翻譯練習

當我看完這篇文章時，我感覺心底暖暖的。  當時我就想要把這篇文章給翻譯出來。  翻譯的時候才發現有多困難。  我覺得我的中文詞彙愈來愈少，另外，這篇文章裡有關愛情和性的描述在我來說也很困難。  我不知道現在的華人是怎麼描述的這些事情的。  我覺得我翻譯的中文也沒有給自己看英文時的所得到的感受。  可惜了。  

 All  excerpts are from tamed and untamed.  It's a collection of articles written by 2 columnists about animals.  

Wildebeest: 角馬/牛羚

Octopuslove by pSy

The lights were low. The roses were tied with satin ribbon.  Barry White's sexy bass throbbed on the sound system: "I can't get enough of your love, babe."  It was Valentine's Day, and I had big plans to celebrate: I had flown to Seattle to watch two giant Pacific octopuses mate.  

昏暗的燈光。纏繞緞帶的玫瑰。 Barry White 帶著性感貝斯的歌曲傳播在空氣中，｢I can't get enough of your love, babe」。  今天是情人節。  期待已久的日子終於來了：我要坐飛機到西牙圖去觀看兩個巨型太平洋章魚的約會。

Every February 14 for more than a decade, the Seattle Aquarium has hosted the "Octopus Blind Date."  It's surprisingly popular with children.  The year I went, 150 sixth graders, 88 second graders, and kids as young as five from at least five other elementary schools lined up in front of the three-thousand-gallon, two-part tank, strung with heart-shaped red lights, waiting for the moment that Rain, the sixty-five pound male, and Squirt, the forty-five pound female, would meet.  Everyone was eager to see what they would do.  

西雅圖水族館在每年二月十四日舉辦的 ｢陌生章魚的約會」已超過十年。 令人驚訝的是這個盛會吸引很多兒童來參觀。  今年與會的人裡，就有一百五十個六年級生，八十八個二年級生，再加上至少其他五所小學的小孩，甚至還有五歲的娃娃聚集在三千加侖的水箱前。  這個水箱分成兩部分，上面用紅色的燈泡串成心型。 所有的與會者都耐心等候一個六十五磅的公章魚【Rain】和一個四十五磅的母章魚【Squirt】相會。  每個人都很好奇他們會做些什麼？

It's a fraught moment.  Despite the plastic roses floating in the tank and the romantic music over the PA, not every blind date works out.  Most of their lives, giant Pacific octopuses are solitary.  One year one octopus ate the other.  (Happily this didn't happen in front of the public, but after the visitors had gone home.)  Another year the female was scared of the male; at his approach she inked and fled.  

這種約會其實充滿了不確定的氣氛。  雖說工作人員布置了玫瑰漂浮在水面上，播放著浪漫的音樂，但不是所有約會都能成功。 巨型太平洋章魚一輩子習慣一個人過日子。  十年裡約會裡，曾經有一次，一隻章魚吃了他的對象。  (還好這事沒發生在觀眾面前，而是在大家都回家後。) 另一次，一隻母的章魚對一個公章魚的接近感到恐懼，噗出墨汁後逃走了！  

The aquarium's lead invertebrate biologist, Kathryn Kegel, estimated there was a fifty fifty chance that Rain and Squirt would hit it off.  If there was a problem, she and another diver, clad in dry suits, would try to separate them.  But, she admitted, "There's too many arms to do much about it, though."

水族館的首席無脊椎動物專家， Kathryn Kegel，估計【Rain】和 【Squirt】相親大概有五十五十的成功機會。  如果真有問題的話，他和另一個潛水夫會身著潛水衣下水去試著分開兩個章魚。 不過，他自己也承認，｢到時候觸手太多了，恐怕自己也沒辦法做甚麼。」

With those sixteen arms, plus 32,000 sucker and six hearts (each octopus has three) beating as one, octopus sex would seem to offer possibilities that leave the Kama Sutra in the dust.  Not so -- at least compared with other seagoing invertebrates.  Take the sea slug, Chromodoris reticulata, which lives in the shallow reefs around Japan.  All have both male and female sex organs -- and can use them at the same time.  By contrast, most octopuses usually mate in one or two familiar ways: male on top or side by side.  

擁有十六條觸手，三萬兩千個吸盤，再加上六顆跳動的心臟(每個章魚有三顆)，在想像中，章魚的性愛場面應該會讓印度慾經瞠目結舌。  但是和其他無脊椎的海洋動物相比，其實不然。  拿海蛞蝓 (Chromodoris reticulata) 來說，這個住在日本四周淺海珊瑚礁中，是一種同時擁有雌雄性器官的動物，不僅如此，兩種性器官甚至可以同時運用。  相較之下，章魚做愛時的體位只有兩種我們熟習的方式，男的在上，或是側上。  

"Our divers are going to encourage Squirt to come out and meet Mr. Rain," the aquarium emcee announced to the crowd.  Kegel and the other diver then lifted up a Plexiglas barrier that had been separating the two halves of the tank.   But Squirt didn't need much encouragement.  Purposefully she flowed from her side of the tank, crawling along the bottom toward Rain, who was sitting on a rock wall at the opposite end.  

｢我們的潛水員現在要去鼓勵 【Squirt】出來和 【Rain】先生相會囉！」水族館的介紹員向大家宣布。 說完，Kegel 和另一個潛水夫把中間隔間的壓克力板拿開後，發現【Squirt】一點兒也不需要鼓勵。  馬上從自己的一邊朝著似乎畫好的路線，沿著水箱的底部不急不徐地往另一邊坐在大石頭牆上的 【Rain】爬過去。  

With excellent eyesight as well as sensitive chemoreceptors all over his body, Rain knew well that she was coming.  As she approached, Rain changed color from grey to red -- the color of excitement.  Squirt stretched two arms towards him, and at her touch, Rain poured down the side of the rock wall.  The two embraced, mouth to mouth, thousands of suckers mutually touching and tasting one another.  Both flushed red with emotion.  And then they were still.  

章魚擁有絕佳的視力，甚至全身布滿了和視力一樣敏感的化學感應器官， 【Rain】早就知道誰在靠近了。  就在等待中， 【Rain】的顏色從灰轉紅 -- 興奮的顏色。  【Squirt】向他伸出了兩條手臂，就在那接觸的一剎那，【Rain】像火山的溶漿一樣滾下石頭牆。  兩個人擁抱著，嘴對著嘴，數以千計的吸盤，觸摸品嘗著對方。  兩個章魚都展現熱情的紅色。  最後兩人都不動了。  

Shortly thereafter the children encamped for their buses.  Many of the kids appeared baffled.  If human sex was incomprehensible, octopus sex was unfathomable.  Aristotle explained octopus mating this way: "The male has a sort of penis on one of his tentacles...which it admits into the nostril of the female."  That's essentially correct: He uses a specialized arm to place a single, foot-long spermatophore into the large opening on the side of what looks like her head.  But what most people think is the octopus' head is really the mantle, containing most of the organs.  

