我为谁活

他们说——

tā men shuō — —

They say—

读好书，找好工，

dú hǎo shū， zhǎo hǎo gōng，

Study hard, find a good job,

守规矩，往前走。

shǒu guī jǔ， wǎng qián zǒu。

Follow the rules and keep moving forward.

可为什么路越走越窄，

kě wèi shén me lù yuè zǒu yuè zhǎi，

Then why does the road grow narrower the farther I go,

账单却越叠越厚？

zhàng dān què yuè dié yuè hòu？

While the bills keep piling higher?

小时候黑板写着

xiǎo shí hòu hēi bǎn xiě zhe

When I was young, the blackboard said

知识改变命运

zhī shí gǎi biàn mìng yùn

Knowledge changes your destiny

老师说拿到文凭

lǎo shī shuō ná dào wén píng

The teacher said once you earn a diploma

未来自然会开门

wèi lái zì rán huì kāi mén

The future will open its doors

于是我们借来明天

yú shì wǒ men jiè lái míng tiān

So we borrowed from tomorrow

交给今天的学费

jiāo gěi jīn tiān de xué fèi

To pay today's tuition

几年青春换张纸

jǐ nián qīng chūn huàn zhāng zhǐ

We traded years of youth for a piece of paper

再用几十年还债

zài yòng jǐ shí nián huán zhài

Then spent decades paying back the debt

学士不够，再读硕士

xué shì bù gòu， zài dú shuò shì

A bachelor's was not enough, so we studied for a master's

履历写得像座高楼

lǚ lì xiě de xiàng zuò gāo lóu

Our résumés rose like towers

毕业那天全家举杯

bì yè nà tiān quán jiā jǔ bēi

The whole family raised a glass on graduation day

第二天开始送外卖走

dì èr tiān kāi shǐ sòng wài mài zǒu

The next day I started delivering food

头盔压着毕业帽

tóu kuī yā zhe bì yè mào

A helmet pressed down on my graduation cap

雨水打湿推荐信

yǔ shuǐ dǎ shī tuī jiàn xìn

Rain soaked my letters of recommendation

名校名字印在胸口

míng xiào míng zì yìn zài xiōng kǒu

A famous school's name was printed across my chest

晚餐还是泡面一斤

wǎn cān hái shì pào miàn yī jīn

Dinner was still a pound of instant noodles

不是工作不体面

bú shì gōng zuò bù tǐ miàn

It is not that the work lacks dignity

是承诺变得太廉价

shì chéng nuò biàn de tài lián jià

It is that promises have become too cheap

他们卖给我们一条天梯

tā men mài gěi wǒ men yī tiáo tiān tī

They sold us a ladder to the sky

爬到顶才发现没有家

pá dào dǐng cái fā xiàn méi yǒu jiā

Only at the top did we discover there was no home

以前一份工资

yǐ qián yī fèn gōng zī

One salary used to

还能养一个明天

hái néng yǎng yí gè míng tiān

Be enough to support a future

现在两份工作

xiàn zài liǎng fèn gōng zuò

Now two jobs

只够撑到下个月前

zhǐ gòu chēng dào xià gè yuè qián

Barely keep us going until next month

他们叫我再努力

tā men jiào wǒ zài nǔ lì

They tell me to work harder

再忍耐，再等几年

zài rěn nài， zài děng jǐ nián

Endure more and wait a few more years

可每次未来靠近

kě měi cì wèi lái kào jìn

But whenever the future draws near

价格又涨了一圈

jià gé yòu zhǎng le yī quān

The price rises all over again

我为谁活？我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for? Who am I living for?

每天低头替谁转动齿轮？

měi tiān dī tóu tì shuí zhuǎn dòng chǐ lún？

Whose gears do I keep turning with my head bowed each day?

我为谁活？我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for? Who am I living for?

为什么我的明天要先抵押给别人？

wèi shén me wǒ de míng tiān yào xiān dǐ yā gěi bié rén？

Why must my tomorrow be mortgaged to someone else first?

你说这是自由

nǐ shuō zhè shì zì yóu

You call this freedom

却替我决定该怎么走

què tì wǒ jué dìng gāi zěn me zǒu

Yet decide for me which way I should go

当所有承诺都碎了以后——

dāng suǒ yǒu chéng nuò dōu suì le yǐ hòu — —

After every promise has shattered—

我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for?

这一次，我选择我。

zhè yī cì， wǒ xuǎn zé wǒ。

This time, I choose myself.

