I was a Marine with 1/1 Weapons Company, 81's platoon, out in Camp Pendleton, California. Oorah!
Bol som vojak námorníctva, 1/1 rota bojovej podpory, 81. čata, v Camp Pendletone v Kalifornii. Hurá!
Audience: Oorah!
Publikum: Hurá!
(Laughter)
(smiech)
I joined a few months after September 11, feeling like I think most people in the country did at the time, filled with a sense of patriotism and retribution and the desire to do something -- that, coupled with that fact that I wasn't doing anything. I was 17, just graduated from high school that past summer, living in the back room of my parents' house paying rent, in the small town I was raised in in Northern Indiana, called Mishawaka. I can spell that later for people who are interested --
Prišiel som tam pár mesiacov po 11.9., s pocitom, aký vtedy asi mala väčšina ľudí v USA, bol som plný patriotizmu a túžby po odvete a chuti niečo spraviť – čo súviselo s pocitom, že som vtedy nerobil nič. Mal som 17, leto predtým som skončil strednú školu, žil som v zadnej izbe mojich rodičov, platil nájomné, v malom meste na severe Indiany, kde som vyrástol, s názvom Mishawaka. Pre tých, čo to zaujíma, to potom môžem vyhláskovať...
(Laughter)
(smiech)
Mishawaka is many good things but cultural hub of the world it is not, so my only exposure to theater and film was limited to the plays I did in high school and Blockbuster Video, may she rest in peace.
Mishawaka je všetko možné, kultúrne stredisko sveta to ale nie je, čiže môj jediný kontakt s divadlom a filmom boli hry, v ktorých som hral na strednej, a Blockbuster Video, nech odpočíva v pokoji.
(Laughter)
(smiech)
I was serious enough about acting that I auditioned for Juilliard when I was a senior in high school, didn't get in, determined college wasn't for me and applied nowhere else, which was a genius move. I also did that Hail Mary LA acting odyssey that I always heard stories about, of actors moving to LA with, like, seven dollars and finding work and successful careers. I got as far as Amarillo, Texas, before my car broke down. I spent all my money repairing it, finally made it to Santa Monica -- not even LA -- stayed for 48 hours wandering the beach, basically, got in my car, drove home, thus ending my acting career, so --
S hraním som to myslel natoľko vážne, že som sa vo vyšších ročníkoch chcel dostať na konzervatórium Juilliard, neprijali ma, vysoká pre mňa nebola a nikam inde som sa nehlásil, čo bol geniálny ťah. Prešiel som aj tú krížovú cestu do LA, o ktorej som vždy počúval, o hercoch, čo tam prišli s asi 7 dolármi a našli tam prácu a úspešnú kariéru. Ja som sa dostal po Amarillo v Texase, tam sa mi pokazilo auto. Na opravu som minul všetky peniaze, konečne som prišiel po Santa Monicu – ani nie LA – tam som v zásade strávil 48 hodín prechádzkou po pláži, sadol do auta, prišiel domov, čím som ukončil svoju hereckú kariéru, takže...
(Laughter)
(smiech)
Seventeen, Mishawaka ... parents' house, paying rent, selling vacuums ... telemarketing, cutting grass at the local 4-H fairgrounds. This was my world going into September, 2001.
Sedemnásť, Mishiwaka... rodičovský dom, platenie nájmu, predaj vysávačov... telemarketing, kosenie trávy v miestnom lunaparku. To bol môj svet pred septembrom 2001.
So after the 11th, and feeling an overwhelming sense of duty, and just being pissed off in general -- at myself, my parents, the government; not having confidence, not having a respectable job, my shitty mini-fridge that I just drove to California and back -- I joined the Marine Corps and loved it. I loved being a Marine. It's one of the things I'm most proud of having done in my life. Firing weapons was cool, driving and detonating expensive things was great. But I found I loved the Marine Corps the most for the thing I was looking for the least when I joined, which was the people: these weird dudes -- a motley crew of characters from a cross section of the United States -- that on the surface I had nothing in common with. And over time, all the political and personal bravado that led me to the military dissolved, and for me, the Marine Corps became synonymous with my friends.
Takže po tom 11., keď som cítil ohromný pocit povinnosti a bol som všeobecne naštvaný – na seba, svojich rodičov, vládu, na to, že nemám sebavedomie ani poriadnu prácu, na svoju hnusnú minichladničku, ktorú som vzal do Kalifornie a späť – som vstúpil k námorným jednotkám a bolo to super. Je to jedna z vecí, na ktoré som vo svojom živote hrdý. Streľba zo zbraní bola super, šoférovať a odpaľovať drahé veci bolo úžasné. Ale zistil som, že najviac milujem Marine Corps pre vec, ktorú som hľadal najmenej, keď som tam prišiel, a to boli ľudia: títo divní chlapi, divná banda postavičiek z celých Spojených štátov, s ktorou som na prvý pohľad nemal nič spoločné. A postupom času sa celá tá politická a osobná statočnosť, čo ma doviedla k armáde, rozplynula, a námorná jednotka sa stala synonymom pre priateľov.
