"My Air Jordans cost a hundred with tax.

「我的喬丹鞋，連稅要百元一雙。

My suede Starters jacket says Raiders on the back.

我的絨毛棒球外套，背後寫明『特別攻擊隊』。

I'm stylin', smilin', lookin' real mean,

我有型，笑臉迎人，街頭招搖橫行，

because it ain't about being heard, just being seen.

因為不要千里聞名，只要當下有臉示人。

My leather Adidas baseball cap matches

我的真皮愛迪達棒球帽，配以

my fake Gucci backpack. (Laughter)

我的 A 貨古馳背包，絕不俗套。(眾笑)

Ain't nobody who looks as good as me,

世界上有誰，能及我好看，

but this costs money, it sure ain't free,

但花費真多，沒一樣從天而降，

and I gots no job, no money at all,

但我沒工作，空空錢包一個，

but it's easy to steal all this from the mall.

但商場偷竊，也再簡單不過。

Parents say I shouldn't, but I knows I should.

父母說我不該，但我休管福禍。

Got to do what I can to make sure I look good,

為了外表好看，不惜一切後果，

and the reason I have to look real good, well, to tell you the truth, man,

而扮帥哥的原因，老實說，老兄

I don't know why. Guess it makes me feel special inside.

我也不知為何。想是一份尊榮感，埋藏心窩。

When I'm wearing fresh gear I don't have to hide,

當我穿新貨，再也毋需左閃右躲，

and I really must get some new gear soon

而我必須盡快補貨，

or my ego will pop like a 10-cent balloon.

不然那份自尊，就要消失千里之外。

But security is tight at all the shops. Every day there are more and more cops.

不過店舖嚴密保安，巡警每日漸多。

My crew is laughing at me because I'm wearing old gear.

朋友譏諷我，衣衫襤褸不堪。

School's almost over. Summer is near.

學期快終結，暑假降臨。

And I'm sportin' torn Jordans.

而我仍在磨蹭舊的喬丹球鞋。

I need something new. Only one thing left to do.

我急需新貨。選擇只得一個。

Cut school Friday, catch the subway downtown,

就是週五蹺課，乘地鐵到市中心一趟，

check out my victims hangin' around.

看看有沒有大魚上當。

Maybe I'll get lucky and find easy prey.

若幸運之神眷顧，輕鬆就有斬獲。

Got to get some new gear. There's no other way.

以入新貨之名，惟有如此境況。

I'm ready and willing. I'm packing my gun.

我準備就緒。手槍裝妥。

This is serious business. This ain't no fun.

要來真的一趙。不是隨便開玩笑。

And I can't have my posse laughin' at me.

小弟真槍出馬，不容輕視利害。

I'mma cop something dope, just wait, you'll see.

必定斬獲而歸，旁人拭目而待。

Come out of the station, West 4th near the park,

步出車站，西邊四街公園附近，

brothers shooting hoops and someone remarks,

一班小混聚集，某人驚云：

'Hey homes, where you get them Nik's?'

「哪兒弄來的耐吉球鞋？羨急旁人」

I says to myself, 'Yeah. I likes 'em, I likes.'

我心想，「我就喜歡，做我囊中物。」

They were Q-tip white, bright and blinding my eyes.

球鞋純白可愛，耀目光彩迷人。

The red emblem of Michael looked as if it could fly.

麥可喬丹紅色標誌，簡直栩栩如生。

Not one spot of dirt. The Airs were brand new.

一塵不染。一對全新球鞋。

Had my pistol and knew just what to do.

手槍握緊，知道隨後計劃。

Waited until it was just the right time, followed him very closely behind.

我緊隨其後，伺機而行。

He made a left turn on Houston, I pulled out my gun,

那人在侯斯頓街左轉，我拔槍示人，

and I said, 'Gimme them Jordans!'

高呼：「喬丹球鞋給我！」

And the punk tried to run.

那傢伙拔足而逃。

Took off fast, didn't get far. I fired,'Pow!'

跑得快，但走不遠，我開槍，「嘭！」

Fool fell between two parked cars.

