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本诗刊载于New Yorker(September 24, 2007).
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Resignation 甘受

by J. D. McClatchy J.D.麦克莱齐

Here the oak and silver-breasted birches
这里，橡树和银色的白桦
Stand in their sweet familiarity
相敬如宾地站立着。
While underground, as in a black mirror,
而地下，则如在黑镜*当中，
They have concealed their tangled grievances,
掩藏着他们纠缠的幽怨。
Identical to the branching calm above
有如那枝桠之间的宁静，
But there ensnared, each with the others’ hold
却盘根错节，死死攫住彼此：
On what gives life to which is brutal enough.
唯强悍的才能贯通生命之源。
Still, in the air, none tries to keep company
空气中，依然，谁也无意向谁靠拢，
Or change its fortune. They seem to lean
也不想把命运改变。仿佛他们靠着
On the light, unconcerned with what the world
阳光生活，不在乎这世界如何看待
Makes of their decencies, and will not show
他们相对的态度，也不会显露
A jealous purchase on their length of days.
各自对生命长短的计较与贪图。
To never having been loved as they wanted
渴望、应得的那份爱不曾拥有，
Or deserved, to anyone’s sudden infatuation
痴狂的冲动又让彼此伤筋动骨，
Gouged into their sides, to all they are forced
还有那不得已必须掩藏的种种，
To shelter and to hide, they have resigned themselves.
这一切他们都已经学会承受。

* 注：黑镜，亦称“克劳德镜”(Claude glass)，是一种小型、便携的暗色凸透镜。18世纪后半叶观光客与画家常以之取景。方法是：取景人背朝景物，手执黑镜反照欲取之景。据说，由此所得之镜像能够呈现景物光线、色泽的丰富层次，并营造出一种”如画”(picturesque)的艺术感。