城市牛仔女孩

前一段時間看著台客老闆為了公司不能實現夢想而頹廢（http://citycowgirl.pixnet.net/blog/post/83793434 台客老闆 - 有夢最美），心中也不禁感嘆，當年迷迷糊糊的為了一些白日夢而來美國，一晃，已經超過十年了。

美國是一個夢想的國家，當年英國人懷抱著夢想，乘著五月花號到美洲新大陸，就注定了這是一個讓人因為夢想而來的地方，在那之後的數百年，世界各國的人前仆後繼來到這裡，只為了一圓美國夢。

這個美國夢，

可以很偉大，就像哥倫布為了證明地球是圓的來到美國；

可以很渺小，就像有人為了證明美國的月亮比較圓來到美國；

可以很有意義，就像自由鬥士為了投奔自由來到美國；

可以很無聊，就像有人為了來美國海邊，只為了看三點式比基尼女郎。

這些來美國的原因，最初，都只是為了一個夢。

馬丁路德一九六三年在華盛頓林肯紀念堂發表的一篇講演叫做，

＂我有一個夢＂

當年第一次在托福文章選讀中為了應付考試而讀，這篇簡而意賅的演講，有著一個偉大的非裔美人一顆熱誠的心情，慷慨激昂的追求自由平等，讓我這個城市牛仔女孩心中感動不已，在無聊的托福閱讀中，這也是少數幾次，真的用一個欣賞著的角度，而不是考試的立場來看這一篇文章。

（以下為中文簡略翻譯）

朋友們，這就是我要向大家說的，儘管我們在今天和明天會遇到許多困難

我仍然有一個夢，這是一個發源於美國夢的夢。

這就是有朝一日，這個國家終將會站立起來，真正履行其信條：

我們認為所有人生來平等是不言自明的真理。　

．．．．．．．

我有一個夢，有朝一日所有的深谷會被填平，每一座大山都會被挖低，

崎嶇的地方將變成平原，而扭曲的場合將被修直，主的光輝將被全人類所共同瞻仰。

這就是我們的希望，這就是我將帶回南部的信念。

持此信念，我們能夠移去絕望的大山，這座山是一塊壓抑希望的巨石。

持此信念，我們能夠將我們國家這些刺耳的不諧和音，

轉化成一曲展現兄弟情意的華麗交響樂。

持此信念，我們能夠共同努力、共同祈禱、共同鬥爭、共同坐牢、共同維護自由，

堅信有一天我們終將會成為自由人。並且這將是，這將是上帝的所有兒女

們能夠以全新的意義

共同歌唱的一天：我的祖國是一片自由的土地，我的父輩為了這片土地而犧牲，

清教徒為這片土地而自豪；從每一個山腳，讓自由之聲迴響。

如果美國要成為一個偉大的國度，這一條必須要實現。

．．．．．．．．

因此，讓自由之聲

．．．．．．在每一座山上迴響。

從每一個山腳，讓自由之聲響徹雲霄！

當這一天來臨時，當我們可以讓自由之聲迴響，

當我們讓它在每個村落、每個州和每個城市迴響時，我們離這樣的日子就不遠了：

到那時，上帝的所有兒女們，黑人和白人、猶太人和異教徒、新教徒和天主教徒，

將可以手拉手站在一起，同聲歌唱古老的黑人聖歌：

終於自由了，終於自由了；感謝全能的上帝，我們終於自由了！

（原文）

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

                Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³