空公寓之貓《Cat in an Empty Apartment》
英譯：Dr. Cavanagh and Mr. Baranczak
中譯：invitroIsland International
http://invitroisland.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-post_03.html
死去－－你不能這樣對待一隻貓。
因為一隻貓能夠在
空空的公寓裡做甚麼呢？
爬牆？
磨蹭家具？
這兒看起來沒甚麼不一樣，
但沒甚麼是一樣的了。
沒有甚麼被移動過，
但是空間卻變多了。
而夜裡沒有被點亮的檯燈了。
Die --- you can't do that to a cat.
Since what can a cat do
in an empty apartment?
Climb the walls?
Rub up against the furniture?
Nothing seems different here,
but nothing is the same.
Nothing has been moved,
but there's more space.
And at nighttime no lamps are lit.
樓梯上有腳印，
卻是新的腳印。
那隻把魚放在托盤上的手，
也變了一隻。
Footsteps on the staircase,
but they're new ones.
The hand that puts fish on the saucer
has changed, too.
有些事不再依以前的
時間開始了。
有些順理成章的事
不再發生了。
曾經有些人總是，總是在這兒，
忽然間消失了，
而且固執地一直消失。
Something doesn't start
at its usual time.
Something doesn't happen
as it should.
Someone was always, always here,
then suddenly disappeared
and stubbornly stays disappeared.
每個衣櫥都被檢查過了。
每個架子都被探索過了。
地毯下的挖掘一無所獲。
有個規矩甚至被打破了，
紙張散落四方。
還有甚麼能夠做的。
就是睡覺跟等待。
Every closet has been examined.
Every shelf has been explored.
Excavations under the carpet turned up nothing.
A commandment was even broken,
papers scattered everywhere.
What remains to be done.
Just sleep and wait.
就等到他出現，
就讓他自己露面。
他會不會學到教訓
不能對貓做出甚麼事。
躡近他的身旁
好像不情願似的
慢條斯理
擺明被冒犯一般 踩移著貓爪
不雀躍也不歡叫
起碼在伊始的時候
Just wait till he turns up,
just let him show his face.
Will he ever get a lesson
on what not to do to a cat.
Sidle toward him
as if unwilling
and ever so slow
on visibly offended paws,
and no leaps or squeals at least to start.
--
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