我為誰活

他們說——

tā men shuō — —

They say—

讀好書，找好工，

dú hǎo shū， zhǎo hǎo gōng，

Study hard, find a good job,

守規矩，往前走。

shǒu guī jǔ， wǎng qián zǒu。

Follow the rules and keep moving forward.

可為什麼路越走越窄，

kě wèi shén me lù yuè zǒu yuè zhǎi，

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

賬單卻越疊越厚？

zhàng dān què yuè dié yuè hòu？

While the bills keep piling higher?

小時候黑板寫著

xiǎo shí hòu hēi bǎn xiě zhe

When I was young, the blackboard said

知識改變命運

zhī shí gǎi biàn mìng yùn

Knowledge changes your destiny

老師說拿到文憑

lǎo shī shuō ná dào wén píng

The teacher said once you earn a diploma

未來自然會開門

wèi lái zì rán huì kāi mén

The future will open its doors

於是我們借來明天

yú shì wǒ men jiè lái míng tiān

So we borrowed from tomorrow

交給今天的學費

jiāo gěi jīn tiān de xué fèi

To pay today's tuition

幾年青春換張紙

jǐ nián qīng chūn huàn zhāng zhǐ

We traded years of youth for a piece of paper

再用幾十年還債

zài yòng jǐ shí nián huán zhài

Then spent decades paying back the debt

學士不夠，再讀碩士

xué shì bù gòu， zài dú shuò shì

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

履歷寫得像座高樓

lǚ lì xiě de xiàng zuò gāo lóu

Our résumés rose like towers

畢業那天全家舉杯

bì yè nà tiān quán jiā jǔ bēi

The whole family raised a glass on graduation day

第二天開始送外賣走

dì èr tiān kāi shǐ sòng wài mài zǒu

The next day I started delivering food

頭盔壓著畢業帽

tóu kuī yā zhe bì yè mào

A helmet pressed down on my graduation cap

雨水打溼推薦信

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

晚餐還是泡麵一斤

wǎn cān hái shì pào miàn yī jīn

Dinner was still a pound of instant noodles

不是工作不體面

bú shì gōng zuò bù tǐ miàn

It is not that the work lacks dignity

是承諾變得太廉價

shì chéng nuò biàn de tài lián jià

It is that promises have become too cheap

他們賣給我們一條天梯

tā men mài gěi wǒ men yī tiáo tiān tī

They sold us a ladder to the sky

爬到頂才發現沒有家

pá dào dǐng cái fā xiàn méi yǒu jiā

Only at the top did we discover there was no home

以前一份工資

yǐ qián yī fèn gōng zī

One salary used to

還能養一個明天

hái néng yǎng yí gè míng tiān

Be enough to support a future

現在兩份工作

xiàn zài liǎng fèn gōng zuò

Now two jobs

只夠撐到下個月前

zhǐ gòu chēng dào xià gè yuè qián

Barely keep us going until next month

他們叫我再努力

tā men jiào wǒ zài nǔ lì

They tell me to work harder

再忍耐，再等幾年

zài rěn nài， zài děng jǐ nián

Endure more and wait a few more years

可每次未來靠近

kě měi cì wèi lái kào jìn

But whenever the future draws near

價格又漲了一圈

jià gé yòu zhǎng le yī quān

The price rises all over again

我為誰活？我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

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

每天低頭替誰轉動齒輪？

měi tiān dī tóu tì shuí zhuǎn dòng chǐ lún？

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

我為誰活？我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

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

為什麼我的明天要先抵押給別人？

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

Why must my tomorrow be mortgaged to someone else first?

你說這是自由

nǐ shuō zhè shì zì yóu

You call this freedom

卻替我決定該怎麼走

què tì wǒ jué dìng gāi zěn me zǒu

Yet decide for me which way I should go

當所有承諾都碎了以後——

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

After every promise has shattered—

我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for?

這一次，我選擇我。

zhè yī cì， wǒ xuǎn zé wǒ。

This time, I choose myself.