傢伙中槍，躺在兩車停泊之間。

He was coughing, crying, blood spilled on the street.

喘氣、哭叫，血濺在街。

And I snatched them Air Jordans off of his feet.

而我就從他腳上奪走球鞋。

While laying there dying, all he could say

當他垂死掙扎，只顧口中唸道：

was, "Please man, don't take my Air Jordans away."

「求你，不要奪走我的喬丹鞋。」

You'd think he'd be worried about staying alive.

你可以想見他怕活不過來。

As I took off with his sneakers, there was tears in his eyes.

當我取着球鞋逃走，他眼淚盈眶。

Very next day, I bopped into school

翌日，我如常上學，

with my brand new Air Jordans, man, I was cool.

穿着全新的喬丹鞋，老兄，我至酷。

I killed to get 'em, but hey, I don't care,

我以別人的性命換取回來，我不在意，

because now I needs a new jacket to wear."

因為現在要為新外衣張羅。」

Thank you. (Applause)

多謝。(掌聲)

For the last 15 years that I have been performing,

在過去十五年，我一直在表演，

all I ever wanted to do was transcend poetry to the world.

我一直想做的，就是將詩詞傳達世界。

See, it wasn't enough for me to write a book.

看，讓我寫一本書，並不足夠。

It wasn't enough for me to join a slam competition,

參加一個比賽，對我而言也不足，

and while those things hold weight,

雖然這些事情有其份量，

it wasn't the driving force that pushes the pen to the pad.

它們並不是將筆桿推向筆記本的推動力。

The hunger and thirst was, and still remains:

心中推動的一份飢渴，由始到終，都是；

How do I get people who hate poetry

我怎樣才能夠讓討厭詩詞的人

to love me?

喜歡我？

Because I'm an extension of my work,

因為我的創作延伸自我，

and if they love me, then they will love my work,

倘若他們愛我，他們也會愛我的作品，

and if they love my work, then they will love poetry,

倘若他們愛我的作品，他們也會愛詩詞，

and if they love poetry, then I will have done my job,

倘若他們愛詩詞，我也完成了我的工作，

which is to transcend it to the world.

就是將詩詞傳達世界。

And in 1996, I found the answer in principles

在 1996 年，我找到原則上的答案，

in a master spoken-word artist named Reg E. Gaines,

是來自一位說唱藝術家大師 瑞格·伊·坎尼斯 (Reg E. Gaines)，

who wrote the famous poem, "Please Don't Take My Air Jordans."

他寫了著名的詩： 《請不要奪走我的喬丹鞋》。

And I followed this guy everywhere until I had him in the room,

之後我到處跟蹤他，直到一次相會，

and I read him one of my pieces,

我讀了其中一篇拙作給他聽，

and you know what he told me?

你知道他怎麼說嗎？

"Yo' wack.

「怪咖。

You know what the problem is with you, homie?

你知道你的問題出在哪裏嗎？小弟。

You don't read other people's poetry,

你不閱讀他人的詩詞，

and you don't got any subordination for verbal measures

並且欠缺從節拍到音調的協調。」

to tonal consideration." (Laughter)

(眾笑)

Now he kept on rambling

然後他繼續嘮叨，有關詩詞、風格

about poetry and styles and Nuyorican Friday nights.

以及黎各 (Nuyorican) 詩人咖啡室的週五夜。

Now I could have quit. I should have quit.

此時我可以退出。我應該輟筆。

I mean, I thought poetry was just self-expression.

當時我想，我以為詩詞只是表達自我。

I didn't know you actually have to have creative control.

我當時不知道，詩詞原來要有創意規範。

So instead of quitting, I followed him everywhere.

所以我沒有退出，卻到處跟隨他。

When he was writing a Broadway show, I would be outside of the door.

當他在為百老匯音樂劇寫劇本時，我會在房門外伺候。

I would wake him up at, like, 6:30 in the morning

我會在早上約六時半就吵醒他，

to ask him who's the best poet.