And then, a few years into my service and months away from deploying to Iraq, I dislocated my sternum in a mountain-biking accident, and had to be medically separated. Those never in the military may find this hard to understand, but being told I wasn't getting deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan was very devastating for me. I have a very clear image of leaving the base hospital on a stretcher and my entire platoon is waiting outside to see if I was OK.
A potom, po pár rokoch mojej služby, len pár mesiacov pred odchodom do Iraku, som si vykĺbil hrudnú kosť pri nehode na horskom bicykli, a tak ma museli prepustiť. Tí, čo nikdy neboli v armáde, to možno budú len ťažko chápať, ale keď mi povedali, že nepôjdem do Iraku ani Afganistanu, úplne ma to zničilo. Veľmi jasne si spomínam, ako ma niesli z nemocnice na nosidlách, a celá moja čata čakala vonku, či som v poriadku.
And then, suddenly, I was a civilian again. I knew I wanted to give acting another shot, because -- again, this is me -- I thought all civilian problems are small compared to the military. I mean, what can you really bitch about now, you know? "It's hot. Someone should turn on the air conditioner." "This coffee line is too long." I was a Marine, I knew how to survive. I'd go to New York and become an actor. If things didn't work out, I'd live in Central Park and dumpster-dive behind Panera Bread.
A vtedy som sa zrazu znovu stal civilom. Vedel som, že chcem dať herectvu druhú šancu, lebo – znovu, môj názor – som si myslel, že všetky problémy civilov sú v porovnaní s armádou malé. Akože, chápete, na čo teraz môžete nadávať? „Je tu teplo. Mali by zapnúť klimatizáciu.“ „Tento rad na kávu je príliš dlhý.“ Ja som bol mariňákom, vedel som, ako prežiť. Mal som ísť do New Yorku a stať sa hercom. Ak by sa to nepodarilo, žil by som v Central Parku a lovil odpadky za Panera Bread.
(Laughter)
(smiech)
I re-auditioned for Juilliard and this time I was lucky, I got in. But I was surprised by how complex the transition was from military to civilian. And I was relatively healthy; I can't imagine going through that process on top of a mental or physical injury. But regardless, it was difficult. In part, because I was in acting school -- I couldn't justify going to voice and speech class, throwing imaginary balls of energy at the back of the room, doing acting exercises where I gave birth to myself --
Zasa som sa prihlásil na Juilliard, mal som šťastie, zobrali ma. Ale bol som prekvapený, aký náročný bol prerod z vojaka na civila. A ja som bol relatívne zdravý; neviem si predstaviť prechádzať tým s ranou na tele alebo na duši. Ale aj tak to bolo ťažké. Čiastočne preto, lebo som bol v hereckej škole – nevedel som si odpustiť, že chodím na hodiny spevu a rétoriky, v kúte miestnosti hádžem imaginárne gule s energiou, robím herecké cvičenia, na ktorých rodím sám seba,
(Laughter)
(smiech)
while my friends were serving without me overseas. But also, because I didn't know how to apply the things I learned in the military to a civilian context. I mean that both practically and emotionally. Practically, I had to get a job. And I was an Infantry Marine, where you're shooting machine guns and firing mortars. There's not a lot of places you can put those skills in the civilian world.
kým moji kamaráti sú na misii v cudzine bezo mňa. Ale aj preto, že som nevedel, ako využiť veci, čo som sa naučil v armáde, v kontexte civila. Myslím tie praktické aj emocionálne. Praktické: potreboval som prácu. A ja som bol pechota, námorník, tam strieľate z automatických zbraní a z mínometov. Vo svete civilov tieto zručnosti veľmi nevyužijete.
(Laughter)
(smiech)
Emotionally, I struggled to find meaning. In the military, everything has meaning. Everything you do is either steeped in tradition or has a practical purpose. You can't smoke in the field because you don't want to give away your position. You don't touch your face -- you have to maintain a personal level of health and hygiene. You face this way when "Colors" plays, out of respect for people who went before you. Walk this way, talk this way because of this. Your uniform is maintained to the inch. How diligently you followed those rules spoke volumes about the kind of Marine you were. Your rank said something about your history and the respect you had earned.
