「英语文化」英语学习者必听的英文歌（14）Vincent
歌曲背景
"Vincent" is a song by Don McLean written as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh. It is often erroneously titled after its opening refrain, "Starry Starry Night", a reference to Van Gogh's 1889 painting The Starry Night.
McLean wrote the lyrics in 1971 after reading a book about the life of Van Gogh.[1] It was released on McLean's 1971 American Pie album, and the following year the song became the No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks,[2] and No. 12 in the United States,[3] where it also hit No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart.[4] Billboard ranked it as the No. 94 song for 1972.
The song makes use mainly of the guitar but also includes the accordion, marimba, and strings.
In July 2020, the original handwritten lyrics went up for sale for $1.5 million.[5]
唐·麦克林 Don McLean
《文森特》（英语：Vincent）是唐·麦克林所唱的一首纪念文森特·梵高的歌曲。这首歌也因为开场歌词“Starry Starry Night”而闻名，这句歌词意指梵高的星夜。这首歌后来也被许多歌手加以改编。
1971年，麦克林在读完一本讲述梵高一生的书籍之后写下了这首歌的歌词[1]，使用了手风琴、颤音琴、弦乐器和吉他配乐。在当年，这首歌一度成为英国单曲排行榜的第一名[2]，并在美国获得第12名[3]。告示牌排行榜将《文森特》排位1972年百强榜的第94名，成人当代音乐第2名[4]。
该首也是梵高博物馆天天伴随梵高画作播放的歌曲[1]。2000年，公共电视网播出了在德克萨斯州奥斯汀举行的专场音乐会“Don McLean: Starry, Starry Night”。
梵高作品：星月夜 1889
这首歌清楚地表达了对梵高作品以及对梵高本人深深的崇拜。这首歌包含了大量对梵高作品的描述。歌词“描绘出树林和水仙花（sketch the trees and the daffodils）”和“清晨的田园里琥珀色的谷物（morning fields of amber grain）”描述了梵高作品中数次出现的琥珀色的小麦。其中有几句歌词也婉转地提到了梵高的自画像，例如“饱经风霜的脸上写满了痛苦，在艺术家的手里得到抚慰（weathered faces lined in pain / are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand）”。麦克林在此暗示梵高可能在创作自画像的过程中寻找到一些安慰。但是，这句歌词也可能指梵高的另一作品《吃马铃薯的人》，这幅画中描述了一个辛苦工作的农民家庭。
另外还有一行歌词“火红的花朵灿烂地燃烧着（flaming flowers that brightly blaze）”描述了梵高最为著名的系列画作《向日葵》。这句歌词不仅借鉴了画作中明亮的黄色和橘色，也创造出了充满能量的太阳的意象。
在最开始的两句合唱“人们不曾倾听你的心声，他们也不知道怎么做，也许他们现在明白了（They would not listen / they did not know how / perhaps they'll listen now）”中，麦克林对于梵高生前缺乏知名度表示了赞颂。在最后的合唱中，麦克林唱到“人们不曾倾听你的心声，现在依然未倾听你的心声，也许永远不会 （They would not listen / they're not listening still / perhaps they never will）。这是梵高的故事，直到他死，他才被认为是一位艺术家。这些歌词表明梵高试图通过他的作品“使人们变得自由（set people free）”。麦克林对这有着清楚的而强烈的感觉：“现在，我理解了你试图告诉我的（And now I understand what you tried to say to me）”。
英文歌词
[Verse 1]
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land
[Chorus]
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
[Verse 2]
Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand
[Chorus]
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
[Bridge]
For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
You took your life, as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you
[Verse 3]
Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frameless heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget
Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn; a bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
[Outro]
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they're not listening still
Perhaps they never will
歌词译文
译者：中英双语语言和文化
《文森特：星月夜》
繁星点点的夜晚
在你画板上涂抹了蓝和灰的油彩
在某个夏日里，你向外张望
双眸似可看清我的灵魂
你变幻山峦间的阴影
勾勒树林与水仙花
捕捉拂面清风和冬日寒冷
色彩幻化在雪白亚麻画布上
现在我终于明白
你想对我倾诉的心里话
众人皆醉我独醒，该有多么痛苦
你有多想解救众生
但那时他们不听，更不懂
也许，此时的他们想听了
繁星点点的夜晚
殷红的花儿，恍若燃烧的火焰
云卷云舒，笼罩着薄薄紫烟
映在文森特湛蓝色的双眸
色彩幻化万千
黎明的田野，琥珀色的麦穗
和那饱经风霜的脸庞
在艺术家爱意浓浓的手下缓缓流出
现在我终于明白
你想对我倾诉的心里话
众人皆醉我独醒，该有多么痛苦
你有多想解救众生
但那时他们不听，更不懂
也许，此时的他们想听了
尽管他们不曾爱过你
但是你依然情真意切
但当希望日渐消逝，终究不敌岁月
在一个同样繁星点点的夜晚
你决定结束自己的生命，如同殉情的恋人
假如我有机会，文森特，我会对你说
这是天妒英才
繁星点点的夜晚
你的自画像，挂在一个个空荡的展厅中
无框的头像，悬在一面面普普通通的墙上
恳恳的双眸注视着这世界，令人无法忘却
宛如你生命中遇见的那个陌生人
那些落魄的人 挣扎在褴褛衣衫里
血色玫瑰上银色荆棘的刺
被摧折粉碎，化作尘埃飘向初雪的大地……
现在我终于明白
你想对我倾诉的心里话
众人皆醉我独醒，该有多么痛苦
你有多想解救众生
但那时他们不听，现在仍不得悟
也许，他们永远不会
语言点备注
sanity
noun [ U ]
UK /ˈsæn.ə.ti/ US /ˈsæn.ə.t̬i/
the fact of showing good judgment and understanding
明智的状态
The closer we got to the deadline for action, the more I questioned the sanity of the decision we had taken.
越是临近期限，我越是怀疑我们的决定是否明智。
Maybe Jenny can bring some sanity into this crazy situation.
也许珍妮能够为种疯狂的局面中带来几分清醒。
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