問他誰是最棒的詩人。

I remember eating the eyes of a fish right out of the sea

我記得我吃過新鮮海魚的魚眼，

because he told me it was brain food.

因為他說補腦。

Then one day I told him,

然後有一天，我問他，

"Reg E., what is subordination for verbal measures to tonal consideration?" (Laughter)

「瑞格·伊，甚麼是從節拍到音調的協調？」 (眾笑)

And he handed me a black-and-white printed out thesis

然後他遞給我，一份黑白打印的論文，內容是

on a poet named Etheridge Knight

關於一位名叫艾瑟裏奇·奈特 (Etheridge Knight) 的詩人

and the oral nature of poetry,

以及詩詞的口誦性質，

and from that point,

而自此之後，

Reggie stopped becoming the best to me,

瑞格伊不再是我心目中最棒的，

because what Etheridge Knight taught me

因為艾瑟裏奇·奈特教曉我，

was that I could make my words sound like music,

原來我可以將詩語，變得像音樂一樣，

even my small ones, the monosyllables,

即使微細的部分，單音節詞，

the ifs, ands, buts, whats,

那些「如」、「若」、「及」、「但」，

the gangsta in my slang could fall right on the ear,

匪幫俚語原來可以字字鏗鏘，

and from then on, I started chasing Etheridge Knight.

而自此之後，我開始追隨艾瑟裏奇·奈特。

I wanted to know which poet he read,

我想知道他閱讀哪位詩人的作品，而我適逢其會，

and I landed on a poem called ["Dark Prophecy: Sing of Shine"],

接觸到一篇 名為 ["Dark Prophecy: Sing of Shine"] 的詩，

a toast signifying that got me on the biggest stage

這是個轉捩點，那詩篇將我帶上

a poet could ever be:

一位詩人能夠踏上的最大舞台：

Broadway, baby.

百老匯，寶貝。

And from that point, I learned how to pull the mic away

而自此，我學會怎樣拉遠麥克風

and attack the poetry with my body.

並將身體投入詩詞中。

But that wasn't the biggest lesson I ever learned.

然而那不是我學會的最大一課。

The biggest lesson I learned was many years later

我學會的最大一課是在多年後，

when I went to Beverly Hills and I ran into a talent agent

當我去比佛利山 (Beverly Hills)，並遇上一名星探，

who looked at me up and down

他將我全身打量一番後說，

and said I don't look like I have any experience

我看來不像是有過任何

to be working in this business.

在這個行業工作的經驗。

And I said to him, "Listen, punk fool,

然後我回敬道：「聽好了，笨蛋，

you're a failed actor who became an agent,

你演藝事業失敗，才轉行做星探，

and you know why you failed as an actor?

而你知道你為何幹不成演員嗎？

Because people like me took your job.

就是因為有我這種人，搶了你的飯碗。

I've traveled all the way from Cleveland and Essex

我千里迢迢．從紐約東部出發， 走過克里夫蘭 (Cleveland)

in East New York, took the local 6 line up to the hookers of Hunt's Point

和雅息士郡 (Essex)，乘搭六號綫 到亨茨波恩特 (Hunt's Point)，

who were in my way on my way to master the art of space,

沿途妓女一群，為正在掌握 空間藝術到半途的我，添困，

and the one-to-infinite amount of man, woman and child

而一班男女小孩，我一個人 彷彿對着無窮人海，

you can fit in there only so I can push them

你可以置身其中， 好讓我可以使出混身解數，

to the back of the wall with my experience.

讓你們驚嘆， 由我的經驗，帶來的體驗。

People have bought tickets to my experience

人們買票，就是為了 來看我的過往所堆砌出來的經驗，

and used them as refrigerator magnets to let them know

並像雪櫃門的磁石貼一樣， 提醒他們，

that the revolution is near, so stock up.

新一輪革命， 勢將開創，準備好了。

I'm so experienced that when you went

我的經驗何其豐富， 當你到高尚學府，仍在學習

to a privileged school to learn a Shakespearean sonnet,

莎士比亞十四行詩 (Shakespearean sonnet) 的一課，

I was getting those beats kicked and shoved into me.

