【九点英语】写给父亲的散文诗

 正文

Yesterday

by W. S. Merwin

My friend says I was not a good son
you understand
I say yes I understand
一个朋友说我不是个好儿子
你明白的
我说是的我明白

he says I did not go
to see my parents very often you know
and I say yes I know
他说我并没有经常去
看看我的父母你知道的
我说是的我知道

even when I was living in the same city he says
maybe I would go there once
a month or maybe even less
I say oh yes
即使当我跟他们同住在一个城市时他说
也许我一个月
甚至更长时间才去看他们一次
我说嗯是的

he says the last time I went to see my father
I say the last time I saw my father
他说上次我去见我父亲
我说上次我见到我父亲

he says the last time I saw my father
he was asking me about my life
how I was making out and he
went into the next room
to get something to give me
他说上次我见到我父亲
他一边问我过得怎么样
问我奋斗得怎么样他一边
走进隔壁房间
去拿点什么东西送给我

oh I say
feeling again the cold
of my father’s hand the last time
he says and my father turned
in the doorway and saw me
look at my wristwatch and he
said you know I would like you to stay
and talk with me
嗯我说
又一次感觉到我父亲手上的
寒冷，最后一次
他说，我父亲
转向门口，他看见我
在看手表，于是他
说你知道的，我很希望你能多待一会
跟我聊聊

oh yes I say
嗯是的我说

but if you are busy he said
I don’t want you to feel that you
have to
just because I’m here
不过要是你忙他说
我不希望你觉得你
就非得待着
就因为我在这儿

I say nothing
我什么都没说

he says my father
said maybe
you have important work you are doing
or maybe you should be seeing
somebody I don’t want to keep you
他说我父亲
说也许
你有正经事情要去做
或者你要去见
什么人我不想留着你

I look out the window
my friend is older than I am
he says and I told my father it was so
and I got up and left him then
you know
我望向窗外
这个朋友比我年长
他说，于是我告诉我父亲确实如此
然后我就起身丢下了他
你知道

though there was nowhere I had to go
and nothing I had to do
只是我并没有什么地方要去
并没有什么事要做

作者及诗歌简介

W·S·默温是1927年出生的诗人。早在大学读书期间就开始其诗人生涯，处女诗集《门神的面具》被奥顿选入耶鲁青年诗人丛书。

他的诗作貌似松散、甚至神秘，他善于用闪忽的、蜻蜓点水的语言将自然和日常经验上升到一个更高的、扑朔迷离的境界中去。

结尾曲选用了由董玉方作词，许飞作曲，李健翻唱《父亲写的散文诗》，来追寻父辈记忆。这首歌将父亲对子女的爱与责任，以及子女在察觉时间流逝、父亲已老的无奈诠释得丝丝入扣。

封面图和文章插图你猜都是谁呢~