他们说东西太贵

tā men shuō dōng xī tài guì

They say everything costs too much

所以发补贴来减轻

suǒ yǐ fā bǔ tiē lái jiǎn qīng

So they hand out subsidies to ease the burden

再从同一只口袋

zài cóng tóng yī zhǐ kǒu dài

Then reach into the same pocket

把更多税收回去填平

bǎ gèng duō shuì shōu huí qù tián píng

And take back more taxes to balance it

左手递来一点安慰

zuǒ shǒu dì lái yì diǎn ān wèi

The left hand offers a little comfort

右手拿走整个月薪

yòu shǒu ná zǒu zhěng gè yuè xīn

The right hand takes the entire month's pay

数字看起来很漂亮

shù zì kàn qǐ lái hěn piào liàng

The numbers look beautiful

钱包却越来越安静

qián bāo què yuè lái yuè ān jìng

But the wallet grows quieter and quieter

不是谁不配被帮助

bú shì shuí bù pèi bèi bāng zhù

It is not that anyone is unworthy of help

也不是弱者该被丢下

yě bú shì ruò zhě gāi bèi diū xià

Nor that the vulnerable should be abandoned

可为什么诚实劳动的人

kě wèi shén me chéng shí láo dòng de rén

But why are people who work honestly

总被当成不会倒的架？

zǒng bèi dàng chéng bú huì dào de jià？

Always treated like supports that can never collapse?

付账的人没有掌声

fù zhàng de rén méi yǒu zhǎng shēng

The people paying the bills receive no applause

排队的人没有姓名

pái duì de rén méi yǒu xìng míng

The people waiting in line have no names

政策在镜头前很温柔

zhèng cè zài jìng tóu qián hěn wēn róu

Policy looks gentle in front of the cameras

生活在门外继续结冰

shēng huó zài mén wài jì xù jié bīng

While life keeps freezing outside the door

房租涨，电费涨

fáng zū zhǎng， diàn fèi zhǎng

Rent rises and electricity rises

车票涨，饭也变轻

chē piào zhǎng， fàn yě biàn qīng

Fares rise and meals grow lighter

工资站在原地罚站

gōng zī zhàn zài yuán dì fá zhàn

Wages stand still as if being punished

成本却一路狂奔不停

chéng běn què yī lù kuáng bēn bù tíng

While costs keep sprinting ahead

我们不是不肯贡献

wǒ men bú shì bù kěn gòng xiàn

It is not that we refuse to contribute

只是贡献到忘了自己

zhǐ shì gòng xiàn dào wàng le zì jǐ

We have simply contributed until we forgot ourselves

当责任只往下分

dāng zé rèn zhǐ wǎng xià fēn

When responsibility is only passed downward

权力却从不解释问题

quán lì què cóng bù jiě shì wèn tí

While power never explains the problem

以前努力像条路

yǐ qián nǔ lì xiàng tiáo lù

Effort used to feel like a road

现在努力像循环

xiàn zài nǔ lì xiàng xún huán

Now effort feels like a loop

跑得越快越怕停

pǎo de yuè kuài yuè pà tíng

The faster I run, the more I fear stopping

停下来就掉出名单

tíng xià lái jiù diào chū míng dān

Because stopping means falling off the list

他们叫我保持信心

tā men jiào wǒ bǎo chí xìn xīn

They tell me to keep the faith

别问系统哪里坏

bié wèn xì tǒng nǎ lǐ huài

And not ask where the system is broken

可连修理机器的人

kě lián xiū lǐ jī qì de rén

But even the people repairing the machine

都不知道螺丝掉在哪

dōu bù zhī dào luó sī diào zài nǎ

Do not know where the missing screw fell

我为谁活？我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for? Who am I living for?

每天低头替谁转动齿轮？

měi tiān dī tóu tì shuí zhuǎn dòng chǐ lún？

Whose gears do I keep turning with my head bowed each day?

我为谁活？我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for? Who am I living for?

为什么我的明天要先抵押给别人？

wèi shén me wǒ de míng tiān yào xiān dǐ yā gěi bié rén？

Why must my tomorrow be mortgaged to someone else first?

你说这是自由

nǐ shuō zhè shì zì yóu

You call this freedom

却替我决定该怎么走

què tì wǒ jué dìng gāi zěn me zǒu

Yet decide for me which way I should go

当所有承诺都碎了以后——

dāng suǒ yǒu chéng nuò dōu suì le yǐ hòu — —

After every promise has shattered—

我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for?

这一次，我选择我。

zhè yī cì， wǒ xuǎn zé wǒ。

This time, I choose myself.

