标题：It's better to burn out than to fade away
简介
Nirvana  Nirvana涅盘乐队（Nirvana）是一支美国的摇滚乐队，于1987年在华盛顿州的阿伯丁组建。通过他们专辑Nevermind里的Lithium和Smells Like Teen Spirit两首作品打入美国主流音乐。由于当时主流媒体的不友好，他们所处的音乐流派被称为垃圾摇滚。与他们在西雅图的同类爱丽丝囚徒 (Alice in Chains)，珍珠果酱（Pearl Jam）和音园（Soundgarden）一起，涅盘乐队把大众的焦点聚集到Grunge音乐上来，使Grunge音乐在20世纪90年代中前期在广播和音乐电视的播放率上占据了统治性的地位。[1]
Kurt Cobain  Kurt Cobain科特·柯本（Kurt Cobain，1967—1994）美国已故著名摇滚歌手。1967年2月20日出生于美国西部华盛顿州的阿伯丁市。8岁时，父母离异，他学会了用音乐作为逃避和武器。14岁生日时，得到一把二手电吉他作为生日礼物，从此放下架子鼓操起了吉他。后来组建了震惊世界的Nirvana，代表作《Smells Like Teen Spirit》、《Come As You Are》、《Where did you sleep last night》、《About A Girl》等。1994年4月5日（清明节），因不堪忍受胃痛，药物及成功带来的压力，在西雅图家中开枪自杀，时年27岁。[2]
出处
原歌词出自于Neil Young的 "Hey Hey My My"
My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
It's better to burn out
Than to fade away
My my, hey hey.
后因Nirvana（涅盘乐队）主唱Kurt Donald Cobain（科特·柯本）的遗书而被误认为是原文。
I'm too much of a neurotic moody person and I don't have the passion anymore,so remember, it's better to burn out, than fade away. 
我是个太过反常和抑郁的小子！我已经没有任何激情了，所以要记住“与其苟延残喘，不如从容燃烧！”
遗书全文To Boddah: 
  Kurt Cobain[3]Speaking from the tongue of an experienced simpleton who obviously would rather be an emasculated, infantile complaind. This note should be pretty easy to understand.All the warnings from the Punk Rock 101 Courses over the years, it's my first introduction to the, shall we say ethics involved with independence and the embracement of your community has been proven to be very true. I haven't felt the excitement of listening to, as well as creating music, along with really writing something for too many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things,for example when we're backstage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowd begins. It doesn't affect me in the way which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love and relish the love and admiration from the crowd,which is something I totally admire and envy. 
The fact is,I can't fool you, any of you. It simply isn't fair to you,or to me. The worst crime can think of would be to pull people off by faking it, pretending as if I'm having one 100% fun. 
  Kurt Cobain遗书[4]Sometimes I feeln as though I should have a punch-in time clock before I walk out on-stage. I've tried everything within my power to appreciate it, and I do,God believe me, I do, but it's not enough. I appreciate the fact that I, and we, have affected, and entertained a lot of people. I must be one of the narcisists who only appreciate things when they're alone. I'm too sensitive,I need to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasm.But, what's sad is our child. On our last three tours, I've had a much better appreciation of all the people I've known personally, and as fans of our music. But I still can't get out the frustration, the guilt, and the sympathy I have for everybody. There is good in all of us, and I simply love people too much. So much that it makes me feel too fucking sad. The sad little sensitive unappreciative pisces Jesus man! why don't you just enjoy it? I dont know! 
I have a of a wide who sweats ambition and empadny,and a daughter who reminds me to much of what I use to be.full of love and joy, every person she meets because everyone is good and will do her no harm. And that terrifies me to the point to where I can barely function. I cant stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable self destructive, deathrocker she become. 
I have it good, very good,and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven, I've become hateful towards all humans in general. Only because it seems so easy for people to get along and have empathy. Empathy only because I love and feel for people too much I guess.Thank you from the pit of my burning nauseas stomach for your letters and concern during the last years. 