在此之後，兒童們開始回到自己的公交車上準備回家。  但是很多娃娃都帶著一臉困惑。  在連人類的性愛都不了解的情況之下，更遑論章魚的性愛了。  亞里士多德是這樣描述章魚做愛的細節：｢雄的章魚在眾多的觸手中有一臂上有一種陰莖的構造。。。他用此器官伸進雌章魚的鼻孔中。」這描述基本上是正確的：雄章魚利用他一個特別的觸手臂把一個將近一英尺長的精筴放入母章魚頭旁的一個體腔裡。 不過，大多數人以為是章魚腦袋的部分實際上是他們的軀幹，那裏面放的是臟腑而不是大腦，那個放精筴的體腔也不是真的鼻孔。  

After the kids left, the two octopuses stayed at the bottom of the tank, not moving.  Rain's body covered Squirt's completely.  Rain's color turned paler and paler.  Finally he turned completely white -- the color of a relaxed octopuses.  

在孩子們離開後，兩隻章魚待在水箱的底部，一動不動。 【Rain】的身體把【Squirt】整個遮蓋起來。  【Rain】身體的顏色越來越淡，最後都變成白色了 -- 一個完全放鬆了的章魚。  

The octopuses were not moving, so I watched and listened to the people.  Two guys with arms around each other gazed into the tank, watching solemnly and in silence.  And elderly couple walked by, the wife leading the husband, who used a walker.  "They are mating. Leo!"  She told him.  "It's a very beautiful  experience!"  The murmurs from the humans quietly watching these marine invertebrates -- creatures who last shared an ancestor with us half a billion years ago -- were tinged with tenderness:  

"They're so peaceful."

"He looks happy."

"They are beautiful, just gorgeous."

"So dear.  The dear, sweet things."  

既然兩隻章魚都不動，我就開始觀察身旁的人們。  兩個互擁的男子注視的水族箱，寧靜的觀賞著。 有一對夫婦走過，老婆攙扶著柱著拐杖的老公：｢里歐，他們正在交配呢！」老婆告訴老公。 ｢這真是非常美麗的體驗！」雖然人類和章魚最後一個共同的祖宗是在五億年前， 但是當靜謐的人群看著這兩隻海裡的無脊椎生物時，他們竊竊的私語裡透露出無可描繪的柔情。

｢他們看上去那麼安寧」

｢他很快樂哪」

｢他倆多漂亮啊，真的是」

｢真好，他倆兒多親密？！」

It would be difficult to imagine a creature more different from a person than an octopus: We are the creatures of the land, they of the sea.  We are full of bones, and they haven't any.  They can taste with their skin and squeeze with their baggy bodies through tiny openings.  We mate early in life and may give birth year after year.  Octopuses mate at the end of their lives, and the female lay eggs -- up to 100,000 of them -- all at once.  

And yet, on that Valentine's day, the octopuses and people seemed to share the sweetness of the occasion: a celebration of the pleasure of love.  

很難再想像另一個生物和章魚那樣和我們不同。(需要重譯)  我們住在陸地，牠們在海裡。 我們全身都是骨頭，他們一根也沒有。 他們可以用肌膚來嚐味道，甚而用他無骨的身體擠進任何洞穴。  我們很早就可以成婚，甚至可以年年產子。  章魚只在他們生命將盡的時候才進行交配，母章魚一次下十萬顆卵。  

但是，就在這個情人節，章魚和人類似乎一起分享了這個情人節的甜蜜，慶祝愛情的快樂。 

一首英文詩

 我在 IG 看到一首詩的節錄。  我很喜歡，於是我把整首搜出來，錄在這裡。  作者是 Mary Oliver。 詩裡的主角 Percy 是作者的一隻狗， Emerson 是美國十九世紀 Transcendentalism 的啟蒙。 這是一系列的詩，詩裡的主角大概都是 Percy。  我錄的這一首是第九首。 這一系列的詩好像是收集在作者的詩集，Dog Songs。

Percy (nine)

Your friend is coming I say

To Percy, and name a name

And he runs to the door, his

Wide mouth in its laugh-shapes,

And waves, since he has one, his tail.

Emerson, I am trying to live,

As you said we must, the examined life.

But there are days I wish

There are less in my head to examine,

Not to speak of the busy heart.  How

Would it be to be Percy, I wonder, not

Thinking, not weighing, just running forward.  

--Mary Oliver

我喜歡這首詩，用詞是那麼平易，但是我想我更喜歡那一種對解脫的嚮往。  在了解這首詩是在描述一隻狗後，我有更深刻的體驗。  寵物的可貴處在於，他的自由來自於主人的愛和寵物自己的滿足。  我非常喜歡作者在這一瞬的體驗，是那麼直覺，那麼可貴。  

莫輕率對別人失望

 莫輕率對別人失望

--曾昭旭

        我們有時所以會對人產生失望之情，實在是由於我們原即對他有所期望。我們可以這樣說：對人有所期望，就是人間一切高貴情操的總根源。  這代表我們在內心有一分對 ｢人」的理想。  所以我們遇到一個人，才會自然地認為他應該要這樣，應該會那樣。  雖則每個人心目中所認為應該的，或我們對每個人所認為應該的，各有不同，但同有一個 ｢應該」 之念則一致。

        換句話說，我們都很自然的以一分理想的眼光來看別人，來要求這個世界。 這不是一分頂高貴的心情嗎？

        然而，我們卻也因此而常對人、對世界產生失望之情。 這失望直接看來，似乎是由於別人不夠好、不符理想。但有限本來就是人間的本質，若認真地問，我想每一個人也都會承認人之不完美。 因此深一層去想，便知我們對人的失望，其實並非由於發現他的不完美，而實來自願他朝完美之路上更進一步，卻發現他竟安於有限，不能再有寸進。  原來是這 ｢不肯再進」傷害了我們心中對 ｢人」的理想與期望，才使我們深感痛惜的啊！  

        所以，對別人失望，原也是發自人的道德心情，而為人的一種頂高貴的情操。

        然而，我們同時發現，輕率表示的失望，卻也足以造成對他人的傷害。  這則由於雖然人人心中都有一個朦朧的，概略的 ｢完美」、｢理想」的觀念，卻極少人能明澈地了知它們僅僅是一分不可言說的形上境界，落到現實，其面貌實是因人而異的；遂於無意中逕以自己的模式為通向完美的唯一之路，而漠然不見別人在他自己路上的辛苦前行，而竟以為他了無寸進。  以是，他的失望乃構成對別人的冤枉與傷害。  

        任何一種高貴的道德心情，當其表現失當時，都會產生如此嚴重的破害，又何止期望與失望為然呢！因此，願我們都能以誠敬謙遜之情，去欣賞別人的努力，並果行我們心中的愛。

--錄自八百字小語

They are without heating

 My sister told me they have no heating a week now.  Of course, I was concerned, but my sister seemed calm.  She said they got heat from their neighbors since they lived in a condo.  And she said her husband was calm enough and was learning how to fix the problem on Youtube.  Now I just realized what's happening.  Because my brother in law are just like me, he's probably afraid of contacting outside people.  I am delaying fixing the bathroom because of Covi-19 as well.  

But heating was something different though.  I hope they got somebody safe to fix for them...  

le sigh

Mandaseason2

 I was following season 2 from the get go.  But I was underwhelmed until the last 2 episodes.  Most of the episodes while fun but I felt they were too short.  I think it's due to the producers trying to cater to the fans.  I am not a big StWr fan, I could not even finish the cartoon clone war.  After finish each episode, I'd feel underwhelmed, I will search Youtube for elaborations.  I saw overwhelming positive fan reaction almost every episodes.  

I think it's best for me to wait until the whole season was shown.  I was underwhelmed, because I do not know those characters, who fans were galvanizing.  And each episode was so short, not even 40 minutes.  I totally understand those fans' reaction.  Because if you knew the universe well, each distinctive characters that showed up would bring forth a strong feeling and memory back from the pool of knowledge.  But for me, the significance was lost on me. 

