穿過奇幻綿延的佈景

The stage is poised,

回到幽暗起伏的後台

a dim, hilly backdrop,

戲劇性的弦樂在蜿蜒山路

the strings dramatically ascending a mountain path,

轉移過一段又一段彎路

one bend after another.

戛然靜止中看見了隱沒的機關

Sudden silence, white light

直至白光忽然照亮一切

bursting onto everything,

顯露的事物明亮中再次隱沒

then the visible slowly emerging,

只聽見木板上的足音

and footsteps on a wooden floor,

像Bartók的音樂

just as in Bartók’s music.

《神奇官員》改換了背景

The Miraculous Mandarin,

荒誕的故事在亞洲發生

no less absurd set in Asia.

才能在作者的本國演出

Bartók gathered country ballads

Bartók收集遺忘的民謠

for his own inner darkness,

創作出心中的幽暗

rage leaping against grace

優美中按捺不住狂怒

before collapsing to serenity,

又忽然平靜起來

like a madman hiding his illness

像掩飾病情的精神病患

but tossing the doctor in the sea.

捆綁了醫生拋入大海

Where lies the miracle?

有什麼神奇的事掩映明滅

In Two Pictures, long ago

在很久以前的《兩幅圖畫》裏

petals surrender to the breeze,

微風中的花卉一瓣一瓣地開展

each opening, changing,

輕柔的舒張逐漸改變自己

touched by the first stroke of sunlight,

成長的形態在優美挺立中憂傷

their gestures elegant but sad,

收容初生陽光只疏落的一束

speaking the secrets of bud and wither.

照在隱秘的房子裏潛藏能量

At the moment silence descends,

開列一個一個生長與凋萎的名堂

quick steps of the peasant dance,

一刻眾聲俱寂之後

the partners changing, whirling,

鄉村中急見快速舞步

half-lit, faceless.

眾人互換時隱時現的舞伴

微暗中繼續旋轉下去