曾经有人站在高处

céng jīng yǒu rén zhàn zài gāo chù

People once stood in high places

说要守住自由的门

shuō yào shǒu zhù zì yóu de mén

And promised to guard the door to freedom

说每个人都能开口

shuō měi gè rén dōu néng kāi kǒu

They said everyone could speak

不必向恐惧低声

bù bì xiàng kǒng jù dī shēng

Without lowering their voice to fear

后来他们建更多围墙

hòu lái tā men jiàn gèng duō wéi qiáng

Later they built even more walls

把问题锁进标签

bǎ wèn tí suǒ jìn biāo qiān

And locked every question inside a label

只允许正确的愤怒

zhǐ yǔn xǔ zhèng què de fèn nù

Only the correct anger was permitted

只接受批准的意见

zhǐ jiē shòu pī zhǔn de yì jiàn

Only approved opinions were accepted

他们口中的自由

tā men kǒu zhōng de zì yóu

The freedom they speak of

越来越像一种口令

yuè lái yuè xiàng yī zhǒng kǒu lìng

Sounds more and more like a command

只要你问谁在控制

zhǐ yào nǐ wèn shuí zài kòng zhì

The moment you ask who is in control

他们就说你不够清醒

tā men jiù shuō nǐ bù gòu qīng xǐng

They say you are not awake enough

可我没有要点燃城市

kě wǒ méi yǒu yào diǎn rán chéng shì

But I do not want to set the city on fire

也不想看谁倒下

yě bù xiǎng kàn shuí dǎo xià

And I do not want to see anyone fall

我只想保留我的声音

wǒ zhǐ xiǎng bǎo liú wǒ de shēng yīn

I only want to keep my voice

不再把沉默当回答

bù zài bǎ chén mò dāng huí dá

And stop treating silence as an answer

不砸窗，不举火

bù zá chuāng， bù jǔ huǒ

No broken windows and no raised flames

不让愤怒替我选择

bù ràng fèn nù tì wǒ xuǎn zé

I will not let anger choose for me

我只是站到灯光下面

wǒ zhǐ shì zhàn dào dēng guāng xià miàn

I simply step into the light

说一句——我也在这

shuō yī jù — — wǒ yě zài zhè

And say—I am here too

谁拿走了课堂里的希望？

shuí ná zǒu le kè táng lǐ de xī wàng？

Who took the hope out of the classroom?

谁把未来写成分期账？

shuí bǎ wèi lái xiě chéng fēn qī zhàng？

Who turned the future into an installment bill?

谁说忍耐就是成熟？

shuí shuō rěn nài jiù shì chéng shú？

Who said endurance is the same as maturity?

谁说沉默才算善良？

shuí shuō chén mò cái suàn shàn liáng？

Who said only silence counts as goodness?

也许没人知道怎么修

yě xǔ méi rén zhī dào zěn me xiū

Maybe nobody knows how to repair

这台已经失速的机器

zhè tái yǐ jīng shī sù de jī qì

This machine that has already lost control

但至少我能先问自己——

dàn zhì shǎo wǒ néng xiān wèn zì jǐ — —

But at least I can first ask myself—

我的时间，

wǒ de shí jiān，

My time,

我的名字，

wǒ de míng zì，

My name,

我的人生，

wǒ de rén shēng，

My life,

到底应该属于谁？

dào dǐ yīng gāi shǔ yú shuí？

Who should they truly belong to?

不是编号！

bú shì biān hào！

Not a number!

不是成本！

bú shì chéng běn！

Not a cost!

不是报表里沉默的人！

bú shì bào biǎo lǐ chén mò de rén！

Not a silent person in a report!

我有名字！

wǒ yǒu míng zì！

I have a name!

我有声音！

wǒ yǒu shēng yīn！

I have a voice!

我不是谁手里的齿轮！

wǒ bú shì shuí shǒu lǐ de chǐ lún！

I am not a gear in somebody else's hands!

我为谁活？我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for? Who am I living for?

我不再低头替谁转动齿轮！

wǒ bù zài dī tóu tì shuí zhuǎn dòng chǐ lún！

I will no longer bow my head and turn somebody else's gears!

我为谁活？我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for? Who am I living for?

我的明天不该先抵押给别人！

wǒ de míng tiān bù gāi xiān dǐ yā gěi bié rén！

My tomorrow should not be mortgaged to someone else first!

你说这是自由

nǐ shuō zhè shì zì yóu

You call this freedom

那就让我自己决定怎么走

nà jiù ràng wǒ zì jǐ jué dìng zěn me zǒu

Then let me decide for myself which way to go

当所有幻觉都碎了以后——

dāng suǒ yǒu huàn jué dōu suì le yǐ hòu — —

After every illusion has shattered—

我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for?

这一次，我选择我。

zhè yī cì， wǒ xuǎn zé wǒ。

This time, I choose myself.

我为谁活？我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for? Who am I living for?

就算前面没有标准答案

jiù suàn qián miàn méi yǒu biāo zhǔn dá àn

Even if there is no standard answer ahead

我为谁活？我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for? Who am I living for?

至少不再把灵魂交给账单

zhì shǎo bù zài bǎ líng hún jiāo gěi zhàng dān

At least I will no longer hand my soul over to the bills

我不制造战争

wǒ bù zhì zào zhàn zhēng

I will not start a war

也不需要世界失控

yě bù xū yào shì jiè shī kòng

And I do not need the world to lose control

我只要你看见我、听见我——

wǒ zhǐ yào nǐ kàn jiàn wǒ、 tīng jiàn wǒ — —

I only need you to see me and hear me—

我为谁活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for?

从今天起，

cóng jīn tiān qǐ，

From this day forward,

我为自己活。

wǒ wèi zì jǐ huó。

I live for myself.

不是逃离世界。

bú shì táo lí shì jiè。

This is not escaping the world.

不是摧毁规则。

bú shì cuī huǐ guī zé。

This is not destroying the rules.

只是终于明白——

zhǐ shì zhōng yú míng bái — —

It is finally understanding—

规则如果忘了人，

guī zé rú guǒ wàng le rén，

If the rules forget the people,

人就该站出来，

rén jiù gāi zhàn chū lái，

Then people should stand up,

重新问它为什么存在。

chóng xīn wèn tā wèi shén me cún zài。

And ask again why those rules exist.