I do enjoy the actions though.  From the first episode to the last, every action was done with satisfying impact.  The monster swallow, the spiders chase, bokatan and the company, bobafet and company, etc, the pacing, the visual was masterfully done!  

And the last 2 episodes, wow.  The conversation between a general and ex-trooper, that scene was awesome!   And when Din took his helmet off, that was awesome too.  That made the message to MG even more impactful.  The dark trooper fight, the MG fight, the last fight, and the departure.  All of these are not StWr specific, but it does take 2 seasons to make it work! 

I am just wondering what's the intrigue for the next season?  Anyway, even there's next season, I will wait until everything came out.  

カメラをとめるな！

 臺灣翻譯：一屍到底；大陸翻譯：攝影機不要停！；香港翻譯：屍殺片場

カメラ(kamera): 攝影機/照相機，英文的 Camera; をとめるな(O Tomeru Na; 好像是 を止めるな): 不要停下來; とめる(Tomeru): 停

前幾天看完了這部日本片。  一開始可以說是很不耐煩地看過去。  可是愈看下去驚奇。  看完了才去找這部影片的資料，很慶幸自己一開始不認識這部片子，更慶幸自己咬著牙看完了前面的一半，雖說我中間跳了一點。  :p  

過了好幾天後，一直想到底這片子哪裡吸引我。  一開始的片段，業餘的實在令我乍舌。 演員的台詞有不少錯位，有些表演很尷尬，很做作。  過了中段後，這群演員又變成非常自然，導演/父親、母親、女兒，這關係的表演非常自然，完全沒了之前像是素人影片的尷尬。  而之後，看到一部電視劇的籌拍，選角，演練，到實地拍攝，所有角色也都充分發揮，自然真切，我對這部片子裡的演員充滿敬意。  回想影片的前半段，其實那裏的尷尬，做作，更凸顯演員和導演的功力！  

我覺得片子的後半段並不一定比前半段重要。  但是， 後半段把幕後人員在每一個角落裡的參與拍下來，我覺得他們更能使觀眾身歷其境。  常常在電影裡，會有一個角色設定為觀眾的角度，意思是，電影製作人希望觀眾可以清楚感受到這個角色的感受。  一般的設定都是主角。  這裡卻讓我感覺是那些幕後的工作人員。  因為我覺得看完之後所產生的參與感是這部片子最成功的地方。  不能否定，在後半段當攝影機開始轉動時，快速而流暢的拍片節奏也是一個主因。 

這是一部值得一看的好片！  

另外，看一看兩岸三地的翻譯，我比較喜歡大陸的。香港的真的很戲劇化，和原題目很遠。  臺灣的像是大陸和香港的中間。  但實際上和香港的比較，裡面沒有一個字提到拍攝電影。  他主要是採取 ｢一鏡到底」的句型。  我喜歡大陸的，因為我覺得這裡沒必要讓題目更戲劇化，直譯就很有意思。  

邵僩: 山村

 山村
--邵僩 

    有一年我跟著督學去山村上一堂課。
    他們認為我是善於上課的教師，就要我上給別人看看。
    我坐了一個多小時的車，走了一個多小時的路，便到了山村的學校，山村的同仁給了我們真摯歡迎，他們站在山坡下面等我們去升旗。 
    那一面旗已經舊了，但是當它在青山翠谷冉冉升起的時候，卻產生出一種神聖、凝重的感情，我的髮根、我的血脈突然有一種沸騰的感覺。 那是一面多麼使人尊敬、多麼光輝的旗幟啊！
    我走到孩子們玩的地方，他們好奇的瞪著我。
    上課的時候，他們規規矩矩地端坐著瞪著我。 
    所有的眼睛，都像沙灘上小螃蟹畏怯的洞穴，只要一有動靜，小螃蟹們便急急的想逃遁。
    我能做什麼呢？ 我說： ｢我們來拍拍手。」
    小螃蟹們都想笑而不敢笑。
    ｢有誰不會拍手？ 告訴我。」
    有人偷偷互望著發出疑問。
    ｢我們要拍得很響、很響，比新年的鞭炮還要響。」
    大家突然被一張沉默的網撈起來了。我心裡說：是怎麼一回事啊？
    哦！ 是我的糊塗，山村的新年不一定有此起彼落的鞭炮，當然他們不明白了。
    我說：｢你們聽過打雷吧！」
    ｢有、有。。。」
    ｢好，我們拍手就要拍得比打雷還要響。」
    然後我微笑的拍起手，他們就高興得跟上來。
    那一堂課上得很愉快，孩子們不再把我當作客人，學校把我們留下來吃飯。
    我望著督學。
    督學卻沒有拒絕。 他說：｢山上沒有飯店。」
    我們留在辦公室裡聊天，學校裡四個年輕的老師忙著張羅吃食。 山上的蛇據說不少，掛眼鏡的校長說：有個晚上他看書看倦了，抬頭朝樑上一看，正有條尺來長的花斑蛇也炯炯的注視他。 這位校長為不速之客著實吃了一驚，但是他沒有慌了手腳，小心翼翼的移動身體，走出門外，才透了一口大氣，拿了根桌子腳把不受歡迎的客人趕走。
    我說：｢ 以後怎麼辦呢？」
    ｢那倒簡單。」 掛眼睛的校長說：｢我告訴一個早來的同事。  他說，以後你不必看屋樑就成了。」
    我們聽了都為校長的樂天和風趣發笑。
    不久，又陸陸續續來了好幾位客人，一位是家長會的會長，在山上經營林木；一位是村長，他還提了兩瓶酒來；再一位是附近煤礦的礦主，他們非常豁達的跟督學和我一一握手。 礦主的國語說不出他要表達的字眼時，便猴急的要求村長翻譯；但是他的態度很誠懇，他說他很歡迎城市裡的老師來這裡給他們上課。 那時候我覺得自己內心有一種羞愧 -- 因為在山村的教師，他們默默無聞的貢獻，實在要比城市中的教師來得偉大。
    吃飯的時候，就用辦公室的桌子，桌上墊了報紙，報紙上面又加了白單光紙；那時候，學生都回家了；操場上靜悄悄的，黃昏的蟬叫來得更兇，像不願回家的孩子。  
    桌上擺著很多吃的東西，一袋花生米斜躺著，一盤紅燒牛肉，兩罐沙丁魚，罐蓋掀了一半。  還有一大碗疊得高高的是紅辣椒炒鹹魚。全桌顏色最鮮豔的，恐怕要算是一大盤的雞蛋炒蝦米。
    ｢山上沒什麼吃食。」校長說：｢招待不週的地方請原諒！」他把一袋花生米分配在桌子的四周：｢意思是誠的。」
    接著他邀客人一一入席，連同學校的四位年輕老師一起，剛好一桌人光景。 大家坐下來以後，就自然而然的拿起花生米燃掉它的外皮。我吃 下一口飯，感覺一種從未有的融洽和溫暖。 飯吃到一半的時候，派出所的主管也匆匆的趕了來，他抱歉的說，因為公事耽擱，所以他來遲了，於是豪爽的乾了三杯酒才吃飯。  
    這一幅親切的畫面，已經是十多年前的事了，每一次我參加酒宴，便不由得想起它，尤其在我有了酒意之後，一定嘮叨的說給我身旁朋友聽。
    吃完飯，太陽已隱到山後，只有幾個山頭還有金色的歡笑。 他們攔住一輛運煤的卡車，一再的叮嚀我們 -- 謹慎的握牢車座後的靠頂扶把，看到濃蔭就要矮下身子；在許多的再見聲中，卡車才駛上險峻的山路。
(我的文章來源是 從陋巷走出天地，正中書局，我小學時買的書。  在網上看到，這篇文章出自拿粉筆的日子，紹僩先生的文集)

書摘 Tamedanduntamed

 I've been reading a bout about animals.  It's called Tamed and untamed - close encounter of animal kind.  

