鲍勃•狄伦1941年5月24日出生于明尼苏达州的杜靳斯。原名叫罗伯特•艾伦•齐默曼(Robert Allen Zimmerman)，1961年1月后，狄伦开始致力于演唱事业，在纽约与CBS唱片公司签约。当年11月灌制出版了他的处女作，《鲍勃•狄伦》专辑，随后便正式改名为鲍勃•狄伦，成为乐坛的一位新秀。
　　《随风飘荡》这首歌曲是鲍勃•狄伦挤入世界歌坛的代表作品。1962年创作并演出，成为当时60年代的标志与象征。这首歌曲中所陈述的思想内容、社会问题及立场观点也是鲍勃•狄伦的核心精神。1963年，年轻的狄伦曾参加了华盛顿领导的公民权运动的大游行。这首《随风飘荡》的曲调也在游行队伍上空回荡。被人们奉誉为争取民权运动的圣歌，激励了整整一代青年。

Blowing in the Wind

How many roads must a man walk down
Before they call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
How many times must the cannon-balls fly
Before they 're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years must a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea?
How many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head
Pretend that he just doesn't see?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind.
The answer is blowin' in the wind

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
How many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
How many deaths will it take
Till he knows that too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin'in the wind
The answer is blowin'in the wind.

歌词大意

一个人要走多少路才能真正称作是一个人？
一只白鸽要翱翔多少海洋才能安息在沙滩上？
炮弹要飞行多少次才能永远被禁止？
我的朋友，答案在随风飘荡。
答案在随风飘荡。

一座山要生存多少年才能被冲进海洋？
一个民族要生存多久才能获得自由？
一个人要扭多少次头还是假装看不见？
我的朋友，答案在随风飘荡。
答案在随风飘荡。

一个人要抬多少次头才能看清天空？
一个人要长多少耳朵才能听见人们哭泣？
要死多少人才会知道太多的人已死去？
我的朋友，答案在随风飘荡。
答案在随风飘荡

歌词、句型分析

1．How many roads must a man walk before you call him a man?

　　一个人要走多少路才能真正称作是一个人？
　　before在此句是连接词，引导一个时间状语从句，意为：“在…前”，在翻译应特别注意。
　　例: I'll do it now before I forget it.
　　我趁着还没有忘记的时候就做吧。
　　We had scarcely left our school before it began to rain.
　　我们刚离开学校，天就下雨了。
　　before作为连接词，还有“与其…（宁愿…）”之意
　　例: The soldiers would fight to death before they surrendered.
　　战士们宁愿战斗到死，决不投降。

2．How many times must the cannon balls fly before they're forever banned?

　　=炮弹要飞行多少次才能永远被禁止？
　　ban: 禁止，取谛；禁止，禁令
　　例: Swimming in this river is banned.
　　此河禁止游泳。
　　Smobing is banned in this train.
　　火车里禁止抽烟。
　　The magazine is under a ban.
　　那本杂志禁止持有。

3．How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?

　　要死多少人才会知道太多的人已死去？
　　take一词在英语中比较活跃，在表示（时间、劳力等）的意为：需要，费，多将it作形式主语。
　　例: It took(me) an hour to walk there.
　　步行到那儿需1个小时。
　　How long will it take you to finish the work?
　　要完成那项工作需要多久时间?

4．The answer, my friend, is blowin’in the wind.

　　= My friend, perhaps nobody knows the answer to these questions except God.
　　我的朋友，答案在随风飘荡。
　　（我的朋友，问题的答案除上帝之外没有人知道。即指只有上帝知道。）
　　这句话是一种比喻修辞用法，似乎以随风飘荡赋于听众的不定之感中暗示了这种意义。

5．How many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?

　　一个民族要生存多久才能获得自由？
　　some在句子中是形容词，意为：“某一”，表示不定。
　　例: He is working at some place in the north
　　他在北方某地工作。
　　Some person at the door is asking to see you.
　　门口有人要见你。
　　exist: 存在、生存、生活
　　例: Salt exists in many things.
　　许多东西中存在着盐分。
　　One can't exist without air.
　　人没有空气就不能生存。
　　allow: 允许、准许
　　allow sb. to do sth. 允许某人做某事
　　例: Please allow me to introduce Mr. White
　　请允许我来介绍怀特先生。
　　be allowed to do sth. 被允许做某事
　　例：You are not allowed to smoke here.
　　不允许你在此处抽烟。