Ak ide o emócie, ťažko som hľadal zmysel. V armáde má všetko zmysel. Všetko, čo robíte, je buď tradícia, alebo má praktický význam. V teréne nemôžete fajčiť, lebo nechcete prezradiť vašu pozíciu. Nedotýkate sa tváre – musíte si predsa zachovať nejakú úroveň zdravia a hygieny. Keď trúbia na poctu, stojíte takto, vzdávate úctu tým, ktorí boli pred vami. Takto chodíte, takto hovoríte, kvôli tomuto. Vaša uniforma je pedantne udržiavaná. To, ako húževnato dodržiavate tieto pravidlá, hovorí mnoho o tom, čo ste za námorníka. Vaša hodnosť hovorí o vašej minulosti a rešpekte, aký si zaslúžite.
In the civilian world there's no rank. Here you're just another body, and I felt like I constantly had to prove my worth all over again. And the respect civilians were giving me while I was in uniform didn't exist when I was out of it. There didn't seem to be a ... a sense of community, whereas in the military, I felt this sense of community. How often in the civilian world are you put in a life-or-death situation with your closest friends and they constantly demonstrate that they're not going to abandon you? And meanwhile, at acting school ...
V civilnom svete nie sú hodnosti. Tu ste len ďalšie telo a ja som sa cítil, akoby som stále musel dokazovať svoju hodnotu. A rešpekt, aký mi civili prejavovali, kým som bol v uniforme, neexistoval, keď som ju nemal. Zdalo sa, že neexistuje... zmysel pre komunitu, kým v armáde som ten zmysel pre komunitu cítil. Ako často sa v civilnom svete ocitnete v smrteľnom riziku s vašimi najbližšími priateľmi a oni stále dokazujú, že vás neopustia? Kým na hereckej škole...
(Laughter)
(smiech)
I was really, for the first time, discovering playwrights and characters and plays that had nothing to do with the military, but were somehow describing my military experience in a way that before to me was indescribable. And I felt myself becoming less aggressive as I was able to put words to feelings for the first time and realizing what a valuable tool that was.
Vážne, po prvý raz som objavoval dramatikov, postavy a hry, ktoré vôbec nesúviseli s armádou, ale opisovali moje skúsenosti spôsobom, aký bol pre mňa predtým neopísateľný. A ja som sa pomaly vzdával svojej agresivity, lebo som sa po prvý raz učil pomenúvať pocity a došlo mi, aký cenný nástroj to je.
And when I was reflecting on my time in the military, I wasn't first thinking on the stereotypical drills and discipline and pain of it; but rather, the small, intimate human moments, moments of great feeling: friends going AWOL because they missed their families, friends getting divorced, grieving together, celebrating together, all within the backdrop of the military. I saw my friends battling these circumstances, and I watched the anxiety it produced in them and me, not being able to express our feelings about it.
A keď som premýšľal o svojich časoch v armáde, nemyslel som hneď na stereotypný dril, disciplínu a bolesť, ale skôr na tie malé, dôverné ľudské chvíle, chvíle skvelých pocitov: priateľov, čo tajne zdrhli, lebo im chýbali ich rodiny, priateľov, čo sa rozviedli, čo spolu smútili aj oslavovali, to všetko v pozadí javiska armády. Videl som boj mojich priateľov s týmito okolnosťami a videl som úzkosť, čo v nich aj vo mne prebudili, keď som nevedel vyjadriť naše pocity.
The military and theater communities are actually very similar. You have a group of people trying to accomplish a mission greater than themselves; it's not about you. You have a role, you have to know your role within that team. Every team has a leader or director; sometimes they're smart, sometimes they're not. You're forced to be intimate with complete strangers in a short amount of time; the self-discipline, the self-maintenance. I thought, how great would it be to create a space that combined these two seemingly dissimilar communities, that brought entertainment to a group of people that, considering their occupation, could handle something a bit more thought-provoking than the typical mandatory-fun events that I remember being "volun-told" to go to in the military --
Spoločenstvo armády a divadla je vlastne veľmi podobné. Máte tam skupinu ľudí, čo sa snaží splniť misiu, ktorá je väčšia ako oni; nie je to o vás. Máte úlohu, musíte poznať svoju úlohu v tíme. Každý tím má lídra alebo režiséra; niekedy je múdry, niekedy nie. Ste nútení dôverne sa spoznať s úplne cudzími ľuďmi v krátkej dobe; je to sebadisciplína, zachovanie si seba. Pomyslel som si, aké skvelé by bolo vytvoriť priestor, ktorý by spájal tieto dve zdanlivo odlišné komunity, ktorý by prinášal zábavu skupine ľudí, ktorá by, vzhľadom na svoju profesiu, zvládla niečo, pri čom treba rozmýšľať trochu viac než len obyčajné akcie povinnej zábavy, na ktoré sme „dobrovoľne museli ísť“ v armáde –
(Laughter)
(smiech)
all well-intended but slightly offensive events, like "Win a Date with a San Diego Chargers Cheerleader," where you answer a question about pop culture, and if you get it right you win a date, which was a chaperoned walk around the parade deck with this already married, pregnant cheerleader --
všetko dobre myslené, ale trochu urážlivé akcie, ako „Vyhrajte rande s roztlieskavačkou San Diego Chargers“, kde odpovedáte na otázku z pop kultúry a keď uhádnete, vyhrávate rande, čo bola prechádzka s doprovodom okolo promenády s roztlieskavačkou, vydatou a tehotnou ...
