The stage is poised,

穿過奇幻綿延的佈景

a dim, hilly backdrop,

回到幽暗起伏的後台

the strings dramatically ascending a mountain path,

戲劇性的弦樂在蜿蜒山路

one bend after another.

轉移過一段又一段彎路

Sudden silence, white light

戛然靜止中看見了隱沒的機關

bursting onto everything,

直至白光忽然照亮一切

then the visible slowly emerging,

顯露的事物明亮中再次隱沒

and footsteps on a wooden floor,

只聽見木板上的足音

just as in Bartók’s music.

像Bartók的音樂

The Miraculous Mandarin,

《神奇官員》改換了背景

no less absurd set in Asia.

荒誕的故事在亞洲發生

Bartók gathered country ballads

才能在作者的本國演出

for his own inner darkness,

Bartók收集遺忘的民謠

rage leaping against grace

創作出心中的幽暗

before collapsing to serenity,

優美中按捺不住狂怒

like a madman hiding his illness

又忽然平靜起來

but tossing the doctor in the sea.

像掩飾病情的精神病患

捆綁了醫生拋入大海

Where lies the miracle?

In Two Pictures, long ago

有什麼神奇的事掩映明滅

petals surrender to the breeze,

在很久以前的《兩幅圖畫》裏

each opening, changing,

微風中的花卉一瓣一瓣地開展

touched by the first stroke of sunlight,

輕柔的舒張逐漸改變自己

their gestures elegant but sad,

成長的形態在優美挺立中憂傷

speaking the secrets of bud and wither.

收容初生陽光只疏落的一束

At the moment silence descends,

照在隱秘的房子裏潛藏能量

quick steps of the peasant dance,

開列一個一個生長與凋萎的名堂

the partners changing, whirling,

一刻眾聲俱寂之後

half-lit, faceless.

鄉村中急見快速舞步

眾人互換時隱時現的舞伴

微暗中繼續旋轉下去