他們說東西太貴

tā men shuō dōng xī tài guì

They say everything costs too much

所以發補貼來減輕

suǒ yǐ fā bǔ tiē lái jiǎn qīng

So they hand out subsidies to ease the burden

再從同一只口袋

zài cóng tóng yī zhǐ kǒu dài

Then reach into the same pocket

把更多稅收回去填平

bǎ gèng duō shuì shōu huí qù tián píng

And take back more taxes to balance it

左手遞來一點安慰

zuǒ shǒu dì lái yì diǎn ān wèi

The left hand offers a little comfort

右手拿走整個月薪

yòu shǒu ná zǒu zhěng gè yuè xīn

The right hand takes the entire month's pay

數字看起來很漂亮

shù zì kàn qǐ lái hěn piào liàng

The numbers look beautiful

錢包卻越來越安靜

qián bāo què yuè lái yuè ān jìng

But the wallet grows quieter and quieter

不是誰不配被幫助

bú shì shuí bù pèi bèi bāng zhù

It is not that anyone is unworthy of help

也不是弱者該被丟下

yě bú shì ruò zhě gāi bèi diū xià

Nor that the vulnerable should be abandoned

可為什麼誠實勞動的人

kě wèi shén me chéng shí láo dòng de rén

But why are people who work honestly

總被當成不會倒的架？

zǒng bèi dàng chéng bú huì dào de jià？

Always treated like supports that can never collapse?

付賬的人沒有掌聲

fù zhàng de rén méi yǒu zhǎng shēng

The people paying the bills receive no applause

排隊的人沒有姓名

pái duì de rén méi yǒu xìng míng

The people waiting in line have no names

政策在鏡頭前很溫柔

zhèng cè zài jìng tóu qián hěn wēn róu

Policy looks gentle in front of the cameras

生活在門外繼續結冰

shēng huó zài mén wài jì xù jié bīng

While life keeps freezing outside the door

房租漲，電費漲

fáng zū zhǎng， diàn fèi zhǎng

Rent rises and electricity rises

車票漲，飯也變輕

chē piào zhǎng， fàn yě biàn qīng

Fares rise and meals grow lighter

工資站在原地罰站

gōng zī zhàn zài yuán dì fá zhàn

Wages stand still as if being punished

成本卻一路狂奔不停

chéng běn què yī lù kuáng bēn bù tíng

While costs keep sprinting ahead

我們不是不肯貢獻

wǒ men bú shì bù kěn gòng xiàn

It is not that we refuse to contribute

只是貢獻到忘了自己

zhǐ shì gòng xiàn dào wàng le zì jǐ

We have simply contributed until we forgot ourselves

當責任只往下分

dāng zé rèn zhǐ wǎng xià fēn

When responsibility is only passed downward

權力卻從不解釋問題

quán lì què cóng bù jiě shì wèn tí

While power never explains the problem

以前努力像條路

yǐ qián nǔ lì xiàng tiáo lù

Effort used to feel like a road

現在努力像循環

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

停下來就掉出名單

tíng xià lái jiù diào chū míng dān

Because stopping means falling off the list

他們叫我保持信心

tā men jiào wǒ bǎo chí xìn xīn

They tell me to keep the faith

別問系統哪裡壞

bié wèn xì tǒng nǎ lǐ huài

And not ask where the system is broken

可連修理機器的人

kě lián xiū lǐ jī qì de rén

But even the people repairing the machine

都不知道螺絲掉在哪

dōu bù zhī dào luó sī diào zài nǎ

Do not know where the missing screw fell

我為誰活？我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

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

每天低頭替誰轉動齒輪？

měi tiān dī tóu tì shuí zhuǎn dòng chǐ lún？

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

我為誰活？我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

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

為什麼我的明天要先抵押給別人？

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

Why must my tomorrow be mortgaged to someone else first?

你說這是自由

nǐ shuō zhè shì zì yóu

You call this freedom

卻替我決定該怎麼走

què tì wǒ jué dìng gāi zěn me zǒu

Yet decide for me which way I should go

當所有承諾都碎了以後——

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

After every promise has shattered—

我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for?

這一次，我選擇我。

zhè yī cì， wǒ xuǎn zé wǒ。

This time, I choose myself.

