一首老歌- 加利福尼亚旅馆
开车时，收音机里的轻揺滾频道只是调到似有似无的音量。有一天，听到短短一小段吉他前奏曲，飘扬的旋律带着一种引力，就顺手调高音量想听听这是一首什么歌曲。噢，原来是- 加州旅馆。一首听过的歌，读过的歌，半熟不熟的歌曲歌词。演奏者是老鹰乐队，曾经是一首七十年代流行榜排名第一的歌曲。
加州旅馆？去过加里福尼亚许多次，也在那里住过许多次旅馆，有若干可以回忆的故事，圣地亚哥，洛杉矶，旧金山，半月湾，硅谷，等等。其实这首歌中的加州旅馆，只不过是用来作比喻的，并不是指特定的旅馆。哪里有旅馆可以退房，却永远不能离开呢？联想到加州旅馆外面有很多无家可归者，有一年的三月份去旧金山开会，市中心旅馆墙外的许多热气出口处，躺着住在＂加州旅馆＂的人，加州真的是个好地方。
关于加州旅馆这首歌，有许多人写过这个题目，对歌词的意思作出种种解释，包括用中文翻译了这个歌曲。四十年过去了，又有过杂志电台多次对词曲作者的釆访。作词者的解释说，歌曲是对当时他们所认知的美国梦或梦魇的一种描述，对物质主义的隐讽。
加州确实是一个很美的地方。三月里，山坡上野草黄中带绿，银翘花开得金黄，黄色的柠檬挂在枝头。加州有个有名的一号公路，大约一千公里的长度，沿着海岸线弯曲蛇行，一边是一望无际的蓝色海水，另一侧是山峦森林市镇的变换。海滩上，有玩帆板的，冲浪的，风筝冲浪的人，一滩一景。有一次停下车看冲浪，看到一个年纪稍大点的穿着黑色橡胶冲浪衣的人抱着一块冲浪板上岸，随口夸了那人一句，冲浪的人年轻勇敢。那个人说他五十岁了。这是加州海滩的某个星期一的中午情景。
老鹰乐队的歌手虽然老了，加州旅馆这首歌仍在代代传唱-
“在黑暗无人的公路上
冷风吹过我的发梢
考丽塔花蕾的暖香
在空气中氲氤散放
远远地望去
有盏明灭闪烁的灯光
顿觉得头顶发沉
眼睛暗涩
这该是个休息的地方
看见她婷立在门外
听到布道的钟响
不觉思量，这地方
是地狱，还是天堂
她点燃一只蜡烛
带路走在前边
楼下传来声音
有些人把故事在讲
欢迎你，来加州旅馆
一个如此可爱的地方
有如此可爱的脸庞
有许多房间
一年四季每天
都可以在这里停歇
…… ……”
Hotel California by Eagles
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
'This could be heaven or this could be Hell
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
I thought I heard them say
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (any time of year) you can find it here
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
So I called up the Captain
'Please bring me my wine
He said, "we haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say"
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), bring your alibis
Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device
And in the master's chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
'Relax' said the night man
'We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave!
