A memo to a higher office 一份备忘录，以更高的办公室

Open letter to the powers that be 该是权力的公开信

To a god, a king, a head of state 为了神，国王，国家元首

A captain of industry 一位业内人士队长

To the movers and the shakers... 到推动者和振动器...

Can't everybody see? 不可能每个人都看到了什么？

   

It ought to be second nature 这应该是第二自然

I mean, the places where we live 我的意思是，我们居住的地方

Let's talk about this sensibly 让我们来谈谈这个明智

We're not insensitive 我们不是不敏感

I know progress has no patience 我知道进度没有耐心

But something's got to give 可是，我的得给

   

I know you're different 我知道你是不同的

You know I'm the same 你知道我是一样的

We're both too busy 我们俩都太忙

To be taking the blame 要引咎

I'd like some changes 我想有些变化

But you don't have the time 但是，你没有时间

We can't go on thinking 我们不能继续思考

It's a victimless crime 这是一种无被害人犯罪

No one is blameless 没有人是无辜的

But we're all without shame 但我们都没有羞耻

We fight the fire while we're feeding the flames 我们救火，而我们饲养的火焰

   

Folks have got to make choices 人们都不得不做出决定

And choices got to have voices 和选择得有声音

Folks are basically decent 人们基本上都是体面

Conventional wisdom would say 传统智慧会说

But we read about the exceptions 但是，我们读到的例外

In the papers every day 在每天的报纸

   

It ought to be second nature 这应该是第二自然

At least, that's what I feel 至少，这就是我的感觉

Now I lay me down in Dreamland 现在，我在梦境躺下

I know perfect's not for real 我知道完美是不是真正的

I thought we might get closer 我想我们可能会更接近

But I'm ready to make a deal 但我已经准备好作出处理

   

Today is different, and tomorrow the same 今天是不同的，明天同一

It's hard to take the world the way that it came 这是难以接受的世界，它来时的路

Too many rapids keep us sweeping along 太多的急流让我们一起扫

Too many captains keep on steering us wrong 太多的船长继续指导我们的错误

It's hard to take the heat 这是很难走热

It's hard to lay blame 这是很难打好怪

To fight the fire while we're feeding the flames 为了救火，而我们饲养的火焰