题图 / Philippe Halsman
我坐在桌前回想我今年都取得什么成绩。
我赢了罗德岛的吃热狗比赛。不,没有,我开玩笑。
在缅因州波特兰的掰手腕比赛我得了冠军,假的。
在巴西南方我捕获了一条最大的蟒蛇,做梦。
我用火柴棒建了一座全美国最大的房子,哇!
我捉了一条狼揪住它的尾巴,好吃。
我娶了摩洛哥公主。神奇吧?
我从喜马拉雅山上摔下来了,哎哟!
我又爬上去了。好累。
呼噜。我创造了一项纪录,
坐在椅子上打呼噜时间比任何人都长。
醒着啦!在内布拉斯加州无名之地,
我创纪录地从浴缸这头游到那头,啵啵。
我读了一本鸽子写的书,太棒了!
我在椅子上睡了整整三十个日夜,哇!
一年时间我每天都吃一个奶酪汉堡。
再也不想这么干了。
洗碗的时候一只鲑鱼咬我。但是我没捉到它。
我飞过家乡但没认出来一个人。
可见我有多长时间没回去过。
警察在街上拦下了我,说对不起。
说他正在找一个人,长得就像我,名字也一样。
这得有多凑巧?
作者 / [美国] 詹姆斯 · 泰特
翻译 / Phil
I sat at my desk and contemplated all that I had accomplished this year.
I had won the hot dog eating contest on Rhode Island.
No, I hadn’t. I was just kidding.
I was the arm wrestling champion in Portland, Maine. False.
I caught the largest boa constrictor in Southern Brazil. In my dreams.
I built the largest house out of matchsticks in all the United States. Wow!
I caught a wolf by its tail. Yumee.
I married the Princess of Monaco. Can you believe it?
I fell off of Mount Everest. Ouch!
I walked back up again. It was tiring.
Snore. I set a record for sitting in my chair and snoring longer than anybody.
Awake! I set a record for swimming from one end of
my bath to the other in No Count, Nebraska. Blurb.
I read a book written by a dove. Great!
I slept in my chair all day and all night for thirty days. Whew!
I ate a cheeseburger every day for a year. I never want to do that again .
A trout bit me when I was washing the dishes.
But I couldn’t catch him.
I flew over my hometown and didn’t recognize anyone.
That’s how long it’s been.
A policeman stopped me on the street and said he was sorry.
He was looking for someone who looked just like me and had the same name.
What are the chances?
James Tate
这是美国著名诗人,普利策诗歌奖和国家图书奖得主詹姆斯 · 泰特(1943 – 2015)写的最后一首诗,诗成后几天后他就去世了。去世时诗稿还压在打字机的压纸杆下面,未经编辑和修改,连题目都还没来得及取,所以遗作发表时叫“无题”,一首真正的无题诗。
如果要给这首散文诗加一个名字,也许可以称之为:“我的年终总结”。不过这是一份非常特别的终结报告,诗人列举了当年完成的虚假的壮举, 比如,吃热狗比赛冠军,掰手腕冠军,娶了摩洛哥公主等等,幽默,超现实,令人忍俊不禁。诗的后半部分似乎有某种不可明言之淡淡的悲伤,比如洗碗时被鲑鱼咬,却捉不到那鱼;空中飞过家乡时认不出任何人等等,荒诞离奇。这也是詹姆斯·泰特后期诗歌的特点之一。
诗可言志,可抒情,可明理,给人安慰,启发智慧,领人进入美丽意境。但是像这样奇特有趣,令人愉快的诗不多见。诗歌竟然也可以这样写,一年的终结原来也可以这样写!有生以来第一次读完诗后忍不住笑了出来,所以推荐给大家,希望你们也喜欢,也许也试试写一个另类的个人终结?
荐诗 / Phil
2020/01/23
第2511夜
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