(Laughter)
(smiech)
Nothing against cheerleaders, I love cheerleaders. The point is more, how great would it be to have theater presented through characters that were accessible without being condescending. So we started this nonprofit called Arts in the Armed Forces, where we tried to do that, tried to join these two seemingly dissimilar communities. We pick a play or select monologues from contemporary American plays that are diverse in age and race like a military audience is, grab a group of incredible theater-trained actors, arm them with incredible material, keep production value as minimal as possible -- no sets, no costumes, no lights, just reading it -- to throw all the emphasis on the language and to show that theater can be created at any setting.
Nič proti roztlieskavačkám, mám ich strašne rád. Hlavná myšlienka je skôr, že by bolo skvelé priniesť divadlo, kde by boli postavy, ktoré by boli dosiahnuteľné, nie povýšenecké. Takže sme spustili neziskovku, Umenie v ozbrojených silách, v rámci ktorej sme sa snažili spojiť tieto dve zdanlivo odlišné komunity. Vyberáme si hry alebo monológy zo súčasných amerických hier, ktoré sú svojím vekom a druhom rozmanité ako armádne publikum, vyberieme skupinu skvelých divadelných hercov, vyzbrojíme ich skvelým materiálom, výrobné náklady držíme tak nízko, ako sa len dá: žiadne scény, kostýmy, svetlá, len čítanie, aby sme dali plný dôraz na jazyk a ukázali, že divadlo sa dá robiť hocikde.
It's a powerful thing, getting in a room with complete strangers and reminding ourselves of our humanity, and that self-expression is just as valuable a tool as a rifle on your shoulder. And for an organization like the military, that prides itself on having acronyms for acronyms, you can get lost in the sauce when it comes to explaining a collective experience. And I can think of no better community to arm with a new means of self-expression than those protecting our country.
Je to veľmi silná vec, keď prídete do miestnosti s úplne cudzími ľudmi, pripomeniete si ich ľudskosť, a to, že sebavyjadrenie je rovnako cenný nástroj ako puška na vašom pleci. A v organizácii ako je armáda, ktorá sa hrdí používaním jednej skratky za druhou, sa môžete stratiť v guláši, keď príde na vysvetľovanie kolektívnej skúsenosti. A neviem o lepšej komunite, ktorá potrebuje nové prostriedky sebavyjadrenia než tí, čo bránia našu krajinu.
We've gone all over the United States and the world, from Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland, to Camp Pendleton, to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, to USAG Bavaria, on- and off-Broadway theaters in New York. And for the performing artists we bring, it's a window into a culture they otherwise would not have had exposure to. And for the military, it's the exact same.
Precestovali sme celé Spojené štáty aj svet, od Walter Reed v meste Bethesda v Marylande cez Camp Pendleton, po Camp Arifjan v Kuvajte, po USAG v Bavorsku, divadlá z Broadway v New Yorku aj mimo. A pre umelcov, ktorých prinášame, je to okno do kultúry, s ktorou by sa inak nikdy nestretli. A pre vojakov je to presne to isté.
And in doing this for the past six years, I'm always reminded that acting is many things. It's a craft, it's a political act, it's a business, it's -- whatever adjective is most applicable to you. But it's also a service. I didn't get to finish mine, so whenever I get to be of service to this ultimate service industry, the military, for me, again -- there's not many things better than that.
A keďže to robíme už šesť rokov, stále si pripomínam, že herectvo je mnoho. Je to remeslo, politický čin, biznis, je to – hocijaký prívlastok, ktorý sa vám najviac hodí. Ale je to aj misia. Svoju sa mi nepodarilo dokončiť, takže kedykoľvek môžem poslúžiť tejto jedinečnej profesii poslania, armáde, znovu, podľa mňa neexistuje veľa vecí, ktoré by boli lepšie.