I ran into a Whitman poem in the book which matched the article quite nicely.  So I tried to find the whole thing.  After reading through part of it, I lost interest.  Although the two sentenced quoted by the author in the Tamed and untamed still makes me happy.  And most people quote specifically that part of the poem.  I think it has a better resonance with the readers, especially compared to animals to people.  

        "I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd,
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of
owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of
years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
So they show their relations to me and I accept them,
They bring me tokens of myself, they evince them plainly in their
possession.
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?"

--Walt Whitman, "Song of myself, part 32"

The tone of being tired of human and society in general is clear.  I find the lament of hearing people discussing their duty to God was quite funny.  

The two sentences used in the book was:

"They do not sweat and whine about their condition,

They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins"

Blak 水 少

 Black armband:  incomplete.

One of my mom's favorite pieces, from her younger days.  I could not find the whole article but a scan.  I tried to extract the whole essay from the scan, but some of them are too hard to read.  Those in red, means it's a guess; some in orange, it means it's very likely to be the real thing.  X is something I can't discern.  Mom helped me to extract the article, I think it's fun to work together on a project like this.  She's way capable seeing and guessing what the author wrote.  

I liked the article quite a  bit.  When I was reading the article, I was thinking to myself, the sentiment presented here could be found when Mao was dead, or when Stalin was dead.  But after finished reading it, I really liked the writing.  Hero has many faults, they are people after all.  I liked her use of 殉道者 to describe the President.  Because it signified an ideal the President hold on to until his death.  It's a struggle to hold on to an ideal for 88 years, everyday.  I consider title appropriate and befitting.  

The article did not just dwell on the death.  It also showed fortitude by saying 

"我們曾失去一個偉人，求上帝幫助我們每一個人成為自己生命的偉人，中國必須有偉人。"

It's a powerful statement.  A mother's awakened realization from a death of a leader.  I can feel the perseverance and strength.  I think this is the reason why I like the article.  

ㄏㄟㄕㄚ黑紗

詩詩，晴晴：

        四月的多風多雨的夜，我站在你們的小床前，像往常一樣，俯身親吻你們柔密的睡睫。忽然，忍不住的淚又滴落下來，詩詩的左臂上猶自繫著一截黑紗，我感到有許多話要對你們說 -- 雖然，這些話也許要等到很多年以後你們才明白。

        下午，我去買四段黑紗，布店老闆親手剪好了遞給我，他無言地搖搖頭，拒絕了布錢。從他黯淡的神色上，我領略一份國喪時期的親情。憂傷使人接近，我無論走到哪裡，都感到我們是共同站在一個大靈堂裡一起哭泣的手足。

        其實，孩子，身為一個中國人，佩戴黑紗並不自今日始。每想起那片廣袤的土地，那片收割過四書五經的土地，那片哺育過堯舜禹湯的土地，那片每一吋泥都吟誦著歷史的土地，我們的心脈怎能不哼唱成一首輓歌，黑紗在我們的左臂，黑紗在我們的右臂，黑紗於我們是一面命運的網，當頭罩下，把我們掩入巨大的漫天匝地的神聖悲哀。除非讓我們眸光朝聖於萬里長城，讓我們的雙耳膜拜怒濤裂天的黃河大江，我們的心永遠是在風中泣血的孤哀子。

        詩詩，晴晴，鄉愁對你們太遠嗎？故土對你們太遠嗎？故土對你們太陌生嗎？長安的柳色，江南的荷香對你們只是一首淒情飄渺的唐詩宋詞嗎？詩詩，晴晴，如果我有什麼可以流傳給你們的，便是那一點丹色的故國之愛了。詩詩，晴晴，即使我死，即使我化為泥壤，我不死的愛仍會怒生為凝碧的草，奪地而出，守望著故土的四季。  

        那一天是清明，我在香港(註)，滿城都是掃墓的人，我卻獨自在勒馬洲憑著一截短欄，面對無限江山。前一步即故國，而我們卻必須勒馬，勒飛馬於危崖也許還不難，但勒不住的是淚，勒不住的是滿腔的故國之思。終於勒不住的悲哀翻湧而下，一條長流的深圳河，一堵淺淡欲溶的遠山，故國就在那邊 -- 我們列祖列宗的墳塋。  怎樣淒婉的寒食節，怎樣哀慟的清明，我們無墓可掃，詩詩，晴晴。我唯一可祭奠的是久違的溫柔的故土，我的淚是最辛最澀的苦艾酒，奠於我最愛的故土。  

        黃昏，我搭機返臺北。飛機遲了，因為經過西貢，機上有四十個西貢難民，一位倉皇的母親正為她的孩子哺乳，雖然在最安全的地區，她說話的聲音仍不免急促焦灼，聽來令人神傷。這是一個流離的世紀，每個嬰兒在吸吮第一口乳汁前已經吸吮了流離。詩詩，晴晴，我們都是流離者，詩詩，晴晴。

        六日凌晨零時，飛機著陸臺北。每次回國，最喜歡的就是飛機著陸時那輕微的一蹬，那樣清清楚楚踏踏實實的感覺，讓我知道自己已經身在自己的土地上了。和香港入夜後的繁燈相比。臺北的燈只像微茫的村燈漁火 -- 可是我固執地偏愛著這份疏落有致的燈光，臺北也在落雨，一霎清明時節的陣雨。

        我沒有想到他已經去了。

        事後，我忽然感到，我趕回來的過程多麼像一場匍匐奔喪。我一向愛他 -- 但直到現在，我才真正了解，我在用一種怎樣高華而浪漫的愛在愛他，不管我們有多少不幸，能有愛，並且有對象可以奉獻我們的愛，畢竟是一件可幸的事。 回想起來，孩童時期整個客廳裡唯一的裝飾便是他的照片。他仗劍而立，年輕英挺，在沒有冷氣，沒有鋼琴，沒有沙發的客廳裡，你們簡直不能想像，他的簽名照是我們多麼華美的夢。

        十年以來，每次我到學校去，車過士林，望見遠山之上樹木栽成的 "中正" 兩個青色大字，總覺得快樂，他的名字給我們是一個長青的記號。詩詩，晴晴，我愛他。

        有一次，他走在我觸手可及的地方，我差不多屏息了，那是在一次晚宴上，每年他總要設宴招待大專學校的教授，他讓我感到自己的工作神聖莊重。  

        他有一張孩子式的紅臉，和一雙特別宜於微笑的嘴角。

        他卻死了!

