蔗尾蜂房

[美麗]
--Stevie Smith

為何美麗這個字眼會俗氣？
十一月裡樹葉落下來的時候很美麗
雨後林間的小溪變得很深
美麗的池塘裡梭魚追逐覓食

他悄悄跟蹤獵物，這也很美麗，
獵物在水下一閃就逃逸了
但沒多久，就被大魚抓到了
梭魚獵食總是能得手

而這就是美麗。水鼠美麗
他的趾掌沒有蹼，他也無法閉起鼻孔
不像水獺或海狸那樣，他「糾纏」於
水與陸之間，不是「哭泣」，他可不介意。

貓頭鷹在黃昏獵食，而這就是美麗
湖水在他的底下冰裂得嘎嘎作響
霜沿著地面而來，空氣中霧氣瀰漫
這全都美麗，美麗到無以復加。

誠然，總有更美麗的事情，眼睛羞極了
它變得總是看之不足，
眼睛攀越樹林。這更美麗了
一片黃昏平野，斜上。

平野斜向天。縱然天已晚
天色比平原緩丘淡
一切看來稀鬆平常其實很不平凡
怎麼說呢，能平凡得如此美麗足見其不凡

如此漫不經心，就總是如此美麗
這原野、這貓頭鷹、這梭魚、這池塘都漫不經心
「自然」總是漫不經心又漠不關心
誰看到、誰踩著，毫無意義，而這就是美麗。

所以一個人能獨行如一個賊——美麗！——
偷一片美景，夾帶一陣聲響去體會，
或拾起水際斷裂的冰柱舔一舔
還無可言喻，只能大喊美麗。

大喊美麗、美麗、美麗這樣你就能夠
馬上連大喊美麗都無法表達
而能夠完全脫離人世間
這就是美麗的極致，非常美麗。

[Pretty]

Why is the word pretty so underrated?
In November the leaf is pretty when it falls
The stream grows deep in the woods after rain
And in the pretty pool the pike stalks

He stalks his prey, and this is pretty too,
The prey escapes with an underwater flash
But not for long, the great fish has him now
The pike is a fish who always has his prey

And this is pretty. The water rat is pretty
His paws are not webbed, he cannot shut his nostrils
As the otter can and the beaver, he is torn between
The land and water, Not “torn,”he does not mind.

The owl hunts in the evening and it is pretty
The lake water below him rustles with ice
There is frost coming from the ground, in the air mist
All this is pretty, it could not be prettier.

Yes, it could always be prettier, the eye abashes
It is becoming an eye that cannot see enough,
Out of the wood the eye climbs. This is prettier
A field in the evening, tilting up.

The field tilts to the sky. Though it is late
The sky is lighter than the hill field
All this looks easy but really it is extraordinary
Well, it is extraordinary to be so pretty.

And it is careless, and that is always pretty
This field, this owl, this pike, this pool are careless,
As Nature is always careless and indifferent
Who sees, who steps, means nothing, and this is pretty.

So a person can come along like a thief—pretty!—
Stealing a look, pinching the sound and feel,
Lick the icicle broken from the bank
And still say nothing at all, only cry pretty.

Cry pretty, pretty, pretty and you'll be able
Very soon not even to cry pretty
And so be delivered entirely from humanity
This is prettiest of all, it is very pretty.