精益求精　

谁走得最远？我要走得更远，
谁品行正直？我要成为世上最正直的人，
谁最谨慎？我要更加谨慎，
谁最幸福？哦我觉得是我——我觉得没人比我更幸福，
谁挥霍了一切？我一直挥霍我最好的东西，
谁最自豪？我觉得我理应是当今最自豪的人——我是这座强壮宏伟之城的子民。
谁勇敢而忠实？我要成为全宇宙最勇敢最忠实的存在，
谁乐善好施？我要比所有人更加慈善，
谁收获了最多的朋友的爱？我了解得到众多朋友的热烈之爱是何种体验，
谁拥有一副完美而令人迷恋的身体？我不相信有谁的身体比我的更加完美和令人迷恋，
谁在思索最广博的思想？我要囊括那些思想，
谁写下了适合大地的赞歌？我痴狂沉醉地为整个大地谱写欢乐赞歌。

作者 / [美国]沃尔特·惠特曼
翻译 / 叶子黄

EXCELSIOR

Who has gone farthest? for I would go farther,
And who has been just? for I would be the most just person of the earth,
And who most cautious? for I would be more cautious,
And who has been happiest? O I think it is I—I think no one was ever
happier than I,
And who has lavish’d all? for I lavish constantly the best I have,
And who proudest? for I think I have reason to be the proudest son
alive—for I am the son of the brawny and tall-topt city,
And who has been bold and true? for I would be the boldest and truest
being of the universe,
And who benevolent? for I would show more benevolence than all the rest,
And who has receiv’d the love of the most friends? for I know what it is
to receive the passionate love of many friends,
And who possesses a perfect and enamour’d body? for I do not believe
any one possesses a more perfect or enamour’d body than mine,
And who thinks the amplest thoughts? for I would surround those
thoughts,
And who has made hymns fit for the earth? for I am mad with devouring
ecstasy to make joyous hymns for the whole earth.

By Walt Whitman

最近整理书籍，看到前两年买的《草叶集》。中学时代，读这本诗集是如痴如醉，后来接触里尔克等人之后，对惠特曼就失去了兴趣。前两年买来此书，也是为了纪念。

隔了十几年再翻翻，那些经典篇目让人倍感亲切，禁不住也随口念出来，依然被惠特曼的激情所感染。当然读多一些，难免觉得他过于聒噪、喋喋不休。

而伟大诗人总经得起反复阅读，这次让我很惊喜的是惠特曼晚年的诗作。年事已高，忧虑死亡，高涨的活力逐渐衰退，过剩的自我意识缓缓蜕去，一些诗有了前所未有的澄澈之感和沉静的气息。

今天选的这首诗是惠特曼壮年时期的作品，相对来说不太出名，但读着让人很开心，像在街头围观一个人如何奋力地自我吹嘘，同时也有一丝羡慕，觉得能这么夸赞自己也是很好的事。

若细细品味，可能更让人羡慕了，因为惠特曼对自己的肯定和赞美是如此健康和完整，不仅夸奖自己的能力和品德，也赞美自己的城市和人际关系，在乎身体与思想的全面发展，更在乎自己能否为这个世界写下合适的赞歌。

怎可徒有羡慕之情呢——即便没有惠特曼的宏伟心胸，至少我们可以“普通而自信”，夸夸自己也值得尝试和努力。

比如：“谁厨艺精湛？毫无疑问，我做的馅饼是全天下最好吃的”。

比如：“谁最能熬夜？我要熬到太阳都不忍心再次升起。”

今晚，让我们也像惠特曼一样精益求精，展现自我，夸奖自己吧。欢迎大家在留言区奋力自夸~