且行且爱，且行且珍惜
“Cat's in the Cradle”是由歌手Harry Chapin创作的一首歌。Harry Chapin于1942年出生在美国纽约。在他生活的时代，MTV和一些新的艺术形式还未兴起，Harry是以一边旅行一边创作的传统民谣歌手的方式从事着他所钟爱的演唱事业。他的歌曲艺术形式较为单一，演唱方式也很简单，因此没能在美国流行音乐史上占据过重要位置。然而，也正是因为音乐简洁、感情纯粹，Harry的作品里往往蕴含着打动人心的力量。在音乐生涯中，他留下了包括Dance Band on the Titanic、On the Road to Kingdom Come、America's Least Wanted在内的多张专辑。这首“Cat's in the Cradle”出自Harry于1974年发布的专辑Verities & Balderdash，是Harry最为人熟知的作品。在Harry离世多年以后，这首歌仍然被Ugly Kid Joe、Ricky Skaggs以及Johnny Cash等乐队和歌手传唱。“Cat's in the Cradle”的诞生有一个故事。作为一名歌手和慈善家，Harry总是奔波于追寻自己梦想的旅途中。在他的小儿子出生时，他甚至没能陪在自己妻子的身旁。出于遗憾，他的妻子Sandy依据此事写了一首诗，而“Cat's in the Cradle”便是Harry在妻子这首诗的基础上改编而来的。整首歌讲述了一个父亲一味追求事业的成功，而无法留出时间和精力来陪伴孩子成长的故事。孩子出生时，父亲喜悦不已，但却没有时间在一旁守候，因为他必须为担负起家庭的责任而奔波；在成长的过程中，孩子迫切希望父亲能陪自己玩耍，可是忙碌的父亲却难以满足孩子的要求。父亲把团聚的时光定在未来，一直搪塞孩子说：“We'll get together then. You know we'll have a good time then.”尽管如此，儿子对父亲还是十分崇敬，儿子的嘴里常挂着一句话：“I'm going to be like you， Dad.”时光荏苒，多年之后，父亲成了退休在家的“闲人”，而儿子却成了父亲年轻时候的“翻版”——为事业与生活奔波而无暇顾及身边亲人的“大忙人”。父亲希望儿子能常回家看看，而儿子却重复着父亲当年的话：“We'll get together then， Dad. You know we'll have a good time then.”历经世事沧桑的父亲此刻十分无奈，只能满含酸楚地感叹：“He'd grown up just like me. My boy was just like me.”
这首歌真实而直接地反映了事业与家庭之间的平衡问题。当代社会中，生活节奏越来越快，人们的精力大多投入到发展事业和实现自我价值中，人和人之间的温情逐渐被忽视。生活在这样一个社会中的人就好像是在大海中航行的野心勃勃的水手，想要自由漂泊，盼望刺激的旅程。然而，漂泊与刺激并不是人生旅程的全部，人生的旅行需要冒险，同样需要休憩，亲人与亲情组成的家庭便是供我们休憩的温暖港湾。生活这片海洋时而平静，时而汹涌，但只要有家庭这个温暖港湾存在，生活中出现再大的风浪我们都不会感到绝望。
1981年，Harry在离家去参加一场会议的时候死于车祸。让人唏嘘不已的是，他将要参加的那次会议的主题便是如何规划职业生涯从而能够留出更多的时间来陪伴家人。斯人已逝，只留下了这首歌来告诫我们每个人，不要总是将家庭团聚放在未来的日子里。家庭带给我们的温情与暖意是上帝赐予我们每个人最好的礼物，我们对之要格外珍惜。正如Harry的妻子Sandy在2009年的一次采访中所说的那样：“You have to grab that chance when you have it.”时光不能倒流，别等到失去之后才追悔莫及。且行且爱，且行且珍惜，愿每个人都默默护佑着身边至亲至爱的家人，相依相偎，相伴一生。
LYRICS
My child arrived just the other day.
He came to the world in the usual way，
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away，
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it，
And as he grew， he'd say， “I'm gonna be like you， Dad.
You know I’m gonna be like you.”
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon，
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
When you comin' home， Dad？
I don't know when， but we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then.
My son turned ten just the other day.
He said， “Thanks for the ball， Dad. Come on， let's play.
Can you teach me to throw？” I said，“Not today.
I got a lot to do.” He said，“That's ok.”
And he walked away， but his smile never dimmed，
And said， “I'm gonna be like him， yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him.”
(Refrain )
Well， he came from college just the other day，
So much like a man I just had to say，
“Son， I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while？”
He shook his head and said with a smile，
“What I'd really like， Dad， is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please？”
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon.
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
When you comin' home， Son？
I don't know when， but we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then.
I've long since retired. My son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said， “I'd like to see you if you don't mind.”
He said， “I'd love to， Dad， if I can find the time.
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu.
But it's sure nice talking to you， Dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you.”
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me，
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.
(Refrain )
本文选自《新东方英语》2013年10月号
且行且珍惜吧
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