丢勒一定发现了

Dürer would have seen a reason for living

在这样一个小镇生活的理由，在八条搁浅的

in a town like this, with eight stranded whales

鲸鱼身上；在晴天，涌入房间的

to look at; with the sweet sea air coming into your house

新鲜海洋空气中；在雕刻着

on a fine day, from water etched

鱼鳞似波浪的

with waves as formal as the scales

水面上。

on a fish.

海鸥三三两两，绕着镇上的钟楼

One by one in two's and three's, the seagulls keep

盘旋，

flying back and forth over the town clock,

或者在灯塔附近滑翔，翅膀一动不动——

or sailing around the lighthouse without moving their wings --

身体微微颤动， 

rising steadily with a slight

平稳地升高——或者，只是聚在一起

quiver of the body -- or flock

咪咪叫唤，

mewing where

海洋那孔雀颈羽似的紫

a sea the purple of the peacock's neck is

正在逐渐变淡，变成泛绿的蔚蓝色，如同丢勒

paled to greenish azure as Dürer changed

将特里尔的松绿变成孔雀蓝和珍珠鸡似的

the pine green of the Tyrol to peacock blue and guinea

灰。你能看见一只二十五磅重的

gray. You can see a twenty-five-

龙虾；以及正在晾晒的

pound lobster; and fish nets arranged

鱼网。暴风雨喧嚣的锣鼓

to dry. The

吹弯了盐沼地上的

whirlwind fife-and-drum of the storm bends the salt

草，弄乱了天上的星星和尖塔上的

marsh grass, disturbs stars in the sky and the

星星；看见这么多混乱

star on the steeple; it is a privilege to see so

是一种荣幸。对立

much confusion. Disguised by what

成就了美。雾

might seem the opposite, the sea-

留恋着

side flowers and

海边的花和树，让你的视线

trees are favored by the fog so that you have

有了回旋之地：喇叭藤，

the tropics first hand: the trumpet-vine,

酒壶花，高大的金鱼草，长满斑点和斜纹的

fox-glove, giant snap-dragon, a salpiglossis that has

蛾蝶花；牵牛，葫芦，

spots and stripes; morning-glories, gourds,

或者后门外

or moon-vines trained on fishing-twine

与钓鱼绳纠缠的月藤；

at the back door;

狼尾草，菖蒲，蓝莓，紫露，

cat-tails, flags, blueberries and spiderwort,

斑纹草，青苔，太阳花，紫苑和雏菊——

striped grass, lichens, sunflowers, asters, daisies --

黄色的蟹爪，如衣衫褴褛的海员，佩戴着绿色的花蕾——，

yellow and crab-claw ragged sailors with green bracts -- toad-plant,

矮牵牛，蕨；粉色的百合，蓝色的

petunias, ferns; pink lilies, blue

老虎花；罂粟；黑豌豆。

ones, tigers; poppies; black sweet-peas.

这里的气候

The climate

不适宜榕树，鸡蛋花，或

is not right for the banyan, frangipani, or

菠萝蜜；也不适宜

jack-fruit trees; or for exotic serpent

外来的蛇。你看见的，只是蜥蜴和它褪下的皮；

life. Ring lizard and snake-skin for the foot, if you see fit;

人们依靠猫，而不是眼镜蛇

but here they've cats, not cobras, to

来捕捉老鼠。这里

keep down the rats. The diffident

生长着

little newt

胆怯的小蝾螈，它们黑色的飘带上妆点着

with white pin-dots on black horizontal spaced-

白色小圆点；没有什么 

out bands lives here; yet there is nothing that

能被野心收买或带走。名叫安伯罗斯的大学生

ambition can buy or take away. The college student

带着他的外文书和帽子，

named Ambrose sits on the hillside

坐在山坡上， 

with his not-native books and hat

欣赏海上的航船

and sees boats

划破白色的巨浪，好像行驶在

at sea progress white and rigid as if in

深沟中。他喜欢一种

a groove. Liking an elegance of which

并非源于虚饰的优雅，深知木板叠构而成的

the sourch is not bravado, he knows by heart the antique

古式糖碗形的

sugar-bowl shaped summer-house of

凉亭，和教堂的

interlacing slats, and the pitch

尖顶

of the church

并不可靠，一个穿红色衣服的男人 

spire, not true, from which a man in scarlet lets

悬挂在一根绳子上，像一只吐丝的蜘蛛；

down a rope as a spider spins a thread;

他也许是一篇小说中的人物，但是人行道上的一幅

he might be part of a novel, but on the sidewalk a

白底黑字的告示写着：C. J.普勒，

sign says C. J. Poole, Steeple Jack,

尖塔修理工；一幅

in black and white; and one in red

白底红字的告示写着：

and white says

危险。教堂的门廊有四根长笛似的

Danger. The church portico has four fluted

柱子，每一根都嵌在一块独立的基石中，

columns, each a single piece of stone, made

被水洗得发白，显得更拙朴。那里

modester by white-wash. Theis would be a fit haven for

为流浪汉，孩子，动物，囚犯 

waifs, children, animals, prisoners,

以及通过遗忘

and presidents who have repaid

报复了心怀鬼胎的参议员们的

sin-driven

总统，提供了一个合适的避风港。小镇上

senators by not thinking about them. The

有一所学校，一个设在百货店里的

place has a school-house, a post-office in a

邮局，渔房，鸡场，木制的三桅

store, fish-houses, hen-houses, a three-masted schooner on

大帆船。英雄，学生， 

the stocks. The hero, the student,

尖塔修理工，每个人都走在回家的

the steeple-jack, each in his way,

路上。

is at home.

居住在这样一个小镇，

It could not be dangerous to be living

这样一群朴素的人中，不可能有什么危险， 

in a town like this, of simple people,

他们有一个尖塔修理工，在教堂上发送危险信号，

who have a steeple-jack placing danger signs by the church

他正在给塔顶的星星镀金，

while he is gilding the solid-

这星星在尖塔上

pointed star, which on a steeple

代表着希望。

stands for hope.