【讀詩】找到這些字   ◎Carol Ann Duffy

2010/11/24  【聯合新聞網／文、圖節錄自寶瓶文化《癡迷（Rapture）》】


Finding the Words

I found the words at the back of a drawer,
wrapped in black cloth, like three rings
slipped from a dead woman’s hand, cold,
dull gold. I had held them before,

    　　　　　　　　　　years ago,
then put them away, forgetting whatever it was
I could use them to say. I touched the first to my lips,
the second, the third, like a sacrament,
like a pledge, like a kiss,

       　　　　　　　and my breath
warmed them, the words I needed to utter this, small words,
and few. I rubbed at them till they gleamed in my palm－
I love you, I love you, I love youas
though they were new.



中文對照


找到這些字

我在抽屜隱密處找到這些字，
黑布包裹著，像是從一個死去
女人手裡滑落的三枚戒指，冷冷的
暗沉沉的金子。我也曾經握有過這些，

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　在多年前，
然後把它們擱置一邊，完全忘了我能
借用它們說些什麼。我以嘴唇碰觸第一個字，
第二個，第三個，像一種儀典，
一句誓言，一個吻，

　　　　　　　　　我的呼吸溫暖了這些
我需要用來表達的字，這些微小的，
微少的字。我摩索著直到它們在我掌心發光──
我愛你，我愛你，我愛你──
彷彿它們是簇新的。