最後的姿態 約翰·蒙塔格（試譯：淺白）
回憶瑪莉·歐米拉
當他母親死去時，
她面容淡漠，即使
身受鉅大痛苦，她鄙夷
一切虛妄的慰藉——
我完了，她重複着
說，只想着那個
她已照顧了
一整輩子的男人，躺在
醫院裏，當她
慢慢地徂逝，
再也無力慰解；
不再是他的女人，
甚至不再是人。
在他被抬走
之前，他再次
行去那口井邊，艱難地
給她斟了一缾罐
新鮮的泉水——
她多日來第一次的飲食。
她嘗過，發覺它
清甜且森涼，帶着
一種線索與氣息
——是從那辛刺的金屬味裏
滲透出來的
鮮新；並讚許
他那最後的舉動，
說道，他是對的；
那種甜確實讓我好了些。
15/12/2024初稿
A Last Gesture
By John Montague (from his 1984 collection The Dead Kingdom)
I.M. Mary O’Meara*
When his mother died,
her face calm, despite
great pain, she scorned
any false consolation—
I’m done, she repeated,
thinking only of the man
she had looked after
all their life, lying
in hospital, while she
drifted slowly down,
powerless to comfort,
no longer his woman,
resigning the human.
Before he was taken
away, he went again
to the well, laboriously
fetching her a can
of fresh spring water.
Her first food for days,
she found it tasted
sweet and chill, with
a trail and smell of
green seeping through
the acrid tinge
of metal. And praised
his last gesture,
saying, he was right:
its sweetness did me good.
*Montague’s aunt
回憶瑪莉·歐米拉
當他母親死去時，
她面容淡漠，即使
身受鉅大痛苦，她鄙夷
一切虛妄的慰藉——
我完了，她重複着
說，只想着那個
她已照顧了
一整輩子的男人，躺在
醫院裏，當她
慢慢地徂逝，
再也無力慰解；
不再是他的女人，
甚至不再是人。
在他被抬走
之前，他再次
行去那口井邊，艱難地
給她斟了一缾罐
新鮮的泉水——
她多日來第一次的飲食。
她嘗過，發覺它
清甜且森涼，帶着
一種線索與氣息
——是從那辛刺的金屬味裏
滲透出來的
鮮新；並讚許
他那最後的舉動，
說道，他是對的；
那種甜確實讓我好了些。
15/12/2024初稿
A Last Gesture
By John Montague (from his 1984 collection The Dead Kingdom)
I.M. Mary O’Meara*
When his mother died,
her face calm, despite
great pain, she scorned
any false consolation—
I’m done, she repeated,
thinking only of the man
she had looked after
all their life, lying
in hospital, while she
drifted slowly down,
powerless to comfort,
no longer his woman,
resigning the human.
Before he was taken
away, he went again
to the well, laboriously
fetching her a can
of fresh spring water.
Her first food for days,
she found it tasted
sweet and chill, with
a trail and smell of
green seeping through
the acrid tinge
of metal. And praised
his last gesture,
saying, he was right:
its sweetness did me good.
*Montague’s aunt
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