Thank you.
Ďakujem.
(Applause)
(potlesk)
We're going to be doing a piece from Marco Ramirez, called "I am not Batman." An incredible actor and good friend of mine, Jesse Perez, is going to be reading, and Matt Johnson, who I just met a couple hours ago. They're doing it together for the first time, so we'll see how it goes.
Zahráme scénku od Marca Ramireza s názvom „Ja nie som Batman“. Vynikajúci herec a môj dobrý priateľ, Jesse Perez, vám bude čítať, a Matt Johnson, ktorého som spoznal pred pár hodinami. Spolu budú vystupovať po prvý raz, takže uvidíme, ako to pôjde.
Jesse Perez and Matt Johnson.
Jesse Perez a Matt Johnson.
(Applause)
(potlesk)
Jesse Perez: It's the middle of the night and the sky is glowing like mad, radioactive red. And if you squint, you can maybe see the moon through a thick layer of cigarette smoke and airplane exhaust that covers the whole city, like a mosquito net that won't let the angels in.
Jesse Perez: Je hlboká noc a nebo žiari ako bláznivé rádioaktívnou červeňou. A ak privriete oči, možno uvidíte mesiac cez hrubú vrstvu cigaretového dymu a spaliny z lietadiel, ktorá prikrýva celé mesto ako sieť proti komárom, ktorá dnu nepustí anjelov.
(Drum beat)
(bubon)
And if you look up high enough, you can see me standing on the edge of an 87-story building. And up there, a place for gargoyles and broken clock towers that have stayed still and dead for maybe like 100 years, up there is me.
A ak sa pozriete dosť vysoko, uvidíte ma stáť na okraji 87-poschodovej budovy. A tu, kde je miesto pre chrliče a pokazené vežové hodiny, ktoré stoja mŕtve možno aj 100 rokov, tu hore som ja.
(Beat)
(bubon)
And I'm frickin' Batman.
A ja som hovadský Batman.
(Beat)
(bubon)
And I gots Batmobiles and batarangs and frickin' bat caves, like, for real. And all it takes is a broom closet or a back room or a fire escape, and Danny's hand-me-down jeans are gone. And my navy blue polo shirt, the one that looks kinda good on me but has that hole on it near the butt from when it got snagged on the chain-link fence behind Arturo's but it isn't even a big deal because I tuck that part in and it's, like, all good. That blue polo shirt -- it's gone, too! And I get like, like ... transformational.
A mám batmobily a batarangy, a fajnové batjaskyne, akože vážne. A potrebujem len kumbál na metly zadnú izbu alebo požiarne schodisko a Dannyho rifle z druhej ruky zmiznú. A moje námonícka modrá košeľa, ktorá na mne vyzerá celkom dobre, ale je v nej diera pri zadku, odkedy sa mi zachytila na pletive za pizzérkou U Artura, ale to nie je veľký problém, lebo si to len zastrčím, a všetko je v pohode. Tá modrá polokošeľa zmizla tiež! A ja sa akože ... premieňam.
(Beat)
(bubon)
And nobody pulls out a belt and whips Batman for talkin' back.
A na Batmana nikto nevytiahne opasok a nevyšľahá ho za odvrávanie.
(Beat)
(bubon)
Or for not talkin' back.
Alebo za neodvrávanie.
And nobody calls Batman simple or stupid or skinny. And nobody fires Batman's brother from the Eastern Taxi Company 'cause they was making cutbacks, neither. 'Cause they got nothing but respect. And not like afraid-respect, just, like, respect-respect.
A nikto nehovorí Batmanovi, že je jednoduchý, hlúpy alebo vycivený. A nikto nevyhodí Batmanovho brata z Eastern Taxi Company, lebo znižujú stavy. Lebo k nemu majú rešpekt. Ale nie rešpekt zo strachu, ale, akože, rešpekt z rešpektu.
(Laughter)
(smiech)
'Cause nobody's afraid of you. 'Cause Batman doesn't mean nobody no harm.
Lebo sa vás nikto nebojí. Lebo Batman nechce nikomu ublížiť.
(Beat)
(bubon)
Ever. (Double beat)
Nikdy. (bubon)
'Cause all Batman really wants to do is save people and maybe pay abuela's bills one day and die happy. And maybe get, like, mad-famous for real.
Lebo Batman chce iba zachraňovať ľudí a možno raz splatiť dlh svojej starkej a umrieť šťastný. A možno sa stať hovadsky slávnym.
(Laughter)
(smiech)
Oh -- and kill the Joker.
