毕肖普诗歌丨地图

译丨余田台

陆地静卧水中，郁郁幽碧

或深，或浅。它的边缘

是海草的岩架线

从碧绿延展至纯蓝。

或者，是陆地俯身将海洋从深处举起

静静安置在身边？

沿着美丽的棕褐色砂石暗礁

陆地是否正从底下拖曳着海洋？

纽芬兰的影子平坦又寂静。

拉布拉多的金黄，恍惚的爱斯基摩人

为它润色。我们可以抚摸这些可爱的海湾，

在玻璃下，他们仿佛下一秒就要盛放，

又仿佛是为隐藏着的鱼儿预备的洁净之笼。

海滨城镇的名字跑向大海，

城市的名字翻越邻近的山脉

——这里的印刷工经历同样的兴奋

当情感远远超过目标。

这些半岛带领海水穿梭在拇指和食指之间

像妇女在庭院抚摸光滑的货物。

地图上的海比陆地宁静，

它将自己波浪的形状借给陆地:

挪威的野兔骚动着跑向南方，

奔跑的侧影探索着陆地与海洋。

国家的颜色是被指定，还是可以自由选择？

——地形学没有偏爱；北与西一样近。

比历史学家更精细的是地图的颜色。

原文:

The Map

Land lies in water; it is shadowed green.

Shadows, or are they shallows, as its edges

showing the line of long sea-weeded ledges

where weeds hang to the simple blue from green.

Or does the land lean down to lift the sea from under,

drawing it unperturbed around itself?

Along the fine tan sandy shelf

is the land tugging at the sea from under?

The shadow of Newfoundland lies flat and still.

Labrador's yellow, where the moony Eskimo

has oiled it. We can stroke these lovely bays,

under the glass as if they were excepted to blossom,

or as if to provide a clean cage for invisible fish.

The names of seashore towns run out to sea,

the names of cities cross the neighboring mountains

——the printer here experiencing the same excitement

as when emotion too far exceeds its cause.

These peninsulas take the water between thumb and finger

like women feeling for the smoothness of yard-goods.

Mapped waters are more quiet than the land is,

lending the land their wave's own conformation:

and Norway's hare runs south in agitation,

profiles investigate the sea, where the land is.

Are the assigned, or can the countries pick their colors?

——What suits the character or the native waters best.

Topography displays no favorites；North's as near as West.

More delicate than the historians' are the map-makers' colors.