Dante on a two Euro coin

（一枚鑄有但丁頭像的兩歐元硬幣）

In his Monarchia, Dante did not predict a two Euro coin stamped with his portrait. This shows humility.

但丁在有關「世界帝國」的方案裏忘記了設計這種鑄有但丁頭像的兩歐元硬幣。由此可見但丁是一個多麼謙虛的人。

In Italy, two Euros buy a medium ice cream cone; in China a 250-page book or 5 packs of 0.8mg Zhongnanhai cigarettes.

兩歐元在意大利可以買到一支中號冰激淩，在中國可以買到一冊250頁的書或半條0.8mg的「中南海」香煙。

With his head on a coin, Dante becomes a quantum: this item is worth a Dante, that is not.

但丁的頭像被鑄到硬幣上，於是但丁變成一個量：這東西值一個但丁，那東西不值一個但丁。

But in fact only the Dante expelled from Florence in 1302 is worth a Dante.

但事實上，只有1302年被從佛羅倫薩趕出去的那個但丁才值一個但丁。

So many pinch a Dante between two fingers, among whom must be Dante’s descendants, or even Dante reincarnated. Some recognize Dante on the coin, some don’t.

無數人捏著但丁，其中肯定包括但丁的後人，或者也包括了死後又投胎轉世回到這個世界上的但丁。有人在硬幣上認出他來，有人沒有認出。

Moving so unhappily place to place, Dante could hardly imagine leaving himself in banks, shops, vending machines, payphones.

但丁不會想到自己會把自己留在了銀行裏、商店裏、自動售貨機裏、公用電話的投幣箱裏，並且不得不快樂地在這些地方之間跑來跑去。

Dante may not have mentioned “joy” in the Inferno, or simply forgot to trace sin’s path from joy to hell’s nine levels.

但丁在《地獄篇》裏可能因為疏忽而沒有寫到「快樂」，或者說，但丁忘了談一談那九層地獄中諸般罪過與「快樂」的關係。

Dante couldn’t guess how the greedy would find his face a proper object of worship.

但丁沒有想到，在他身後，拜金主義者們有了體面的崇拜對象：但丁。

Though he described a much better place in Paradiso, few now consider heaven’s benefits.

而他在《天堂篇》裏寫的是一個比這世界好得多的地方，儘管這世上很多人其實對那個世界裏的諸般好處不以為然。

In Dante’s paradise they don’t use the two Euro Dante. Here we buy and donate with his image, but hardly in his name.

天堂裏不使用鑄有但丁頭像的兩歐元硬幣，那和但丁有關。我們以但丁的名義購買和施捨，這和但丁無關。