Maya Angelou玛娅安杰洛

Maya Angelou是美国文坛最耀眼的黑人女作家和诗人，成名作是一部名为I Know Why the CagedBirdSings的自传体小说。1993年她在美国总统Bill Clinton的就职仪式上特邀朗诵献诗On the Pulse oftheMorning，从而成为美国历史上继Robert Frost之后的官方诗人。Still I Rise是Maya Angelou的诗歌代表作，是继Martin Luther King的I HaveaDream之后美国黑人争取民权的又一纪念碑式的作品。瑪婭·安傑洛（Maya Angelou，1928~ ），美國文壇最耀眼的黑人女作家和詩人。出版過10部暢銷書。她是美國有名的演員、導演、製片人和影視劇作家，是好萊塢第一位黑人女導演。她是社會活動家，曾接受美國民權領袖馬丁·路德·金（Martin Luther King Jr., 1929~1968 ）、總統傑拉爾德·魯道夫·福特（Gerald Rudolph Ford）和總統吉米·卡特（Jimmy Carter）的任命。1993年，她應總統比爾·克林頓（Bill Clinton）的邀請，在其就職儀式上朗誦獻詩《清晨的脈搏》（“On the Pulse of the Morning”），成為美國歷史上繼羅伯特·弗羅斯特（Robert Frost，1874~1963）之後的官方詩人。她會法語、西班牙語、義大利語、阿拉伯語和西非芳蒂語等多種外語，執教過多所大學，現任位於北卡羅萊納州（North Carolina）的韋克福裏斯特大學（Wake Forest University）終身教授。《我仍奮起》（"Still I Rise"）是瑪婭·安傑洛的詩歌代表作，是繼馬丁·路德·金的演講《我有一個夢想》（"I Have a Dream"）之後美國黑人爭取民權的又一紀念碑似的作品。

Dr. Maya Angelou is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature. As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom. Within the rhythm of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies Angelou's unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of race and Angelou captivates audiences through the vigor and sheer beauty of her words and lyrics.

Dr. Angelou has authored twelve best-selling books including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and her current best-seller A Song Flung Up to Heaven.

In 1981, Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. History to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration. Maya Angelou, born in 1928, spent part of her early years in Stamps, Arkansas. At three years old, she and her brother were sent to live with her grandmother because their parents divorced. Later on they were taken to live with their mother in St. Louis wh ere unfortunately she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend (at that time she was only eight). The rapist was eventually tried and, unexpectedly killed by somebody also. Marguerite was shocked at the news and felt that she had caused his death. Thinking that she was sinful and dirty, she became an

entirely different person, seldom speaking to others. The text is the part of story telling how she got recovered from her bitter experience in St. Louis. She struggled to achieve maturity and success as a dancer, singer, actress, producer, and writer. In the 1960s, she acted as Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Her major works:

I know why the Caged Bird Sings (1970), from which our present text is taken (Chapter 15)

Singin’ and Swingin’ and getting’ Merry Like Christmas (1976)

Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Die (poem, 1971)

On Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well (poem, 1975)

美国文坛最耀眼的黑人女作家和诗人，1928年4月4日生于密苏里州的圣路易斯城。她原名玛格丽特约翰逊。玛娅是兄弟贝利对她的昵称。安杰洛是第一任丈夫托希安杰洛斯的姓氏变体。

她的早期经历坎坷而不幸。3岁时，父母离异。7岁时，遭人强奸。16岁时，非婚生子。她在阿肯色州斯坦普斯镇的祖母家长大。那儿实行种族隔离政策。她总是梦想着一觉醒来变成白人女孩。她曾在夜总会以演唱谋生，又数次离婚。在严酷的生活环境中，她坚持学习并获得了博士学位。

她多才多艺，如今已是名高望重。她是畅销术作家，出版过10部畅销书。她是美国有名的演员、导演、制片人和影视剧作家，是好莱坞第一位黑人女导演。她是社会活动家，曾接受美国民权领袖马丁路德金、总统杰拉尔德鲁道夫福特和总统杰米卡特的任命。1993年，她应总统比尔克林顿的邀请，在其就职仪式上朗诵献诗《清晨的脉搏》（On the Pulse of the Morning），成为美国历史上继罗伯特弗罗斯特之后的官方诗人。她会法语、西班牙语、意大利语、阿拉伯语和西非芳蒂语等多种语言，执教过多所大学，现在位于北卡罗来纳州的韦克福里斯特大学终身教授。

她的创作与她的生活密不可分，具有强烈的自传色彩。成名作《我知道笼中鸟为何歌唱》