        黑紗將我們的膀臂墜得多麼沉重，他死了。看一個英雄躍馬是一件當然的事，但看一個英雄闔目長眠於棺柩之中卻令人忽忽如狂！ 詩詩，晴晴，我們多麼願意將我們的歲月都給他！

        誰能為他開列死亡證明書呢？他不是死於肺炎，他的肺是因吞吐整個中國的憂患而壓傷的。他不是死於心臟病，他的心為八億悲劇而負創。

        正如神學家潘霍華所說的：【當基督招呼一個人，他是招呼這個人來效法他的死。】他是一個基督徒，他選擇了一條艱辛的路，一條任重道遠，而且時時把自己置之於死地的路。詩詩，晴晴，人以引刀一死來殉道是難能的。但是，活完八十八年的歲月，每天作為一個活的殉道者而終始不逾是一種更令人心折的節操。

        像大江入海，他走了，我們知道他確實存在，在另外一個浩瀚的境界裡，他帶著他的傷痕去了。詩詩，晴晴，有一天，我們也要去，求上帝讓我們也帶著美麗神聖的傷痕。詩詩，晴晴，只有自私的人才能保持他們可鄙的光滑與完整，但作為一個基督徒，我們注定要接受十字架的釘痕。

        詩詩，晴晴，向上帝祈禱吧！我們曾失去一個偉人，求上帝幫助我們每一個人成為自己生命的偉人，中國必須有偉人。

        詩詩，晴晴，不管有一天你們長得多麼大，不要忘記今天，不要忘記你們的母親曾流著淚攙著你們的小手，隨著憂傷的人群，站在那一對素燭之前。 不要忘記我們曾經擁有一個偉大中國人，一個英雄 -- 不管在他生前，或者死後。

        不要忘記我們走出官邸的玫瑰園時，四月的禾田綠的怎樣飛揚，不要忘記你們的母親曾告訴你們的話：

        是的，詩詩，晴晴，我們所愛的人死了，但中國不會死。春花可以凋謝，不凋的是天地間的生機。蠟炬可以成灰，不熄的是人世的火種。詩詩，晴晴，中國仍活著，你們仍活著。將你們的小手貼在心上，讓我們立誓為中國而活。常記得你們有一位母親，比母親更母親，她是中國。

         如果我們所失去的只是他的身軀，而不是他的典型，中國仍然可以有所圖為。詩詩，晴晴，中國有我在，中國有我們在，上蒼尚未遺棄中國，仍有明天。詩詩，晴晴，我們不求上帝挪開崎嶇的山路，我們求上帝賜給我們攀越高山的智慧和勇氣。

        記得摩西的故事嗎？他曾領著幾百萬以色列人在曠野的沙漠上走了四十年。而最後，白髮蕭森的他站在高山上，遙望美麗的迦南 -- 那流奶與蜜之地 -- 安然地死了。上帝賜給他們一位約書亞，領他們跨過最後的約旦河，而重返他們的故土。上帝既不吝於賜下第一位摩西，他也不會吝於賜下第二位約書亞。曠野的熱沙是要一步一步踩過去的。約旦河的急流是要勇者強渡的。詩詩，晴晴，中國只有選擇向前。

        詩詩，還記得三歲那年，我曾教你寫過第一個字嗎？我喜歡你生命裡第一個學會的字是 "中"，世界上再沒有一個字比這個字更美麗更深沉的了。讓科威特人擁抱石油，讓大溪地的女子沉迷於她們的紅花。  至於我們，我們只願生生世世選擇中國，以及只有中國人才配承當的苦難。

        詩詩，晴晴，晚禱已過，你們酣睡中的紅頰顯示著美好的未來的中國。詩詩，晴晴，請記得唯有最濕潤的憂國者的淚可以將自己的人民登於最乾淨最舒適的衽席。唯有最攏合的祈禱者的雙掌可以攤開來去服役最廣大最愁苦的人群。

        詩詩，晴晴，四月的夜雨淒傷地落著，我們已經哭過了。讓我們以悲哀的心做他長夜的守靈人，讓我們佩一截沉如鐵，黑如故鄉最焦的焦土的黑紗，踏上中國的明天。

                                                                                                --完--

(註)：我於三月底赴港參與舞台劇 【和氏璧】演出，【和氏璧】在香港演出四天。文化的出使對我輩而言，不失為今日書生的報國之道。 

書摘

Man meets dog 

by Konrad Lorenz

Chapter 21 

Fidelity and death

"This thought is as a death, which cannot choose

But weep to have that which it fears to lose."

                                                    --Shakespeare: Sonnet

When God created this world, He evidently did not foresee the future bond of friendship between man and his dog, or perhaps He had definite and, to us, inexplicable reasons for assigning to the dog a span of life fives times shorter than that of his master.  In human life there is enough suffering -- of which everybody gets his share -- when we come to take leave of someone we love, and when we see the end approaching, inevitably predestined by the fact that he was born a few decades earlier than ourselves, we may as well ask ourselves whether we do right to hang our hearts on a creature that will be overtaken by senility and death before a human being, born on exactly the same day, has even passed his childhood.  It is a sad reminder of the transient of earthly life when the dog, which a few years ago --and it seems but a few months -- was a clumsy cuddlesome pup, begins to show unmistakable signs of age and we know that his end must be expected in some two or three years.  I must admit that the aging of a dearly loved dog has always depressed me and at time considerably enhanced the gloom which occasionally afflicts every man when he thinks of griefs to come.  Then there is the severe mental conflict that every master has to undergo when his dog is finally stricken in old age with some incurable disease, and the fatal question arises whether and when one should have him painlessly destroyed.  Strangely enough fate has so far spared me this decision, since, with one exception, all my dogs have died a sudden and painless death at a ripe old age and without any intervention on my part.  But one cannot count on this and I do not altogether blame sensitive people who shrink from acquiring a dog in view of the final inevitable parting.  Not altogether blame them?  Well, actually, I suppose I do.  In human life all pleasure must be paid for sorrow, for as Burns says:

                         Pleasure are like poppies spread, 

                         You seize the flowers, its bloom is shed;

                        Or like the snow falls in the river

                        A moment white -- then melts forever...

And fundamentally I consider a man a shirker who renounces the few permissible irreproachable pleasures of life for fear of having to pay the bill with which, sooner or later, fate will present him.  He who is miserly with the coin of suffering had better retired to some spinsterly attic and there gradually desiccate life a sterile bulb which bears no blossoms.  Certainly the death of a faithful dog that has accompanied its master for some fifteen years of his life's walk brings with it much suffering, nearly as much as the death of a beloved person.  But in one essential detail the former is easier to bear: the place the human friend filled in your life remains forever empty, that of your dog can be filled with a substitute.  Dogs are indeed individuals, personalities in the truest sense of the words, and I should be the last to deny this fact, but they are much more life each other than are human beings.  The individual differences between living creatures are in direct proportion to their mental development.  Two fishes of one species are, in all their actions and reactions, practically the same; but for a person familiar with their behavior, two golden hamsters or jackdaws show noticeable diversities; two hooded crows or two graylags are sometimes quite separate individuals.  In dogs this holds good to a still greater extent, since they, as domestic animals exhibit in their behavior and immeasurably greater amount of individual variation than those other non-domesticated species.  But, conversely, in the depths of their soul, in those deep instinctive feelings which are responsible for their special relationship with man, dogs resemble each other closely, and if on the death of one's dog, one immediately adopts a puppy of the same breed, it will generally be found that he refills those spaces of one's heart and and life which the departure of an old friend has left desolate. Under certain conditions the consolation thus afforded can be thorough that one feels almost ashamed of this unfaithfulness to one's former dog.  Here again, the dog is more faithful than his master, for had the master died the dog would scarcely have found a substitute within the space of half a year.  These considerations will perhaps seem absurd to people who will not admit of any moral responsibility toward an animal, but they have prompted mem to an unusual course of action.  

