黑人形象的抹黑 讓我的同胞忍無可忍

So unless you’ve seen it rob a bank stop calling my hair bad

所以除非你們親眼看到黑人搶劫銀行 否則請不要妄加指責

I’m so sick of this nonsensical racial disparity

我對這種荒誕的 種族歧視已經深感厭惡

So don’t call it good unless your hair is known

所以不要覺得這是正常 除非你們的同胞

for donating to charity

捐獻給慈善機構的數量

As much as has been raped away from our people

與我的同胞被抹黑的數量一樣多

How can you expect me to treat their imprint on your language

你們如何能期望我 在你們的語言中療癒這些印記？

As anything less than equal

因為所有一切根本不平等

Let there be no confusion

讓困惑從此遠離

Let there be no hesitation

讓迷茫從此不再

This is not a promotion of ignorance

這不是在宣揚愚昧無知

This is a linguistic celebration

而是語言帶給我們的福音

That’s why I put "tri-lingual" on my last job application

這也是我在最新的求職信上 寫下“會三種語言”的原因

I can help to diversify your consumer market

我這麼做的出發點是想讓他們知道

is all I wanted them to know

我能幫助公司在市場上 增加多元化的客戶

And when they call me for the interview

如果他們打電話通知我面試時

I’ll be more than happy to show that

我一定會很樂意的展示我的語言技能

I can say:

我會說：

“What’s good”

“近來好嗎？”

“Whatagwan”

“怎麼樣了？”

And of course …“Hello”

當然還有“你好”

Because I’m “articulate”

因為我有“語言天賦”

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）