云中行走

为什么
Why?
这是我被问过最多的问题
That is the question people ask me most.
为什么 为了什么
Why? For what?
你为什么要走钢索
Why do you walk on the wire?
为什么要蔑视命运
Why do you tempt fate?
为什么要冒死挑战
Why do you risk death?
但是
But…
我不会这么想 我从不说这个字
I don’t think of it this way. I never even say this word.
死
Death.
好吧 我说过一次 刚才又说了两次
Yes, okay, I said it once or, or, maybe three times just now.
但是 我不会再说了
But watch, I will not say it again.
恰恰相反 我会用它的反义词
Instead, I use the opposite word.
活
Life.
对我来说 走钢索就是我的活法
For me, to walk on the wire, this is life.
这就是生活
c’est la vie.
那么
So,
请跟我一起回到1974年的纽约
picture with me, it’s 1974, New York City,
我爱上了两座建筑 或者叫高塔
and I am in love with two buildings, two towers.
或者按照全世界人的叫法
Or as everyone in the world calls them,
世贸双子塔
the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
他们在召唤我
They call to me,
这两座塔 他们在我心中唤起了什么
these towers, they stir something inside of me,
他们激发了我的一个梦想
and they inspire in me, a dream.
我的梦想
My dream
就是在这对双子塔之间架一条钢索
is to hang a high wire between those Twin Towers,
然后在上面走
and walk on it.
当然 这是不可能的
Of course, uh, this is impossible,
更别提还是违法的
not to mention illegal.
那么 为什么还要去做一件不可能的事
So, why attempt the impossible?
为什么要追随你的梦想
Why follow your dream?
我不会回答这个问题 不会用言语回答
But I cannot answer this question, “Why?” Not with words.
但是我可以展示给你们看
But I can show you how it happened.
那么 就让我们跨过大洋 回到那时
And so, we must go back in time and across the ocean,
因为我与这两座美丽的塔之间的爱情
because my love affair with these beautiful towers
并非始于纽约
did not begin in New York.
以防你看不出来 我不是这里人
In case you couldn’t tell, I’m not from here.
我的故事始于另一座
No. My story begins in another
世上最美丽的城市之一
one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
巴黎
C’est Paris.
好了 现在到了巴黎
So, now, picture Paris.
这就是我 一个无人理会
Here I am, a self-proclaimed wire walker
自称是走钢索的人
that nobody on earth cares about,
作为吟游诗人在街头表演来谋生
surviving as a troubadour performing in the streets.
我创造了一个角色 我有一顶礼帽
I’ve created a character. I have a top hat.
我只穿黑色的衣服
I wear only black.
我在地上画一个完美的圆
I teach myself to draw a perfect circle on the ground,
在这个圆里我从不说话 一个字也不说
and within this circle, I never speak, not one word.
这个圆就是我的领地
The circle is my domain,
我决不允许
and I don’t allow
别人踏足一丁点
Even half of a toe inside of it.
如果观众还是不断地侵犯我的圣地
And if the spectators continue to violate my sacred space,
那么 我就得采取点严厉措施了
well, I must employ more drastic measures.
我为所有愿意看的人表演 人们也喜欢看
I perform for anyone who will watch me, and people love it.
男人 女人 年轻人 老人 所有人
Man, woman, young, old, everyone.
当然 警♥察♥除外
Except, of course, the police.
我不相信取得执照这种事
I don’t believe in getting a permit.
但是无论我去哪里 无论我在做什么
But no matter where I was going or what I was doing,
我总在寻找
I was always searching,
寻找一个合适的地方来挂我的钢索
looking for the perfect place to hang my wire.
我的牙好痛 我要马上见医生
I have a horrible toothache. I need to see a dentist right away!
你打电♥话♥预约了吗
Did you call for an appointment?
我没有电♥话♥
I don’t have a telephone.
那你就得在这等了
You’ll have to wait.
可是… 拜托你了 女士
But madame… please?
应该不会超过两个小时
It shouldn’t be more than two hours.
你就让我这么熬两个小时
You expect me to suffer like this for hours?