曾經有人站在高處

céng jīng yǒu rén zhàn zài gāo chù

People once stood in high places

說要守住自由的門

shuō yào shǒu zhù zì yóu de mén

And promised to guard the door to freedom

說每個人都能開口

shuō měi gè rén dōu néng kāi kǒu

They said everyone could speak

不必向恐懼低聲

bù bì xiàng kǒng jù dī shēng

Without lowering their voice to fear

後來他們建更多圍牆

hòu lái tā men jiàn gèng duō wéi qiáng

Later they built even more walls

把問題鎖進標籤

bǎ wèn tí suǒ jìn biāo qiān

And locked every question inside a label

只允許正確的憤怒

zhǐ yǔn xǔ zhèng què de fèn nù

Only the correct anger was permitted

只接受批准的意見

zhǐ jiē shòu pī zhǔn de yì jiàn

Only approved opinions were accepted

他們口中的自由

tā men kǒu zhōng de zì yóu

The freedom they speak of

越來越像一種口令

yuè lái yuè xiàng yī zhǒng kǒu lìng

Sounds more and more like a command

只要你問誰在控制

zhǐ yào nǐ wèn shuí zài kòng zhì

The moment you ask who is in control

他們就說你不夠清醒

tā men jiù shuō nǐ bù gòu qīng xǐng

They say you are not awake enough

可我沒有要點燃城市

kě wǒ méi yǒu yào diǎn rán chéng shì

But I do not want to set the city on fire

也不想看誰倒下

yě bù xiǎng kàn shuí dǎo xià

And I do not want to see anyone fall

我只想保留我的聲音

wǒ zhǐ xiǎng bǎo liú wǒ de shēng yīn

I only want to keep my voice

不再把沉默當回答

bù zài bǎ chén mò dāng huí dá

And stop treating silence as an answer

不砸窗，不舉火

bù zá chuāng， bù jǔ huǒ

No broken windows and no raised flames

不讓憤怒替我選擇

bù ràng fèn nù tì wǒ xuǎn zé

I will not let anger choose for me

我只是站到燈光下面

wǒ zhǐ shì zhàn dào dēng guāng xià miàn

I simply step into the light

說一句——我也在這

shuō yī jù — — wǒ yě zài zhè

And say—I am here too

誰拿走了課堂裡的希望？

shuí ná zǒu le kè táng lǐ de xī wàng？

Who took the hope out of the classroom?

誰把未來寫成分期賬？

shuí bǎ wèi lái xiě chéng fēn qī zhàng？

Who turned the future into an installment bill?

誰說忍耐就是成熟？

shuí shuō rěn nài jiù shì chéng shú？

Who said endurance is the same as maturity?

誰說沉默才算善良？

shuí shuō chén mò cái suàn shàn liáng？

Who said only silence counts as goodness?

也許沒人知道怎麼修

yě xǔ méi rén zhī dào zěn me xiū

Maybe nobody knows how to repair

這臺已經失速的機器

zhè tái yǐ jīng shī sù de jī qì

This machine that has already lost control

但至少我能先問自己——

dàn zhì shǎo wǒ néng xiān wèn zì jǐ — —

But at least I can first ask myself—

我的時間，

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,

到底應該屬於誰？

dào dǐ yīng gāi shǔ yú shuí？

Who should they truly belong to?

不是編號！

bú shì biān hào！

Not a number!

不是成本！

bú shì chéng běn！

Not a cost!

不是報表裡沉默的人！

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!

我有聲音！

wǒ yǒu shēng yīn！

I have a voice!

我不是誰手裡的齒輪！

wǒ bú shì shuí shǒu lǐ de chǐ lún！

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

我為誰活？我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

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

我不再低頭替誰轉動齒輪！

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

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

我為誰活？我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

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

我的明天不該先抵押給別人！

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

My tomorrow should not be mortgaged to someone else first!

你說這是自由

nǐ shuō zhè shì zì yóu

You call this freedom

那就讓我自己決定怎麼走

nà jiù ràng wǒ zì jǐ jué dìng zěn me zǒu

Then let me decide for myself which way to go

當所有幻覺都碎了以後——

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

After every illusion has shattered—

我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for?

這一次，我選擇我。

zhè yī cì， wǒ xuǎn zé wǒ。

This time, I choose myself.

我為誰活？我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

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

就算前面沒有標準答案

jiù suàn qián miàn méi yǒu biāo zhǔn dá àn

Even if there is no standard answer ahead

我為誰活？我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？ wǒ wèi shuí huó？

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

至少不再把靈魂交給賬單

zhì shǎo bù zài bǎ líng hún jiāo gěi zhàng dān

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

我不製造戰爭

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

我只要你看見我、聽見我——

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

I only need you to see me and hear me—

我為誰活？

wǒ wèi shuí huó？

Who am I living for?

從今天起，

cóng jīn tiān qǐ，

From this day forward,

我為自己活。

wǒ wèi zì jǐ huó。

I live for myself.

不是逃離世界。

bú shì táo lí shì jiè。

This is not escaping the world.

不是摧毀規則。

bú shì cuī huǐ guī zé。

This is not destroying the rules.

只是終於明白——

zhǐ shì zhōng yú míng bái — —

It is finally understanding—

規則如果忘了人，

guī zé rú guǒ wàng le rén，

If the rules forget the people,

人就該站出來，

rén jiù gāi zhàn chū lái，

Then people should stand up,

重新問它為什麼存在。

chóng xīn wèn tā wèi shén me cún zài。

And ask again why those rules exist.