英雄的助手-罗纳德·柯特菊

Sidekicks

By Ronald Koertge

They were never handsome and often came

with a hormone imbalance manifested by corpulence,

a yodel of a voice or ears big as kidneys.

But each was brave. More than once a sidekick

has thrown himself in front of our hero in order

to receive the bullet or blow meant for that

perfect face and body.

Thankfully, heroes never die in movies and leave

the sidekick alone. He would not stand for it.

Gabby or Pat, Pancho or Andy remind us of a part

of ourselves,

the dependent part that can never grow up,

the part that is painfully eager to please,

always wants a hug and never gets enough.

Who could sit in a darkened theatre, listen

to the organ music and watch the best

of ourselves lowered into the ground while

the rest stood up there, tears pouring off

that enormous nose.

from Life on the Edge of the Continent: Selected Poems, 1982

University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Ark.

《英雄的助手》

罗纳德·柯特菊

他们向来都不会长相英俊

通常肥胖，明显是荷尔蒙分泌不当

说起话忽真嗓忽假嗓，或者耳朵长得像肾脏

但这些助手个个都勇敢。一次又一次

理所当然地现身于英雄的前面

为了英雄那完美的身躯和俊脸

挨到本不属己的打击或子弹

电影里的英雄们都万幸不死

独独扔下助手无法再奋斗

加比或者帕特，潘丘或者安迪

都让我们将这样的角色想起

侍从的角色从来都不会再成长

这是痛苦的角色，对快乐充满着渴望

一直想要一个拥抱却从未得到过满足

谁愿意坐在暗黑的剧院里

听着风琴奏出的乐曲，看我们的英雄

跌落倒地，而剩下

助手仍然傲立，泪水涌出

那巨大的鼻子