關於本文的標題，我只是陳述一個事實，並不想就此闡述、生發，這活兒留給大拿們去幹。
說回這首歌。它可算是保羅西蒙和加芬克爾這對天才組合最有名的作品之一（還有一首代表作是Scarborough Fair，《斯卡博羅市場》，我將會在後續的文章中介紹)，作品產生於1964年，1967年作為電影《畢業生》的主題曲一炮而紅（同時一炮而紅的還有男主角達斯汀霍夫曼）。這首歌的曲調舒緩唯美，歌詞充滿魔幻色彩，中間帶著淡淡憂傷，又潛藏著憤懣、不滿和反抗，配合二人標誌性的和聲演繹，可以毫不誇張地說，為現代民謠樹立了一個難以逾越的標杆。
譯配有點難度，總的來說我做得不夠好。或許我染指這首作品的時機還不成熟，但既然做出來了，就先放在這兒吧。原詞採用了美國人寫歌常用的押韻方式，即兩句一換韻，不過每段的最後一句是不押韻的。我譯配的時候因為偷懶，就改成隨意換韻、末句不押韻了。
Sound of Silence
沉默之聲
詞曲：保羅西蒙、加芬克爾
譯配：溫柔的豪豬
Hello darkness, my old friend
靜夜漆黑心彷徨
I've come to talk with you again
滿懷心事卻與誰人講
Because a vision softly creeping
揮之不去的陰影在膨脹
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
像一顆種子萌發在夢鄉
And the vision that was planted in my brain
那陰影根植於心不斷生長
Still remains within the sound of silence
長成了無邊的沉默之聲
In restless dreams I walk alone
夢中我獨自跋涉不休
Narrow streets of cobblestone
在窄街陋巷卵石鋪就
Beneath the halo of a street lamp
路燈光暈下踽踽行走
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
豎起衣領抵擋溼冷氣流
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
當視線突然間被那閃爍霓虹撕裂
That split the night
靜夜崩解
And touched the sound of silence
融入那沉默之聲
And in the naked light I saw
在那慘烈的燈光下
Ten thousand people, maybe more
萬千人群聚集如麻
People talking without speaking
人們交流卻不說話
People hearing without listening
人們傾聽卻不回答
People writing songs that voices never share
人們寫下歌謠，卻無歌喉來抒發
And no one dared
無人去把
Disturb the sound of silence
那沉默之聲打破
"Fools," said I,"You do not know，
"各位," 我說，"你要知道，"
「Silence like a cancer grows，
「沉默就如癌細胞，
「Hear my words that I might teach you，
「聽我一言循我忠告，
「Take my arms that I might reach you."
「助我一臂與我出逃。」
But my words like silent raindrops fell
可我的話凝結成無聲雨滴
And echoed in the wells of silence
靜靜墜入沉默的深淵
And the people bowed and prayed
人們在匍匐跪拜
To the neon god they made
面朝自造的神臺
And the sign flashed its warning
臺上燈閃爍照亮
In the words that it was forming
一行警示文字模樣
And the signs said,「The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
上面寫著，「先知語錄已書寫於地鐵站的牆，」
"And tenement halls."
「還有廳堂。」
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence
如沉默之聲耳畔迴響