蔗尾蜂房

[噢，哈巴狗！]
寫給伯朗氏的哈巴狗，趴坐在我腿上，在他們車中，從諾弗克返家的路上
--Stevie Smith

噢，哈巴狗，有些人不喜歡你，
但我喜歡你，
有些人說你不會呼吸，只會打鼾，
但我不介意，
某人說他總覺得你的背面很礙眼，
可這是你的錯嗎？

你的家人愛你，
你的主人家中每一個人
都愛你：好哈巴，他們喊著，快樂的哈巴，
哈巴—來—去—散歨。

現在你是條老狗了
你這一輩子
從沒惹過任何亂子，
可是，
在你的大眼睛裡
那一對水亮突出的眼球裡，
藏著巨大焦慮感的陰影。在那個地方
到處都是恐慌。

好，好，我懂，
當你的女主人跟你在一起，
當你的男主人
把你抱在他腿上，
在這段時刻，
你幾乎不會受驚嚇。

但你在內心深處仍恐慌著，你總是這樣。

噢，哈巴狗，又老又頑固的神經崩潰了，
被這麼多的愛包圍著，
又如此舒坦，
但仍覺得不安而心驚膽戰，

你可真是令人放心不下！




[O Pug!]
To the Brownes' pug dog, on my lap, in their car, coming home from Norfolk.

O Pug, some people do not like you,
But I like you,
Some people say you do not breathe, you snore,
I don’t mind,
One person says he is always conscious of your behind,
Is that your fault?

Your own people love you,
All the people in the family that owns you
Love you: Good pug, they cry, Happy pug,
Pug-come-for-a-walk.

You are an old dog now
And in all your life
You have never had cause for a moment anxiety,
Yet,
In those great eyes of yours,
Those liquid and protuberant orbs,
Lies the shadow of immense insecurity. There
Panic walks.

Yes, yes, I know,
When your mistress is with you,
When your master
Takes you upon his lap,
Just then, for a moment,
Almost you are not frightened.

But at heart you are frightened, you always have been.

O Pug, obstinate old nervous breakdown,
In the midst of so much love,
And such comfort,
Still to feel unsafe and be afraid,

How one heart goes out to you!