I'm too much of a neurotic moody person and I don't have the passion anymore,so remember, it's better to burn out than fade away. 
Peace, love, empathy, Kurt Cobain Frances and Courtney, I'll be at your altar. Please keep going Courtney for Frances for her life which will be so much happier without me. I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU! [5]
翻译致巴达： 
这是一个饱经沧桑的傻子发出的声音，他其实更愿做个柔弱而孩子气的诉苦人。这张条子应该很容易理解。所有的警告都来自于这些年来的“朋克摇滚101”，自从我第一次介入那包含着独立性、应当称为道德原则的东西之后，你们团结一致的拥戴已证明是非常真实的。我已经好多年都不能从听音乐、写音乐以及读和写东西中感到激奋了。对于这些事我感到了一种难以形诸文字的负罪感。比如说，当我们来到后台，灯火熄灭，人们狂躁的咆哮响起，这一切对我的影响就远不如对Freddy Mercury（“QUEEN”乐队主唱，1991年因艾滋病辞世）影响那么大，他似乎喜欢而且把玩那些从人群中而来的爱与赞美——那正是我赞赏与嫉妒的一切。 
事实上我无法欺骗你们，无法欺骗你们中的任何一人。那对你对我都不公平。我能想起的最大罪恶便是欺骗人们，装模作样，做出一副我100%地快乐的样子。 
有时候我似乎应当在出场之前有台打卡机。我尽了我全部的力量去喜欢这一切，我的确也喜欢。但这还不够。我喜欢这一事实，即我和我们乐队感染和款待了不少人。我太敏感了。我必须轻度麻醉才能重获我在孩提时代曾有过的热情。在我们最后的三次巡演中，我对所结识的人和我们音乐的歌迷都有了更多的欣赏，但我还是无法克服我对每个人都抱有挫折感、负罪感和同情。在我们所有人中都有善意，我就是太爱人们了！爱得太多以至于让我感到真的太他妈忧郁，一个略为忧郁的、敏感的、不领情的、双鱼座的耶稣式的人物！ 
我有一个女神般的妻子，她为理想和打动人而拼命努力，我还有个女儿，她让我回忆起我的很多过去，她对那些她遇到的人致以全部的爱和快乐的吻，因为每个人都那么好，而且不会对她有任何伤害。这也让我惊恐万分，以至于我只会瞠目结舌。我没法容忍那种想法，就是弗兰西丝将变成像我这样自我毁灭、走向绝路的摇滚歌手。 
我快乐地拥有一切，非常快乐。我充满感激。可自打我7岁以来，我总的来说就对人类充满了仇视，仅仅因为人们似乎太过容易地友好相处，而且还会同情，同情！仅仅因为我觉得自己对人们有太多的爱与同情。从我那燃烧而令人欲呕的胃之深处感激你们所有的人，感激你们在过去岁月里所有的来信和关心。我是个太过反常和抑郁的小子！我已经没有任何激情了，所以要记住：“与其苟延残喘，不如从容燃烧！” 
和平，爱，同情。 
Kurt Cobain 
Frances 和 Courtney, 
我会伴你们到老 
Courtney 请继续前行， 
为了Frances ，为了她的生活 
没有我她的生活会快乐许多。
我爱你们！爱你们！！
短语释解
burn out: to become extremely tired or sick by working too hard over a period of time:
例：
1)：It's a damn shame.Sometimes the best ones are just too hot not to burn out.
太遗憾了。有时最好的东西不得不忍痛割爱。（绯闻女孩第3季第7集）
2)：The Okefenokee,which is already nearly choked with plants, would probably fill in,dry up, and become just another cypress and pine forest were it not for range fires that come along every once in awhile and burn out decayed vegetation.（VOA: standard.2010.03.29）
fade away:(of a person) to become very weak or ill/sick and die
例：
1)：Every situation is slightly different , but inevitably some frequencies are more likely to be reflected while others simply fade away.
每种情况都有少许不同，但不可避免的是一些频率更容易反弹而另外一些只是简单地消失了。