阮一峰的网络日志

蛾的启示

the lesson of the moth

作者：Don Marquis

译者：Brendan O’Kane

那晚跟飞蛾聊天
他正试着破灯而入
自炸于电丝上

i was talking to a moth
the other evening
he was trying to break into
an electric light bulb
and fry himself on the wires

你们这帮家伙
何必这样恶搞
我问他
循蛾的惯例
还是非得如此
若是裸烛
你们早已成了煤渣
难道竟没有
这样基本的常识

why do you fellows
pull this stunt i asked him
because it is the conventional
thing for moths or why
if that had been an uncovered
candle instead of an electric
light bulb you would
now be a small unsightly cinder
have you no sense

（常识）有的是
他说
不过有时
我们厌腻了循常
宁愿尝试
刺激和美丽
火焰是美丽的
万一靠得太近
会遭其杀戮
可又如何呢
一刻的幸福
然后与美丽同焚
比百岁和一世的无聊
要好得多
所以我们将岁月集成
就像成一卷钱
然后将钱赌光
生命便是如此
成为一场美丽的局部然后逝去
总比完整的存活
而从不跟美丽联络
要好得多
我们对生命的态度
就是来时从容去时淡定
自若得如人类
文明得不知所措以前的样子

plenty of it he answered
but at times we get tired
of using it
we get bored with the routine
and crave beauty
and excitement
fire is beautiful
and we know that if we get
too close it will kill us
but what does that matter
it is better to be happy
for a moment
and be burned up with beauty
than to live a long time
and be bored all the while
so we wad all our life up
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for
it is better to be a part of beauty
for one instant and then cease to
exist than to exist forever
and never be a part of beauty
our attitude toward life
is come easy go easy
we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves

不等我说服他自己的哲学是错误的
他就去了
在雪茄打火机的焰上自焚
我并不同意他
我自己还是宁愿有
一半的幸福和两倍的
长寿

and before i could argue him
out of his philosophy
he went and immolated himself
on a patent cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myself i would rather have
half the happiness and twice
the longevity

只是同时
我但愿有
如他对自焚
一样的渴求

but at the same time i wish
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself

archy