回家路上（史蒂文斯）

回家路上（史蒂文斯）
2010-11-17 23:45:45

当我说，
“没有真理，”
葡萄就显得更肥美了。
狐狸从洞里跑出来。

你呢……你说，
“有许多真理，
可它们并非一个真理的各部分。”
这时候夜晚的树就开始变幻，

从绿色里吐出蓝的烟雾。
我们是树林中的两个人影。
我们说，我们独自站在那儿。

当我说，
“语言并非一个字的各种形式。
在部分的总和里，仍然只有部分。世界只能用眼睛量”；

当你说，
“偶像们见过太多贫穷，
太多蛇，金子和虱子，
却未曾见过真理”；

这时候，寂静就变得最大，最长，夜晚变得最圆，
秋的气息就最温暖，
最切近，也最浓烈。


On the Road Home

It was when I said,
"There is no such thing as the truth,"
That the grapes seemed fatter.
The fox ran out of his hole.

You. . . You said,
"There are many truths,
But they are not parts of a truth."
Then the tree, at night, began to change,

Smoking through green and smoking blue.
We were two figures in a wood.
We said we stood alone.

It was when I said,
"Words are not forms of a single word.
In the sum of the parts, there are only the parts. The world must be measured by eye";

It was when you said,
"The idols have seen lots of poverty,
Snakes and gold and lice,
But not the truth";

It was at that time, that the silence was largest And longest, the night was roundest,
The fragments of the autumn warmest,
Closest and strongest.



　　这首诗的结构是这样：两个人，“你”和“我”，分别说了两段话。四段话在形式上是对称的。
　　
　　前两段两个人只谈真理，说法互相矛盾：我说没有真理，你说有真理而真理不可拆。
　　
　　后两段引入了人的度量，就没有矛盾了：我说世界只能被人来度量，而度量（语言）不可合；你说人的度量都不是真理。
　　
　　结论则是这样：真理超越了人，从人的角度看，有没有真理没什么两样。正是在这个最接近家（人境）的地方，寂静变得最漫长。
　　
　　一首诗竟然有了结论，实在很不像话。史蒂文斯的诗常常思想多于感受，与其说是诗，不如说是哲学。不过既然有写得云缠雾绕的哲学书，那么有如此逻辑顺畅结构整齐的诗也没什么奇怪吧……