A small thing once happened at school that brought up

a question for me.

And somehow it helped me to see the price that I pay to

be cool.

Diane is a girl that I know;

she’s strange, like she doesn’t belong.

I don’t mean to say that that’s wrong;

we don’t like to be with her, though.

And so, when we all made some plans to have this big

party at Sue’s,

most kids in school got the news,

but no one invited Diane.

The thing about Taft Junior High is secrets don’t last very long.

I acted like nothing was wrong

When I saw Diane start to cry.

I know you may think that I’m cruel;

It doesn’t make me very proud.

I just went along with the crowd.

It’s sad,

but you have to at school.

You can’t pick the friends you prefer;

you fit in as well as you can.

I couldn’t be friends with Diane,

’cause then they would treat me like her.

 

In one class at Taft Junior High,

We study what people have done 

with gas chamber, bomber,

and gun in Auschwitz, Japan,and Mai Lai.

I don’t understand all I learn;

sometimes I just sit there and cry.

The whole world stood idly by and watched as the innocent burned,

like robots obeying some rule.

Atrocities done by the mob,

innocent, doing their job,

and what was it for?

Was it cool?

The world was aware of this hell,

But how many cried out in shame?

What heroes, and who was to blame?

A story that no one dared tell.

I promise to do what I can,

to not let it happen again;

to care for all women and men.

I’ll start by inviting Diane.

 

曾經在學校發生過的一件小事，為我提出一個問題。

不知何故，它幫助我看到我若變得很酷，要付出怎樣的代價。

黛安是我認識的女孩；

她很奇怪，就像她合不來。

我並不是說這是錯的；

但是，我們不喜歡和她在一起。

所以，當我們定了一些計劃，

在蘇的家舉辦盛大的派對，

大多數孩子在學校得到消息，

但沒有人邀請黛安。

關於塔夫特國中的事情是秘密，不會持續很久。

我表現出一副沒事的樣子

當我看到黛安開始哭泣。

我知道你可能會認為我很殘忍；

這樣子並沒有讓我感到自豪。

我和大家一起去了。

這真可悲，

但在學校，你必須這樣做。

你不能選擇你喜歡的朋友；

你盡可能地適應。

我不能和黛安成為朋友，

因為到那時，他們會像對待她一樣對待我。

 

在塔夫特國中一個班級，

我們研究人們做了什麼

毒氣室，轟炸機，

和日本、奧斯威辛集中營和美萊村的槍。

我不明白我學到的一切；

有時我只是坐在那裡哭。

整個世界閒閒坐在那裡，看著無辜的人被火燒，

像機器人一樣遵守一些規則。

暴徒所做的暴行，

無辜的人做好自己的工作，

這樣是為了什麼？

這樣子酷嗎？

世界意識到這個地獄，

但有多少人羞愧地哭了？

什麼英雄，誰應該受到責備？

一個沒有人敢說的故事。

我保證盡我所能，

不要讓它再次發生；

照顧所有女人和男人。

我邀請黛安，做為起點。