試譯：〈早上，思考着帝國〉 瑞蒙·卡佛【Morning, Thinking of Empire－Raymond Carver】

 〈早上，思考着帝國〉　　瑞蒙·卡佛（試譯：淺白）
 
我們讓口唇呡上杯沿的瓷釉
而清楚曉得，這漾在咖啡面的油脂層
將在某天終止我們的心跳。目光隨手指
落到實質並非是銀器的銀器上。窗的外面
海浪擊打着這舊城削損的牆垣
你從粗糙的桌布上提起手
像正欲有所預言。你的雙唇顫抖……
我想說，管它見鬼吧將來
我們的未來深藏在此一下午裏
那是一條逼仄的街道，有一架拉車和車伕
該車伕看見我們，稍為遲疑
接着又自顧自搖了搖頭。與此同時
我冷然敲裂了一隻好看的萊亨雞蛋
你的眼神轉濛。你將視線移離我，轉身，
越過屋脊，看向背後的大海。甚至連蒼蠅也凝止不動。
我敲裂另一隻蛋
無疑我們已減損彼此了
 
10/5/2022初稿
 

Morning, Thinking of Empire 

by Raymond Carver
 
We press our lips to the enameled rim of the cups
and know this grease that floats
over the coffee will one day stop our hearts.
Eyes and fingers drop onto silverware
that is not silverware. Outside the window, waves
beat against the chipped walls of the old city.
Your hands rise from the rough tablecloth
as if to prophesy. Your lips tremble...
I want to say to hell with the future.
Our future lies deep in the afternoon.
It is a narrow street with a cart and driver,
a driver who looks at us and hesitates,
then shakes his head. Meanwhile,
I coolly crack the egg of a fine Leghorn chicken.
Your eyes film. You turn from me and look across
the rooftops at the sea. Even the flies are still.
I crack the other egg.
Surely we have diminished one another.

試譯：〈喝酒，於駕車之際〉 瑞蒙．卡佛【Drinking While Driving－Raymond Carver】

喝酒，於駕車之際　　瑞蒙·卡佛（試譯：淺白）
 
已經是八月了而我半年
也未看過一本書──除了
那點由考蘭庫爾所寫，叫甚麼*
「自莫斯科撤退」的東西。
不管如何，我是快樂的
和我兄弟同坐一車
嗒着一品脫的老鴉威士忌
我們沒甚麼地方打算去
我們只是開着車
若我閉眼一分鐘
我將不知葬身何處──但
我便能快慰的躺下，在這路邊
永久地眠睡下去……
我兄弟輕推了我一下
現在任一分鐘，也隨時會有事發生
 
1/2/2022稿
 
*Armand de Caulaincourt
 
Drinking While Driving by Raymond Carver
 
It's August and I have not
Read a book in six months
except something called The Retreat from Moscow
by Caulaincourt
Nevertheless, I am happy
Riding in a car with my brother
and drinking from a pint of Old Crow.
We do not have any place in mind to go,
we are just driving.
If I closed my eyes for a minute
I would be lost, yet
I could gladly lie down and sleep forever
beside this road
My brother nudges me.
Any minute now, something will happen.

圖片源自網絡。

試譯：〈一天中最好的時刻〉 瑞蒙．卡佛【The Best Time Of The Day－Raymond Carver】

〈一天中最好的時刻〉　瑞蒙·卡佛（試譯：淺白）

夏日的涼夜

窗打開

燈燃着

水果在碗裏

而你頭靠在我的肩上。這些

一天中最快樂的時刻

自然，是稍遜於清晨時候

還有那午飯前的頃暫

迺至下午、以及

那傍晚初臨

如許種種時分的。

但我確實鍾愛

這些夏夜

我猜想。尤甚於

別的其他時刻：

日頭工作已然做完

而無人能接觸我們，在目下

或者以後
 
19/1/2022稿
 
The Best Time Of The Day
By Raymond Carver
 
Cool summer nights.
Windows open.
Lamps burning.
Fruit in the bowl.
And your head on my shoulder.
These the happiest moments in the day.
 
Next to the early morning hours,
of course. And the time
just before lunch.
And the afternoon, and
early evening hours.
But I do love
 
these summer nights.
Even more, I think,
than those other times.
The work finished for the day.
And no one who can reach us now.
Or ever.

