感怀蜗牛:从容中的激情
Considering the Snail by Thom Gunn The snail pushes through a green night, for the grass is heavy with water and meets over the bright path he makes, where rain has darkened the earth's dark. He moves in a wood of desire, pale antlers barely stirring as he hunts. I cannot tell what power is at work, drenched there with purpose, knowing nothing. What is a snail's fury? All I think is that if later I parted the blades above the tunnel and saw the thin trail of broken white across litter, I would never have imagined the slow passion to that deliberate progress. 蜗牛感怀 蜗牛用触角推进墨绿色的 夜晚,因为草叶上湿漉漉 沾满水珠,耷拉着交织在 它推出的明亮小径,雨在上面 使大地的昏暗更加昏暗。它 在欲望之林中缓缓蠕动。 它捕食时,苍白的触角 几乎不动。我无法说出 什么力量起作用,在那里 浸透于百思不解的思绪中。 蜗牛的愤懑何在?我仅仅 这样遐想:即使稍后一些时候 我拨开蜗牛爬过的路上的叶片, 但见它留下的细细痕迹 粘着破碎的白色微粒,穿过 垃圾碎屑,那我也难以想像 伴随它从容前进的 徐迟缓慢的激情。 注:这首诗发表于1956年。就其主题而言,本诗并非特别地具有“现代性”,因为它只是通过对蜗牛世界中蜗牛力量的描绘来阐明想像的作用。这种作用与华兹华斯《咏水仙》中的inward eye不无相似之处,而本诗中那蜗牛的“力量”也可以说是在“空漠”的“心灵”中所闪现的一种景象。 |