The Quiet World
寧靜之境
In an effort to
get people to look
into each
other’s eyes more,
and also to
appease the mutes,
the government
has decided
to allot each
person exactly one hundred
and sixty-seven
words, per day.
為了讓人們互相注視
又為了安撫靜默的人
政府決定
限制每人每日只可講167字
When the phone
rings, I put it to my ear
without saying
hello. In the restaurant
I point at
chicken noodle soup.
I am adjusting
well to the new way.
當電話響起 置於耳邊 我不會說 「喂」
在餐廳裡 我指著餐牌上的雞湯麵
我把自己調節得恰到好處
Late at night, I
call my long distance lover,
proudly
say I only used fifty-nine today.
I saved
the rest for you.
夜深 我致電遠方的愛人
驕傲地說
我只用了五十九，剩下都給你。
When she doesn’t
respond,
I know she’s
used up all her words,
so I slowly
whisper I love you
thirty-two and a
third times.
After that, we
just sit on the line
and listen to
each other breathe.
當她沒有回音
我知道 她用光了
因此 我 慢 慢 地 輕 輕 地 說
「我 愛 你」 三十二又三分一次
然後 我們沒有說話
傾聽著彼此的呼吸
Jeffrey
McDaniel, “The Quiet World” from The Forgiveness Parade. Copyright
© 1998 by Jeffrey McDaniel. Reprinted with the permission of Manic D Press.
Source: The Forgiveness Parade (Manic
D Press, 1998)
這是我多年以前嘗試翻譯的第一篇詩
已經忘記為何沒有完成
因此也就沒有發佈
而且那是在blogspot 還盛行的年代
我還想翻譯多一篇歌詞
爲我當時的青春作一個小結
