A Man and a Woman Sit Near Each Other
A Man and a Woman Sit Near Each Other
Robert Bly
A man and a woman sit near each other, and they do not long
at this moment to be older, or younger, nor born
in any other nation, or time, or place.
They are content to be where they are, talking or not-talking.
Their breaths together feed someone whom we do not know.
The man sees the way his fingers move;
he sees her hands close around a book she hands to him.
They obey a third body that they share in common.
They have made a promise to love the body.
Age may come, parting may come, death will come.
A man and a woman sit near each other;
as they breathe they feed someone we do not know,
someone we know of, whom we have never seen.
一男一女促膝而坐
羅伯特·勃萊
一男一女促膝而坐，這樣的時刻
他們不會渴求更老或更加年輕，抑或
生在另一個國度、另一個時間或地點。
他們心滿意足于此情此景，無論交談或者沉默。
他倆的呼吸共同為某個我們所不識的人提供養分。
那個男人看著他手指動彈的樣子；
他看到她的雙手圍攏著一本遞過來的書。
他們服從著他們共享的另一個身體。
他們早就作出承諾：愛這身體。
年齡不會去，分離會到來，死亡終會降臨。
一男一女這樣促膝而坐：
他們呼吸時，為我們所不識的人提供養分，
某個我們知道但卻從未見面的人。