O, a ešte – zabiť Jokera.
(Drum roll)
(bubon)
Tonight, like most nights, I'm all alone. And I'm watchin' and I'm waitin' like a eagle or like a -- no, yeah, like a eagle.
Dnes, ako väčšinu nocí, som úplne sám. A sledujem a čakám ako orol alebo ako... teda, hej, ako orol.
(Laughter)
(smiech)
And my cape is flapping in the wind cause it's frickin' long and my pointy ears are on, and that mask that covers like half my face is on, too, and I got, like, bulletproof stuff all in my chest so no one can hurt me. And nobody -- nobody! -- is gonna come between Batman ... and justice.
A môj plášť veje vo vetre, lebo je hovadsky dlhý, a mám svoje špicaté uši, aj tú masku, čo mi zakrýva pol tváre, a na hrudi mám nepriestrelné veci, aby ma nikto nemohol zraniť. A nikto – nikto! – sa nepostaví medzi Batmana – a spravodlivosť.
(Drums) (Laughter)
(bubon) (smiech)
From where I am, I can hear everything.
Lebo tam, kde som, počujem všetko.
(Silence)
(ticho)
Somewhere in the city, there's a old lady picking Styrofoam leftovers up out of a trash can and she's putting a piece of sesame chicken someone spit out into her own mouth. And somewhere there's a doctor with a wack haircut in a black lab coat trying to find a cure for the diseases that are gonna make us all extinct for real one day. And somewhere there's a man, a man in a janitor's uniform, stumbling home drunk and dizzy after spending half his paycheck on 40-ounce bottles of twist-off beer, and the other half on a four-hour visit to some lady's house on a street where the lights have all been shot out by people who'd rather do what they do in this city in the dark. And half a block away from janitor man, there's a group of good-for-nothings who don't know no better, waiting for janitor man with rusted bicycle chains and imitation Louisville Sluggers, and if they don't find a cent on him, which they won't, they'll just pound at him till the muscles in their arms start burning, till there's no more teeth to crack out.
Niekde v meste práve stará pani zbiera zo smetiaka zvyšky polystyrénu a vkladá si do úst kus sezamového kuraťa, čo niekto vypľul. A niekde je tam aj lekár s divným účesom, v čiernom plášti, snaží sa nájsť liek na choroby, vďaka ktorým jedného dňa všetci vymrieme. A niekde tam je aj muž, muž v uniforme školníka, potáca sa domov opitý, točí sa mu hlava, lebo polovicu výplaty minul na litrové fľaše piva a druhú polovicu na štvorhodinovú návštevu v dome nejakej slečny, na ulici, kde všetky svetlá vypli ľudia, ktorí by radi robili to, čo v tomto meste robia, za tmy. A pol bloku od muža v uniforme je skupinka naničhodníkov, ktorí nevedie, čo od dobroty, tak čakajú na muža školníka s hrdzavými reťazami od bicykla a fejkovými bejzbalkami od Louisville a ak uňho nenájdu ani cent, čo teda nenájdu, budú ho tĺcť dovtedy, kým im nebudú horieť svaly na ramenách a kým už nebudú zuby, ktoré by mohli vybiť.
But they don't count on me. They don't count on no Dark Knight, with a stomach full of grocery-store brand macaroni and cheese and cut-up Vienna sausages.
Ale oni nerátajú so mnou. Nerátajú so žiadnym Temným rytierom, s bruchom plným lacných cestovín so syrom a nakrájaných viedenských párkov.
(Laughter)
(smiech)
'Cause they'd rather believe I don't exist.
Lebo by radšej verili, že neexistujem.
And from 87 stories up, I can hear one of the good-for-nothings say, "Gimme the cash!" -- real fast like that, just, "Gimme me the fuckin' cash!" And I see janitor man mumble something in drunk language and turn pale, and from 87 stories up, I can hear his stomach trying to hurl its way out his Dickies.
A z výšky 87 poschodí počujem, ako jeden z tých naničhodníkov hovorí: „Daj mi prachy!“ – takto rýchlo, len: „Daj mi tie posrané prachy!“ A vidím školníka, ako si niečo mumle jazykom opilcov a bledne, a z výšky 87 poschodí počujem, ako sa jeho žalúdok chce dostať sa von z jeho monteriek.
So I swoop down, like, mad-fast and I'm like darkness, I'm like, "Swoosh!" And I throw a batarang at the one naked lightbulb.
Takže sa strmhlav spustím, šialene rýchlo, a som ako temnota a prídem, že: „Šššuch!“ A hodím batarang na tú jedinú odokrytú žiarovku.