希望我不会疼死
I hope I don’t collapse from the pain.
突然 我愣住了
Suddenly, I freeze.
牙齿的疼痛消失了
The pain in my tooth is gone.
杂♥志♥上有一篇文章
In the magazine, there’s an article
里面有一张关于双子塔的插图
with an illustration about the towers.
它们还没建完
They’re not even finished yet,
但杂♥志♥上说一旦完工
but the magazine says that once they are,
它们将是世界上最高的建筑
they will be the tallest in the world.
这条铅笔画的线
And with this tiny pencil stroke,
确定了我的命运
my fate was sealed.
这就是我梦想的起点
This was the beginning of my dream.
我第一次看走钢索 是在八岁那年
The first time I ever saw a wire walker, I was eight years old.
马戏团来到我们家的小镇上
The circus had come to my town,
由奥曼克斯基家族杂技团主演
and it featured The Omankowsky Family Troupe,
他们是世界上最顶尖的走钢索杂技团之一
one of the greatest wire-walking troupes in the world.
被称为”白恶魔”
The White Devils.
我的儿子 马戏团的小丑
My son, the circus clown.
我自学在绳子上走
And I teach myself to walk on that rope.
然后我发现 我在爬高
And it turns out, I have some
平衡 甚至杂耍方面还是挺有天赋的
talent for climbing and balancing, even juggling.
但是我还想学到更多
But I want to know more.
给我下来
Get down from there!
我就是这样遇到老鲁迪·奥曼克斯基
So this is how I meet Rudy Omankowsky, Sr.,
“白恶魔”走钢索家族的元老
the patriarch of The White Devils wire-walking family,
大家都叫他”鲁迪老爹”
who everybody calls “Papa Rudy.”
他从不说自己具体是从哪来的
He would never say exactly where he was from.
反正肯定不是法国人
He was certainly not French.
鲁迪老爹是一个了不起的走钢索行家
Papa Rudy was a supreme wire walker,
杂技演员和戏法师
acrobat and juggler.
我猜那一刻 他在我身上看到了些什么
And in that moment, I suppose he saw something in me.
菲利普
Philippe!
我不会捷克语
I don’t speak Czech.
-那我说英语 -好
– I speak English. – Okay.
今天 你要学习如何出场
Today, you’re going to learn how to make entrance.
学习如何向观众致意
You need to learn how to compliment.
致意 什么意思
“Compliment?” What’s that?
致意就是传达一个信息
A compliment is a silent message,
提醒观众们该注意看了
an order to the audience to pay attention.
表演结束后
And after the performance,
再致意也是表达一种感激
a compliment is also an offering of gratitude.
一种致敬
A salute.
致敬
Salute.
好 好 好 好
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
不 菲利普 这样可不行
No, Philippe. That was terrible.
你这个太过了
You’re doing too much. Eh?
别太过 再来一次
Do nothing. Now, try again.
不行 我说了 别太过
No! I said, “Do nothing!”
你还是做得太过了 像个懦夫似的
You’re still doing too much! You look like a coward.
必须让观众感受到你在掌控全场
The audience must always feel you are in control.
别那么讨好
Stop trying so hard!
别太过 再来一遍
Do nothing. Do it again.
你对观众的尊重呢 你根本没在做啊
Ah! Where’s your respect? You didn’t do anything.
你说的别太过
But you said to do nothing!
看上去别太过
Do nothing on the outside.
但是内在 你的心里必须充满敬意
On the inside, in your heart, you must salute.
我的心里
“In my heart?”
我不懂你在说什么
What the hell are you talking about?
表演者必须对观众们
But the performer must have an honest respect
有一种真诚的尊敬和感激
and gratitude for the audience.
可我为什么要尊敬观众 在钢索上的是我
But why should I respect the audience? It is me on the wire.
你必须向观众致敬 你得尊重他们
You will salute the audience and pay respect!
没有观众就没有你的表演
There is no show without an audience!
除非你明白这点
Unless you understand that,
否则永远不能在马戏团表演
you will never perform in circus.