1. Specimen
1.標本
Even dead, it retains the attitude of flight
它把飛翔的姿態一直保持到死後
not a thought in its tiny head
它的小腦瓜裏什麼都沒有
How odd death’s not dimmed these feathers’ azure
我驚訝於它羽毛的蔚藍並未隨死亡而改變
as if still crossing fields, or mountains like palaces of glass
彷彿它依然活在山野中的玻璃宮殿
It would not choose
要是它能夠選擇，它不會讓你
to abandon the sweet musks of autumn, the murmurs of creeks
在它的軀體裏塞滿棉花
or let you stuff its body with cotton
它是被迫告別腐葉的氣味、溪水的淙淙
When its song stopped it entered eternity
它停止歌唱，卻因此進入了永恆
2. Invention
2.發明
Each invention makes us look like Superman:
每一項發明都使我們看起來好像超人：
bullets kill the beasts we fear,
子彈殺死了我們懼怕的野獸，望遠鏡裏
binoculars unveil the private, timeless flirtations of men and women
出現了一個男人和一個女人的古老的調情
as we lurk in the dark like jungle warriors
我們躲在暗處，好像叢林戰士
If each invention minimizes our position
每一項發明都把我們推向更加不起眼的位置
don’t we live better
但我們有能力活得更好
minting coins that buy less
比如造出更多更不值錢的硬幣
crossing oceans our ancestors never could
比如駕船駛向我們祖先從未到達過的海域
3. Sincere Advice
3.忠告
An unshaven tough guy is not necessarily evil
一個鬍子拉碴的大男人並不一定兇狠
A trim and tidy little fellow not necessarily kind
一個白白淨淨的小男人並不一定溫柔
No need to be the fairest princess on the planet
你不一定是天底下最美麗的公主
Your smiling father might be more vulgar than celebrity gossip
你那慈祥的老父親或許比花邊新聞更庸俗
yet a headsman may love deeply his son and daughter
但劊子手也會深愛他的兒女
Rationalists might entertain fantasies
就像唯物論者也會有狂想
but if chasing the soul is one trap for the irrational
而你若探求靈魂你就會陷入最大的非理性
ignoring it is no small error
而你若對靈魂漠不關心你也就只有點小聰明
4. Calculation
4.計算
a. A village has only one chair—how so?
a.一座村莊只有一把椅子——怎麼可能？
b. Five pianos played simultaneously by one man—impossible?
b.五架鋼琴由一個人彈奏——怎麼可能？
c. Leaves imitate leaves, countlessly.
c.樹葉模仿樹葉——樹葉是太多了。
d. Too many people see others as hostile but march toward the same grave.
d.太多的人相互敵視，卻走進同一座墳穴。
e. From me to you means from one to many.
e.從我到你，就是從一到無數。
f. One heart is not limited to one man.
f.而一顆心不止只配一個人。
g. Two seeing each from afar only see the other.
g.相互眺望的兩個人各自只能看到對方。
h. You can’t walk in four directions at once.
h.你不可能同時朝四個方向走去。
5. Reading Death
5.閱讀死亡
Each book, each story, I foresee a death
一本書，一個故事，我預料這其中必有死亡
as if I myself must die
好像我自己必將死在這故事當中
No needless characters, no pointless paths
沒有多餘的人物，沒有不相交的道路
In some alley or room, a coffin awaits,
在某條小巷或某個房間，一口棺材已經備好
rain or lamplight foretelling
雨水、燈光，都是伏筆
Death’s certainty compels me
必然的死亡把我逼向無奈
toward the end I anticipate: how I grow
但這正是我所預料的結局：我目睹它
ruthless and strong, merely to survive it
我變得殘忍或堅強為了活在故事之外