圖片源自網絡。

試譯：〈夜校〉（部分）【Night School－Raymond Carver】 江離

試譯：〈夜校〉（部分）－瑞蒙·卡佛　　　江離　
 
我的婚姻剛剛破裂。我一份工作也找不到。我有了另一個女友，但她眼下不在城裏。故此我去了一間酒吧，點了杯啤酒。兩個女人坐在數張凳子開外，而其中一個開始跟我搭話。

「你有車嗎？」
 
「有，但不在這兒。」我說。
 
車在妻子那裏。我住在父母家，有時也會用他們的車。但今晚我是走路過來的。
 
另一個女人看着我。她倆約略四十歲左右吧，也許實際上還老一點。
 
「你問了他甚麼？」那女人對第一個女人說。
 
「我問他有沒有車子。」
 
「那你有車子嗎？」那女人問我。
 
「我說過了。有，但不在身邊。」我說。
 
「那可不是無濟於事嗎？」她說。
 
第一個女人笑了起來。「我們剛有了個想法，但需要輛車子才能成事。也太不巧了。」她轉過頭，向酒保要多了兩杯啤酒。
 
我本是一直在小口啜着啤酒的，這時將它一口乾掉，想著她倆或會請我一輪。但她們沒有。
 
「你是幹啥的？」第一個女人問我。
 
「目前嘛，啥都沒在幹，」我說。「有時候，當我能夠時，我會上學。」
 
「他會上學，」她對另一個女人說，「他是個學生。你在哪裏上學？」
 
「附近，」我說。
 
「早說了吧，」那女人說，「他不就像個學生嗎？」
 
「他們在教你什麼？」第二個女人說。
 
「什麼也教。」我說。
 
「我意思是，」她說，「你是打算做甚麼的？你的人生大目標是什麼？人人都有那麼一兩個人生大目標。」
 
我向酒保舉了舉空杯子。他拿了過去又給我斟了一杯。我數出一些零錢——若干小時前我還有兩塊的，現在就只剩三毛了。她還在等著答案。
 
「教書。到學校教書，」我說。
 
「他想當一個老師，」她說。
 
我呷着我的啤酒。有人給點唱機投了幣，一首我妻子以前挺喜歡的歌開始播放。我環視四周，店門旁有兩個男人在打沙狐球。門是敞開的，而外面已經天黑了。

7/4/2020

原文：

Night School by Raymond Carver
 
My marriage had just fallen apart. I couldn't find a job. I had another girl. But she wasn't in town. So I was at a bar having a glass of beer, and two women were sitting a few stools down, and one of them began to talk to me.
 
“You have a car?"
 
“I do, but it's not here," I said.
 
My wife had the car. I was staying at my parent’s place. I used their car sometimes. But tonight I was walking.
 
The other woman looked at me. They were both about forty, maybe older.
 
"What’d you ask him?" the other woman said to the first woman.
 
“I said did he have a car."
 
“So do you have a car?" the second woman said to me.
 
“I was telling her. I have a car. But I don’t have it with me," I said.
 
“That doesn't do us much good, does it?" she said.
 
The first woman laughed. "We had a brainstorm and we need a car to go through with it. Too bad." She turned to the bartender and asked for two more beers.
 
I'd been nursing my beer along, and now I drank it off and thought they might buy me a round. They didn't.
 
"What do you do?" the first woman asked me.
 
"Right now, nothing," I said. "Sometimes, when I can, I go to school."
 
“He goes to school," she said to the other woman. "He's a student. Where do you go to school?"
 
"Around," I said.
 
"I told you," the woman said. "Doesn't he look like a student?”
 
"What are they teaching you?" the second woman said.
 
"Everything,” I said.
 
"I mean," she said, "what do you plan to do? What’s your big goal in life? Everybody has a big goal in life."
 
I raised my empty glass to the bartender. He took it and drew me another beer. I counted out some change, which left me with thirty cents from the two dollars I'd started out with a couple of hours ago. She was waiting.
 
"Teach. Teach school," I said.
 
"He wants to be a teacher," she said.
 
I sipped my beer. Someone put a coin in the jukebox and a song that my wife liked began to play. I looked around. Two men near the front were at the shuffleboard. The door was open and it was dark outside.