When one day, I found my old Bully lying dead of a stroke on his old accustomed "barking beat," I at once regretted deeply that he had left no successor to take his place.  I was then seventeen years old and this was the first time I had lost a dog -- I am unable to express how much I missed him.  He had been my inseparable companion for years, and the limping rhythm of his trot when he ran behind me -- he was lame from a badly healed broken foreleg -- had become so much the sound of my own footsteps that I no longer heard his rather weighty tread and the snuffling that accompanied it.  I only noticed it when it was no longer there.  In the weeks that immediately followed Bully's death, I really began to understand what it is that makes naïve people believe in the ghosts of their dead.  The constant sound throughout years of the dog trotting at my heels had left such a lasting impression on my brain -- psychologist call this a "phenomenon" -- that for weeks afterwards, as if with my own eyes, I heard him pattering after me.  

On quiet Danube paths this reached the pitch of an almost sinister hallucination. If I listened consciously, the trotting and snuffling ceased at once, but as soon as my thoughts began to wander again I seemed to hear them once more.  It was only when Tito, at that time still a wobbly half-grown poopy, began to run behind me that the specter of Bully, the limping ghost dog, was finally banished.  

Tito too died long ago, and how long ago!  But her spirit still trots sniffling at my heels.  I have taken good care that it should do so, by resorting a a peculiar course of action: when Tito lay dead before me, just an unexpectedly as Bully had done, I realized that another dog would take her place just as she had taken Bull's, and, feeling ashamed of my own faithlessness, I swore a strange pledge to her memory: henceforward only Tito's descendants should accompany me through life.....

我的寶寶死了。  再回來念這一段文字，念一次哭一次。  哭的不是他講述的道理。  哭的是她文章裡流露出的感情。

Er redete mit dem vieh, den vogeln und den fischen and its poems

我從小最喜歡的書之一就是這一本所羅門王的指環。  作者在書裡引用了不少詩句，我還滿喜歡這種風格的。  有古典的氣氛。  我想把這些詩句收集起來已經很久了。  今天來試試看，順便利用現在網路的方便，也查一查這些詩的出處。  想想應該滿有意思的。 (補: 我滿希望知道是誰誰把這些詩翻譯成中文的。  很多地方都翻得好極了！)

序

從來沒有一個王，象所羅門王那樣，
從開天闢地以來也難湊到一雙，

因為所羅門王能和蝴蝶說話，

就像人與人聊天一樣。

                        --魯雅。吉卜寧

Preface

There was never a King like Solomon

Not since the world began

Yet Solomon talked to a butterfly

As a man would talk to a man.

--Rudyard Kipling 

(上面的這首詩出自叢林奇談的作者吉卜寧，這是一串的童詩，每一個詩講述一個動物的來源。 前三首是吉卜寧為他小孩編的童詩，後來集結成篇，題為 "Just so stories".  因為當作者為女兒講故事的時候， 如果作者把自己編的詩句念錯了，他女兒就會睜開眼睛，把正確的詩句唸出來糾正老爸。   第一版的插圖還是吉卜寧自己畫的哩。)

鴨子在沙沙作響的茅草中遊嬉，

好吃的梭魚卻從水邊躍起。

因為岸上響起了一陣腳部的聲音，

一隻蒼鷺忽地驚起，

伸在前面的 ---- 是牠長長的脖子。

                       --華茲華斯

The duck dabbles mid the rustling sedge

And feeding pike starts from the water's edge

And heron, as resounds the trodden shore,

Shoots upward, darting his long neck before.

--Wordsworth,  (An evening walk)

(書裡面我最喜歡的一首， 這個作者華茲華斯是常常出現在這本書，可以想見勞倫茲很喜歡這個詩人。  這一首詩我稍微查了一下，非常的長，詩人的對象是自己的妹妹。  我還沒有看整首詩，根據介紹整首詩主要是描寫那一傍晚的在水邊的情境。  以這裡的節錄來看，他的描述實在很細膩，用的詞句也是音韻十足。  我可能會想借來看。  而這是作者還在學校的時候寫出來的。 不知道是大學還是高中。  年輕時就顯露這樣的才能，也難怪可以被選作英國的桂冠詩人！)

一。 動物的麻煩

把一桶桶的醃魚打翻了胡鬧，

又在男人的禮帽做巢。

甚至連女人七嘴八舌的說笑，

也不得不為他們時高時低的尖笑

怪叫， 勢減聲消。  

                            --羅拔。布朗寧

Chapter 1.  Animal as a nuisance.

Split open the kegs of salted sprats,

Made nests inside men's Sunday hat,

And even spoiled the women's chats,

By downing their speaking

In fifty different sharps and flats.

--Robert Browning, (The pied piper of Hamelin)

(這首詩出自德國小鎮 Hameln 十三世紀的故事，一個穿著彩色衣服的吹笛手幫這個小鎮解決了老鼠的問題，可是小鎮不肯付講好的酬勞，於是吹笛手用他的魔術把小鎮上 一百三十個小孩全數帶到山腳下，山腳下裂出一個大洞，笛手和小孩消失在洞裡。 這個故事經過格林童話的傳衍，很多人都知道了，這首詩是英國布郎寧以詩的方式呈現。  單用念的就很過癮，好像在看電影一樣！ 很棒的詩，這一段是描述老鼠為患小鎮的一個過場。 勞倫茲拿來用在這裡真是再好不過！)

三十年來，你一直在我的跟前，

高地低谷，都能見到你的笑靨，

但是我卻不認得你，直到今天，

現在，不論我走到那裡，眼向那邊轉，

處處只見你，一天至少也有五十遍。

                                        --華茲華斯

I have seen thee, high and low

Thirty years or more, and yet

'Twas a face I did not know;

Thou hast now, go where I may,

Fifty greetings in a day.

--Wordsworth, (To the small calendine)

(Calendine, 白屈菜。  明明是黃色的花，為啥叫白屈菜？  這東西聽說到處都是。  算是野草吧。有時候是這樣的，眼睛真的會突然一亮。。。  這首我也好喜歡)

二。不礙事的魚缸

萬物相形以生，

眾生互惠而成。

     --歌德 (浮士德)

Chapter 2.  Something that does no damage: 

The Aquarium

Wie alles sich zum Ganzen webt

Eins in dem andern wirkt und lebt

--Goethe, Faust 

(No comment, can't even read German, I will write another paragraph about the German title of the book...)

三。魚缸裡的暴行

他笑得多麼開心，

他爪子伸得多麼近，

只要他微笑的小嘴可以容得下，

隨便什麼小魚都歡迎。

                            --路易。卡洛 (愛麗絲漫遊奇境)

Chapter 3.   Robbery in the aquarium

How cheerfully he seems to grin,

How neatly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little fishes in 

With gently smiling jaws.