(Cymbal)
(činel)
And they're all like, "Whoa, muthafucker! Who just turned out the lights?"
A všetci kričia, že: „Hej, hovado! To kto vypol tie svetlá?“
(Laughter)
(smiech)
"What's that over there?" "What?"
„Čo je hento tam?“ „Čo?“
"Gimme me what you got, old man!"
„Daj mi všetko, čo máš, starec!“ „Počuli ste to?“
"Did anybody hear that?" "Hear what? There ain't nothing. No, really -- there ain't no bat!"
„Čo? Nič tam nie je. Nie, fakt – nie je tam netopier!“
But then ... one out of the three good-for-nothings gets it to the head -- pow!
Ale potom... jeden z tých troch naničhodníkov dostane ranu do hlavy – bum!
And number two swings blindly into the dark cape before him, but before his fist hits anything, I grab a trash can lid and -- right in the gut! And number one comes back with the jump kick, but I know judo karate, too, so I'm like --
A druhý slepo odletí do tmavého plášťa pred sebou, ale než päsťou niečo zasiahne, ja schytím veko od smetiaka a – rovno do brucha! A číslo jeden sa vráti s kopnutím vo výskoku, ale aj ja ovládam judo a karate, takže urobím, že:
(Drums)
(bubon)
Twice!
Dvakrát!
(Drums)
(bubny)
(Laughter)
(smiech)
(Drums)
(bubny)
But before I can do any more damage, suddenly we all hear a "click-click." And suddenly everything gets quiet. And the one good-for-nothing left standing grips a handgun and aims it straight up, like he's holding Jesus hostage, like he's threatening maybe to blow a hole in the moon. And the good-for-nothing who got it to the head, who tried to jump-kick me, and the other good-for-nothing who got it in the gut, is both scrambling back away from the dark figure before 'em. And the drunk man, the janitor man, is huddled in a corner, praying to Saint Anthony 'cause that's the only one he could remember.
Ale ešte než im zvyknem viac uškodiť, počujeme zrazu „klik-klik“. A odrazu všetko stíchne. A jeden naničhodník, ktorý ešte stojí, schmatne pištoľ a mieri ňou dohora, akoby držal Ježiša ako rukojemníka, akoby hrozil, že napríklad vypáli dieru do mesiaca. A ten naničhodník, čo to schytal do hlavy, čo sa ma snažil v letku kopnúť, a ten druhý naničhodník, čo to dostal do brucha, sa snažia vyhrabať sa ďalej od temnej postavy pred nimi. A ten opitý muž, ten školník, je skrčený v kúte, modlí sa k svätému Antonkovi, lebo to je jediný, na ktorého si spomenul.
(Double beat) And there's me: eyes glowing white, cape blowing softly in the wind.
(dvojitý úder bubna) A som tam ja: oči sa lesknú nabielo, plášť mi potichu veje vo vetre.
(Beat) Bulletproof chest heaving, my heart beating right through it in a Morse code for: "Fuck with me just once come on just try."
(bubon) Nepriestrelná hruď sa vzdúva, v nej bije moje srdce, v morzeovke bije: „Naserte ma ešte raz, poďme, len to skúste.“
And the one good-for-nothing left standing, the one with the handgun -- yeah, he laughs. And he lowers his arm. And he points it at me and gives the moon a break. And he aims it right between my pointy ears, like goal posts and he's special teams. And janitor man is still calling Saint Anthony, but he ain't pickin' up. And for a second, it seems like ... maybe I'm gonna lose.
A ten jeden naničhodník, čo stojí, ten so zbraňou – hej, ten sa smeje. A skladá zbraň. A mieri ňou na mňa, a mesiacu dá na chvíľu pokoj. A mieri ňou priamo medzi moje špicaté uši, ako medzi bránky, on je špeciálny tím. A ten školník stále volá svätému Antonkovi, ale ten mu nedvíha. A na sekundu sa zdá, akoby... možno prehrám.
Nah!
Ale čo!
(Drums)
(bubny)
Shoot! Shoot! Fwa-ka-ka!
Strela! Strela! Bum bum!
"Don't kill me, man!"
„Nezabíjaj ma, chlape!“
Snap! Wrist crack! Neck! Slash!
Cvak! Zápästie prásk! Krk! Žuch!
Skin meets acid: "Ahhhhhhh!"
Na kožu dopadne kyselina: „Aaaaaa!“
And he's on the floor and I'm standing over him and I got the gun in my hands now and I hate guns, I hate holding 'em 'cause I'm Batman. And, asterisk: Batman don't like guns 'cause his parents got iced by guns a long time ago. But for just a second, my eyes glow white, and I hold this thing for I could speak to the good-for-nothing in a language he maybe understands. Click-click!
