泰戈尔访问清华

1924年，泰戈尔访华，于5月在清华学校发表了这篇演讲。翻译：徐志摩，著名诗人。

My young friends, I gaze at your young faces, beaming with intelligence and eager interest across the distance of age. I have come to the shore of the sunset land. You stand over there in the land of the rising sun. My heart reaches out to your hearts and blesses them.

我的青年朋友，我眼看着你们的年轻面目，闪亮着聪明与诚恳的志趣，但我们的中间却是间隔着年岁的距离，我已经到了黄昏的海边；你们远远地站在那日出的家乡。我的心伸展到你的心，你们有我的祝福。

What a delight it may be for you, and what a responsibility, this belonging to a period which is one of the greatest in the whole history of man! We realize the greatness of this age dimly, in the light of this glowing fire of pain, in the suffering that has come upon us, a suffering that is world-wide; we do not evenknow fully what form it is going to take.

你们正可以自负，同时也应得知道你们的责任，如今你们生长在人类历史上最伟大的一个时期里，我们从我们的苦恼与痛楚的火焰里隐隐地辩论出这时代的伟大。这苦痛是普遍的，我们还不十分知道前途是何等的光景。

The seed, in which life remains self-contained, does not know its complete truth. Even when the sheath bursts, it is not known in what shape its life will manifest itself, what fruit the branches will bear.

保持着生命的全部的种子，并不知道他包含着的完全的真理，就在那茎箨豁裂的俄顷我们也不能断定这里面生命将会滋长成什么方式，更无从知道他将来结成什么果实。

What is the greatest fact of this age? It is that the messenger of an immense future has come; he has knocked at our gate and all the bars have given way. Our doors have burst open. The human races have come out of their enclosures. They have gathered together.

什么是这时期里伟大的事实？那就是我们的门户已经开豁，一个广博的未来的使者已经来到，他已经敲打我们的大门，我们门上的阻拦都已经让路。人类的种族都已经从他们的篱樊内出现，他们已经聚在一处。他们再不在他们隐秘的居处藏匿。

There are no longer walls to hide us. We have, at length, to prove our worth to the whole world, not merely to admiring groups of our own people. We must justify our own existence. We must show, each in our own civilization, that which is universal.

我们已经出来，我们不要在墙圈里躲着，我们现在应得在全世界的面前辩护我们的价值，不仅在我们容庞的家人前卖弄能耐，我们必得明证我们的存在的理由，我们必得从我们各家独有的文明里展览普遍的公认的成分。

Now I am in China, I ask you, I ask myself, what have you got, what out of your own house can you bring in homage to this new age? You must answer this question.Do you know your own mind? Your own culture? What is the best and most permanent in your own history?You must know at least that, if you are to save yourselves from the greatest of insults, the insult of obscurity, of rejection.Bring out your light, add it to this great festival of lamps of world culture.

现在我是在中国。我问你们，我也问我自己，我们有的是什么，有什么东西可以从家里拿出来算是你们给这新时期的敬意。你们必须回答这个问题。你明白自己的心吗？你知道你自己的文化吗？你们史乘里最完善最永久的是什么？你们必得知道，如其你们想要自免于最大的侮辱，遭受蔑视，遭受弃却的侮辱。拿出你们的光亮来，加入这伟大的灯会，你们要来参与这世界文化的展览。

Love gives beauty to everything it touches.Not greed and utility; they produce offices, but not dwelling houses.

你们爱你们的生活，单这爱就使你们的生活美好。不是贪心与实利；他们只能产生做买卖的公事房，不是人住的家。

To be able to love material things, to clothe them with tender grace, and yet not be attached to them, this is a great service.

能爱实体的事物却不过分的沾恋，而且能给他们一种优美的意致，这是一桩伟大的服务。

Providence expects that we should make this world our own, and not live in it as though it were a rented tenement. We can only make it our own by some service, and that service is to lend it love and beauty from our soul.

上天的意思是要我们把这个世界化作我们自己的家，不是要我们存在这世界里像是住店似的。我们只能从一种服务里把这世界化成我们自己的家，那服务就在给他我们真心的爱，又从这爱里使他更美。

Look at the miracle of expression in all the things of creation, the flowers, the stars, the blade of grass. You cannot analyze this elusive beauty in your laboratory and pocket it.

你们看见在天然的事物里都有那表现的灵异，看园里的花，看天上的星，看地上的草叶子，你不能在试验室里分析那个美，你放不到你的口袋里去。那美的表现是不可捉摸的。

I am tired and old. This is perhaps my last meeting with you.

我是倦了，我年纪也大了。我也许再不能会见你们了。这也许是我们最后的一次集会。

With all my heart I take this occasion to entreat you not to be turned away by the call of vulgar strength, of stupendous size, by the spirit of storage, by the multiplication of millions, without meaning and without end.

因此我竭我的至诚恳求你们不要错走路，不要惶惑，千成不要理会那恶俗的力量的引诱，诞妄的巨体的叫唤，拥积的时尚与无意识，无目的的营利的诱惑。

Cherish the ideal of perfection, and to that relate all your work, all your movements.

保持那凡事必求美满的理想，你们一切的工作，一切的行动都应得折中于那惟一的标准。

Then, though you love the material things of earth, that will not hurt you and you shall bring heaven to earth and soul into things.

如此你们虽则眷爱地上实体的事物，你们的精神还是无伤的，你们的使命是在拿天堂给人间，拿灵魂来给一切的事物。