Puff the Magic Dragon [堕落街论坛]

　　Puff的主题是“the loss of innocence”，有歌评这样说：“这首歌主要是谈小孩子长大的过程，及对环境的感受。歌词中的Puff实为一虚构的奇异龙，用此来影射孩子小时侯很喜欢小玩具，长大后就把奇异龙甩掉，因为孩子已慢慢长大，对这种虚构的东西已不再有兴趣了”。　

　　让我们再深入一些来看待这首歌。英文puff原本应是象声词，是烟或气体喷出时的声音，有如蒸气火车起动时的声响。歌中puff既是歌名，又是神龙之名。再看看歌中男孩之名Jackie Paper。Jackie是昵称，本名是Jack，这是英美最常见的名字，而paper作为姓氏却并不多见，虽然西方姓氏如中国百家姓一般无奇不有。
　　其实，我们只需参透两个名字背后的含义，歌曲内涵便可一览无遗。英国十七世纪哲学家约翰。洛克在谈及人类心智成长时将儿童比作一块白版（Blank Tablet），盖指儿童的纯真世界没有成人世界独有的阴险狡诈，如一块白版，等待着外面的世界在上面刻画点染上各种各样的印迹。歌中的paper明显是化用了“白版”之说。英文中指代儿童时代词常常用“it”，应是一样的含义。
　　汉语说“近朱者赤，近墨者黑”是同样道理：正因为是块白版，最容易印染上各色痕迹。这样，我们便容易明白歌曲的含义了。作者取歌名为puff，又为小男孩取名Jackie Paper，正是用吹气即消，白纸易染喻指童真的脆弱，Jackie之名正隐指状况的普通性。
　　歌中用大量的篇幅描绘Jackie和puff一起出行时的威猛：连王孙贵胄都要向他们弯腰行礼，海盗船也要退让三分。这与男孩离开puff后，神龙的形单影孤，郁郁寡欢形成鲜明对比。反差如此之大。何故？歌中的神龙当是小男孩最喜欢的一件玩具，孩童了无羁绊的心灵为它插上了想象的神奇外衣。在想象的奇境中，他们纵横驰骋，白纸被染上污迹，失去孩童可贵纯真的同时，想象力也折断了翼翅。每每看到小学生瘦小稚嫩的双肩上架着一只宽厚的书包，蹒跚着沉重前行时，我便不禁为他们而悲哀；而当我看到学龄前儿童已然会撒谎造假阿谀奉承，我又不禁为人类而悲戚。
　　成长本是不可逆转的过程，每个人都要经历从boys to men的过程，这本是自然规律；然而，丧失想象力却是可悲的。人们在谈the loss of innocence的时候，其实是在追忆追悼着童真而失却的自由自在的想象力。孟子曰：“大人者，不失其赤子之心者也。”（有德行的人，是保留了儿童般纯洁之心的人）这里的赤子之心，在当代的大环境中是否可以理解为充满自由想象的心灵呢？当我们再度品味这听似简单的“儿歌”时，千年古训仿佛在耳边响起，发人深思。愿我们都保持一颗纯洁真诚的赤子之心，在心田珍藏一片让想象力自由飞升的空间。
Puff the Magic Dragon
Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea.
And frolicked in the autumn mist
In a land called Hon-a-lee.
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff
And brought him strings and ceiling wax,
And other fancy stuff.
Together they would travel
On a boat with billowed sail,
Jackie kept a lookout perch on
Puff's gigantic tail.
Nobel kings and princes
Would bow where 'ere they came,
And pirate ships would lower their flags
When Puff roared out his name.

Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea.
And frolicked in the autumn mist
In a land called Hon-a-lee.
Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea.
And frolicked in the autumn mist
In a land called Hon-a-lee.

A dragon lives forever
But not so little boys,
Painted wings and giant strings
Make way for other toys.
One dark night it happened,
Jackie Paper came no more,
And Puff that mighty dragon,
He ceased his fearless roar

His head was bent in sorrow,
Green scales fell like rain,
Puff no longer went to play
Along the cherry lane.
Without his life-long friend,
Puff could not be brave,
So Puff that mighty dragon
Sadly slipped into his cave.

主题：Puff the Magic Dragon