Translate a Poem: The Quiet World By Jeffrey McDaniel

The Quiet World

寧靜之境

BY JEFFREY MCDANIEL

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