A zvezie sa na zem, ja nad ním stojím a teraz mám zbraň v rukách ja a ja neznášam zbrane, neznášam ich držať, lebo som Batman. A, hviezdička: Batman nemá rád zbrane, lebo jeho rodičov kedysi umlčali zbrane. Ale na sekundu moje oči žiaria nabielo, a ja držím túto vec, aby som mohol hovoriť s tým naničhodníkom jazykom, ktorému hádam porozumie. Klik, klik!
(Beat)
(bubon)
And the good-for-nothings become good-for-disappearing into whatever toxic waste, chemical sludge shithole they crawled out of. And it's just me and janitor man. And I pick him up, and I wipe sweat and cheap perfume off his forehead. And he begs me not to hurt him and I grab him tight by his janitor-man shirt collar, and I pull him to my face and he's taller than me but the cape helps, so he listens when I look him straight in the eyes. And I say two words to him: "Go home."
A z tých hodných na nič sa stanú hodní na útek, nech už bežia do hocijakej diery, hnusného blata, odkiaľ vyliezli. A som tu len ja a ten školník. A ja ho zodvihnem, zotriem mu z čela pot a lacnú voňavku. A prosí ma, aby som mu neublížil, ja ho pevne schmatnem za školnícky golier, pritiahnem si ho k tvári, on je vyšši ako ja, ale mne pomáha plášť, takže počúva, keď sa mu pozerám priamo do očí. A poviem mu dve slová: „Choď domov.“
And he does, checking behind his shoulder every 10 feet. And I swoosh from building to building on his way there 'cause I know where he lives. And I watch his hands tremble as he pulls out his key chain and opens the door to his building. And I'm back in bed before he even walks in through the front door.
A on ide, každé 3 metre sa obzerá za seba. A ja po jeho ceste svištím z budovy na budovu, lebo viem, kde býva. A sledujem, ako sa mu trasú ruky, keď si vyťahuje kľúče a otvára dvere do svojho domu. A kým on prejde dnu dverami, ja som už späť v posteli.
And I hear him turn on the faucet and pour himself a glass of warm tap water. And he puts the glass back in the sink. And I hear his footsteps. And they get slower as they get to my room. And he creaks my door open, like, mad-slow. And he takes a step in, which he never does.
A počujem, ako otáča kohútikom a nalieva si do pohára teplú vodu z vodovodu. A odloží pohár späť do drezu. A počujem jeho kroky. A tie sa spomalia, keď sa dostanú k mojej izbe. A s vŕzganím otvorí moje dvere, fakt neskutočne pomaly. A urobí krok dnu, čo nikdy nerobí.
(Beat) And he's staring off into nowhere, his face, the color of sidewalks in summer. And I act like I'm just waking up and I say, "Ah, what's up, Pop?" And janitor man says nothing to me. But I see in the dark, I see his arms go limp and his head turns back, like, towards me. And he lifts it for I can see his face, for I could see his eyes. And his cheeks is drippin', but not with sweat. And he just stands there breathing, like he remembers my eyes glowing white, like he remembers my bulletproof chest, like he remembers he's my pop. And for a long time I don't say nothin'. And he turns around, hand on the doorknob. And he ain't looking my way, but I hear him mumble two words to me: "I'm sorry."
(bubny) A uprene hľadí do nikam, jeho tvár, farba chodníkov v lete. A ja sa robím, že sa práve budím, a hovorím: „O, čo je, oco?“ A školník mi nič nehovorí. Ale v tej tme vidím, vidím, že ruky mu ovisnú a otočí hlavou, akoby ku mne. A zdvihne ju, aby som videl jeho tvár, aby som videl jeho oči. A z líc mu kvapká, ale nie pot. A len tak tam stojí, dýcha, akoby si spomínal na moje biele žiariace oči, akoby si spomínal na moju nepriestrelnú hruď, akoby si spomenul, že je môj oco. A ja dlho nič nepoviem. A on sa otočí, s rukou na kľučke. A nepozerá sa mojím smerom, ale počujem ho mrmlať ku mne: „Je mi to ľúto.“
And I lean over, and I open my window just a crack. If you look up high enough, you could see me. And from where I am --
A ja sa nakloním dopredu, málinko pootvorím okno. Ak sa pozriete dosť vysoko, môžete ma uvidieť. A tam, kde som –
(Cymbals)
(činel)
I could hear everything.
počujem všetko.
(Applause)
(potlesk)
Thank you.
Ďakujem.
(Applause)
(potlesk)