--Louis Carroll (Alice's adventure in Wonderland)

(這首詩出自愛麗絲夢遊仙境，這是我小時候知道的書名。  我查了一下，這本書出於一八六五年。  可以想像古典氣味濃郁，裡面用了大量的詩和韻文。  有些資料上說愛麗絲創作這首詩來模仿另一首有勸善用意的詩， "Against Idleness and Mischief".  這裡愛麗絲的詩也有警世的意味。  詩中描述的鱷魚往自己身上澆水，讓自己的鱗甲發光閃亮，他又秀出笑容表現出和藹可親的樣子，表示自己容易接近。  這些描述是多麼有趣味，而表達的內容又是多麼實際，如果要記得，又有什麼比一首小詩更容易。)

四。可憐的魚

是浪中之草？是泥中之光？

還是黑色的火焰在跳躍？

造化弄物，

無晝無夜，

無止無休，無聲無息，亦無竅。

                                        --魯伯。布魯克 (魚)

Chapter 4.  Poor Fish

Weed in the wave, gleam in the mud--

The dark fire leaps along his blood;

Dateless and deathless, blind and still,

The intricate impulse works its will.

--Rupert Brooks, (The fish)

從玫瑰的花心偷到一抹暗紅，

從沒有星星的天空，剝下一層藍色青青，

還有眼後的那一勺黃金，

綠沉，紫寂，

黑黑的背影上， 該有多少彩光現現隱隱？

                                                --魯伯。布魯克 (魚)

Red darkness of the heart of the roses,

Blue brilliant from dead starless skies,

And gold that lies behind the eyes,

Lustreless Purple, hooded green,

The myriad hues that lie between 

Darkness and darkness! 

--Rupert Brooks, (The fish)

(我好奇這所羅門王的指環這本書的中文翻譯者是怎麼翻這些詩的？ 如果這些詩還沒有翻譯出來，那他們還要一首一首譯嗎？  實在很厲害！  這首原文的詩我看了一遍沒看懂。  我知道是在講魚，裡面有一些非常漂亮的句子。  像這本書來做一篇文章的開頭就非常引人遐想。  不過我也得說，我覺得中文譯者也有滿多的地方隨意揮灑。  我的意思不是他們亂來，而是很多地方直譯反而失去美感或著在中文裡造成奇怪的印象。  而翻譯者的功力大概就在此顯現。  另外，此詩的英文作者似乎滿喜歡用魚作題材，他的另一首詩題為 Heaven ， 那首詩裡他描寫魚在池塘裡想像池塘外的世界 : 到底有無池塘外的世界，如果有是怎麼樣的。。。  我找的那篇文章說那首詩是用魚比擬人，實際上是描寫很多人都好奇死後到底有沒有其他的世界，很有趣)

六。 對動物的惻隱之心

受苦為慈悲之母

                    --柯勒瑞凡

Chapter 6. Pitying animals

Pity--best taught by fellowship of woe.

--Samuel Taylor Coleridge

七。如何選購動物

兄弟姊妹們，

聽我來相勸；

勿將心許狗，

由他撕成片。

            --魯雅。吉卜寧

Chapter 7. Buying Animals

Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware

Of give your heart to a dog to tear.

--Rudyard Kipling, (The power of the dog)

(The power of the dog by Rudyard Kipling

There is sorrow enough in the natural way

From men and women to fill our day;

And when we are certain of sorrow in store,

Why do we always arrange for more?

Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware

Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy

Love unflinching that cannot lie

Perfect passion and worship fed

By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.

Nevertheless it is hardly fair

To risk your heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits

Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,

And the vet’s unspoken prescription runs

To lethal chambers or loaded guns,

Then you will find – it’s your own affair, –

But … you’ve given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,

With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!),

When the spirit that answered your every mood

Is gone – wherever it goes – for good,

You will discover how much you care,

And will give your heart to a dog to tear!

We’ve sorrow enough in the natural way,

When it comes to burying Christian clay.

Our loves are not given, but only lent,

At compound interest of cent per cent,

Though it is not always the case, I believe,

That the longer we’ve kept ’em, the more do we grieve;

For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,

A short-time loan is as bad as a long –

So why in – Heaven (before we are there)

Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?)

八。動物的語言

學習每一種鳥的語言，

記住他們的名字，

知道他們的秘密，

那麼，無論你什麼時候碰到牠們，

都可以和他們談一會兒天，說一會兒地。

                                    --朗費羅

Chapter 8. The language of animals

Learned of every bird its language,

Learned all their names and secrets,

Talked with them whene'er he met them.

--H. W. Longfellow, (The song of Hiawatha)

(第一位屋薩 (USA) 作家！  這是一首很長篇詩，在寫一個北美美洲人的傳奇故事)

九。馴悍記

雖說大自然的爪子染滿了凌弱暴寡血腥，

見了這等行徑，

也是心驚。

        --但尼生， (回憶)

Chapter 9. The taming of the shrew

Though Nature, red in tooth and claw

With ravine, shrieked against his creed.

--Tennyson, (In memoriam)

(我覺得這幾句翻譯和原詩不合。  就因為他的最後一句 "shrieked against his creed."  我一直想不通到底是誰的 Creed.  後來看到這一整段的全部後，才解開我的心中之謎。  

Who trusted God was love indeed 

And love Creation's final law

Tho'Nature, red in tooth and claw

With Ravine, shrieked against his creed

這首詩也很長，其中最有名的一句是：

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all.)

十。盟約

跟在後面的四隻腳。

                        --魯雅。吉卜寧

Chapter 10. The covenant

Four feet trotting behind.

--Rudyard Kipling, (Four feet)

一種感覺的力量，

超過人的一切估計。

                        --華茲華斯

The strength of feeling, great

Above all human estimate.

--Wordsworth, (Fidelity)

(華茲華斯的詩是在描述事件裡的一隻狗，我看到一篇介紹的文章，文章裡提到當時有不少批評華茲華斯的詩不是詩，而是 prose，也就是散文大白話。  我現在摘錄這一段，因為我覺得實在是很有趣！

Not that people didn't laugh at Wordsworth's poem "Fidelity" at the time. In the preface to their revolutionary Lyrical Ballads, published in 1798, Wordsworth and Coleridge warned that readers would not find here the florid conventions, the aristocratic affectations, the formality they recognised as literature: "Readers accustomed to the gaudiness and inane phraseology of many modern writers, if they persist in reading this book to its conclusion, will perhaps frequently have to struggle with feelings of strangeness and aukwardness: they will look round for poetry, and will be induced to enquire by what species of courtesy these attempts can be permitted to assume that title."

Nine years later, when Wordsworth published a poem about the death of Gough, reviewers were still sneering at the banality of his poetic voice. His unemphatic telling of the discovery of Gough's body and his loyal dog in "Fidelity" was particularly mocked. One reviewer, who as predicted in the preface to Lyrical Ballads could see no poetry whatsoever in this "poem", made that philistine point by satirically reprinting "Fidelity" as a block of prose. "The language is not only prosaic," said another, "but generally flat, and in some places absolutely mean" - "mean" having definite associations of social inferiority.  (source, the guardian, )

有趣的地方就是，我同樣覺得很多新詩也只是散文。  這裡的摘錄就是當時的人故意把 Fidelity 這首詩重新排版印刷成散文形式。  文章裡提到在 華茲華斯出版這一首詩之前，有一個人先他出版了另一首詩，也是談論同一個事件。  我去看了一下，互相參照立刻可以比較出不同。  華茲華斯的詩真的要大大個口語的多。  因為另一首詩詞語，讓我有強烈的莎士比亞的感覺。  這真是有趣的事情！)

十一。老家人

如果有樣東西因為我的關係

能活能動，能對未來有所助益

那就夠了，我們就算盡了力。

                                  --華茲華斯 (追想)

Chapter 11.  The perennial retainers

Enough, if something from our hands have power

To live, and act, and serve the future hour.