我已將這些節拍， 深深收入腦海。

I can master shock of "The Crying Game" with the awe

我能掌握“亂世浮生” (The Crying Game) 錯愕的神髓，七情上臉

of a child being called an AIDS victim by a bully who didn't know

演繹一個小孩，被人欺負說 是愛滋病孩，那小霸王卻不知

that it was his father who gave it to my mother,

那是他爸爸，把愛滋病 傳給我的媽媽，

and that's a double entendre.

而那 叫做語帶雙關。

I'm so experienced that when you went to the Fell School

我的經驗何其豐富， 當你到訪 Fell School，而那裏那些

and all the rich little fairy boys decided to sponsor a child

不吃人間煙火的富家哥兒， 說要助養貧困小孩，

in it, that was me, but kicked me out when I was caught

我就是待考慮的一個，但 最終不果，因為我被發現帶壞

teaching the fairy boys how to rob the PATS off a pair of Lee Jeans

富家哥兒，教他們怎麼除去一對 Lee 牛仔褲上的 PATS 防盜標貼，

and bring them to VIM. Let me see Chekhov pull that off.

並拿到 VIM 變賣。 還是讓契訶夫 (Chekhov) 妙筆作罷。

Sanford Meisner was my Uncle Artie yelling silently to himself,

史丹佛·梅斯納 (Sanford Meisner) 是 我的阿蒂叔叔 (Uncle Artie)，他心裏大喊：

"Something's always wrong when nothing's always right."

「諸事不順，就是有些不妥。」

Method acting is nothing but a mixture

所謂，方法演技 (Method acting) ，說穿了，豈非

of multiple personalities, believing your own lies are reality,

就是混合多重人格， 相信謊話真實不假，

like in high school cool Kenny telling me he wanted to be a cop.

就像高中時代， 酷爆的 Kenny 對我明志想做警察。老兄，

Dude, you go to Riker's Island Academy.

你入里克斯島 (Riker's Island) 監獄學校，倒更有資格。

I could make David Mamet

我能讓 大衛馬密 (David Mamet)

psychoanalyze my attack on dialogue,

心理分析 我對白中的激宕起跌，

Stanislavski be as if he were Bruce Lee

讓史坦尼斯拉夫斯基 (Stanislavski) 猶如李小龍上身．

kicking your roster of talentless students up and down Crenshaw.

對你一班，毫無天賦的學生， 出拳踢腳，在克倫肖 (Crenshaw) 街頭糾結。

So what, your actors studied guerrilla theater at the London Rep?

你的演員，在倫敦劇院的短期輪演 (London Rep) ， 研習街頭諷刺短劇 (guerrilla theater)，又有何噱頭？

Let me tell you an ancient Chinese Saturday afternoon

讓我為你道出， 在古代中國，每逢週六，

kung fu secret.

午後苦練功夫的秘密解構。

Boards don't hit back.

板面出拳頭， 板子不還手。

You think black entertainers have it hard finding work

你以為黑人戲子 很難在這行吃飯？

in this business? I'm a suspicious mulatto,

我是個穆拉託人 (黑白混血兒)，人看我相貌離奇，

which means I'm too black to be white and too white to be doing it right.

說我做黑做白， 也難以黑白雙煞。

Forget the American ghetto. I've cracked stages in Soweto,

美國的黑人聚集區就別記。 我曾在索維托 (Soweto) 登台做戲，

buried abortion babies in potter's field and still managed to keep a smile on my face,

將墮胎遺骸 葬在公墓，仍臉掛笑容，

so whatever you curse at me to your caddyshack

所以， 當我走出房門時，你怎樣向我咀咒，

go-for-this, go-for-that assistant when I walk out that door,

對着你那個唯唯諾諾的 窩囊隨從饒舌，心裏暗爽，

whatever slander you send my way,

你怎樣在我背後誣衊我， 彼此相同，我將一切

your mother.

回敬你令堂。

Thank you. (Applause)

多謝。(掌聲)