--Wordsworth, (After-thought)

即興而起的甜美歌聲，

唱出心中無限事。

                     --雪萊(百靈鳥)

Full heart 

in profuse strains of unpremeditated art.

--Shelley, (To a Skylark)

A Robin-redbreast in a Cage

Puts all Heaven in a rage

                                --William Blake, (Auguries of Innocence)

關一隻紅胸膛的知更，

普天下俱為之忿。

--布雷克

(這首詩很有名，尤其是前面幾句話

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower 

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand 

And Eternity in an hour)

雖然沒有人說得出原因，又有什麼關係？

既然眼睛見過，心裡總是有數的。

如果兩方面都在有意湊合，他們的愛情也就不用提，

要不是一見之下鍾的情，他的情就不能算真的情。

                                                        --馬羅

The reason no man knows, let it suffice

What we behold is censured by our eyes.  

Where both deliberate, the love is slight;

Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?

--Marlowe

(我覺得這首詩的最後一句不是翻譯得很好，有點囉嗦。)

她耐心地坐在石碑上，

對著憂愁微笑。

             --莎士比亞，第十二夜

Green and yellow melancholy,

She sat like Patience on a monument

Smiling at grief.

--Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

十二。道德和武器

有才者虛懷若谷

有力者恥於傷人

                --莎士比亞，十四行詩

Chapter 12. Morals and weapons

They that have power to hurt and will do none,

that do not do the thing they most do show...

--Shakespeare, Sonnets

將利劍止在空中，

不讓它落在已墜的人身上

                          --莎士比亞

Thou hast hung they advanced swords i' the air, 

Not letting it decline on the declined.

--Shakespeare, (Troilus and Cressida)

如果這就是大自然的安排，

人的進化，發展豈不令我們心寒？

                                       -- 華茲華斯

If such be Nature's holy plan,

Have I not reason to lament

What man has made of man?

--Wordsworth

(詩的摘錄，有時候超越整首詩的價值。  這並不是說一部份大於整體。  而是說，讀者藉由引用者的解貼和設計，使的文章多了不同的節奏和和意涵。  摘引的章節不一定是原來的意思， 因引用的句子還多引用者對句子的解讀。 )

這本書的德文書題實際上是： "他和牛和鳥和魚說話。"

我很好奇地查了一下題目，一切都很正常， Er 是他；redete 是說話；mit 對著什麼或著是同什麼；Dem 和 den 是冠詞; vieh 是牛; fischen 是魚。  唯一有問題的是鳥這個德文，我花了大工夫，怎麼查這個字都是肏的意思。  最後我查 Vogel 才查到是鳥單數，鳥多數 Vögel，才看到也有後面加個 N 的。  他的動詞是肏的意思。  昏倒，因為我怎麼查都不是名詞。  有一篇文章就說這字有太多 Pun 的用法了，就是有太多不同意思的雙關語。

Do contents reveal anything?

油管 is really a time sink.  You can probably find infinite categories of stuff there.  But when I checked my history, I  could see that I only watched limited range of stuff.  I already realize this fact.  But I wonder if I just listed the category of videos I think I watched, and  compared to the ones actually listed in the history.  Would there be any difference?  

My guess:

camera videos

Star war videos

NBA videos

Bag videos

Animal videos

Sitcom videos

News videos

News show videos

Campers videos

My history:

camera videos

Star war videos

NBA videos

Bag videos

Animal videos

Sitcom videos

News videos

News show videos

Campers videos

Ping Pong video

video game video(rare)

Music videos

Car videos

yoga videos(rare)

lord of ring video(rare)

backpacking gear  videos

crime story videos

EDC videos

Gift ideas videos

ukelele teaching videos

Tennis videos

Tech reviews videos

Norton Grahm videos

shoes videos

PBS science short videos

Movie clips videos

Pet accessory videos

I really watched a lot of camera videos because I want to get a new camera for a few years now.  Every year this time around, I'd watch a lot of videos for things I want to buy, like camera's one of these, it's just never realized.  

I was watching Manda so it did trigger some desire to follow the back stories.  I was following Obiwangkenobi's line last night.  I have to say I liked him quite a bit, a bit sarcastic but moderate.  I am not a die hard star wars fan though.  I am binging on the videos right now, just a filler I guess.  

Sitcom videos is a constant filler, unlike Manda.  Although it rotates from frenids to biigbbangs or something else.  My mom is very annoyed by it.  For it is a constant chatter, when I came back from work.  I don't know, it makes happy.  They are funny, it seemed that I constantly need funny???  I have hard time to endure silent times.  They say there's a constant chatter inside you.  But I know that sometimes it's just dead silent in there.  And it scares me a lot.  A lot.  

I watched quite a bit of backpacking related videos, which include backpacking, campers, EDC...etc.  I wonder if I put together a list of products I watched, what would I look alike?  

Backpack

Tents

Quilts

Trail runners

campers vans

cameras

Ukelele, maybe?  

It looks like a traveling man.  This image has been in my mind for a while.  I even wanted to setup a tent in my backyard.  I looked at bugout videos as well.  I shuddered at this image.  Because I feel this image showed me that I want to get away from my current situation.  

Almond 的中文

 幾年前，不記得幾年前了，不過一定是很久了。  剛剛又去翻了一下字典確定一下。  Almond 的翻譯是 "杏仁" !  可是我也一直覺得很奇怪，因為中國城賣的杏仁和 almond 味道很不一樣，形狀也很不一樣。 但是我沒又特別去找為什麼。  前天我妹妹來和媽媽一起讀聖經，留下來一道吃個中飯。  聊天的時候，媽媽說蘋果的種子不能吃有毒，不知道梨子的子是否也有毒。  妹妹說都是有毒的。  昨天媽媽又和我談論，所以我就順便查一查。  這一查，才看到很多和梨蘋果同一種 (科學分類裡的同一目) 的植物都帶些微毒性。  其中包括櫻桃，桃子，李子，梅子，蘋果，杏仁，還有 almond。  我當時以為我看錯了，我想 almond 那怎麼可能有毒。  我們常常吃，而且吃的都是種子！？  往下追蹤竟然發先連中文名字都不對了！  現在叫扁桃！  我看的是維基百科。  他上面提到現在大陸所有的美國甜杏仁都改名叫做扁桃仁。  但是文章也提到現在台灣還是普遍叫杏仁。  我也看到一篇 2015 年的文章裡提到大陸改名的事情。  文章也提到新疆種植的八旦木實際上就是 "美國甜杏" 。  可是在開放後從美國進口時，把美國的東西叫做 "美國甜杏"，在大陸市場上的身價是遠高於自家的八旦杏。  我覺得這是一個很有趣的現象。  首先，我覺得如果東西實際上是一樣的，那的確是要改正過來。  但是，改成扁桃卻不知道是有啥根據？  如果和 "八旦木" 一樣，為啥就不用八旦木呢？  

我查了一下雅虎奇婆，只要提到 "扁桃" 兩個字的一定是 "扁桃腺"，沒有兩個字單獨純在的。  台灣自身沒有把 Almond 改過來一方面可能是沒有自身利益衝突，另一方面大陸自己在百度網站內也有稱之為 "八旦杏"， 如此一來， 還是 "杏" 仁啦。。。  我現在只對扁桃兩個字很好奇。  這兩個字得出處是哪裡？  扁桃腺的扁桃兩個字一定是有出處的。  我甚至懷疑會否是日本人的翻譯？