◎董繼平 譯

邁克爾·布洛克 （Michael Bullock，1918-2008），20 世紀(jì)加拿大著名超現(xiàn)實(shí)主義詩人。1936 年參加倫敦超現(xiàn)實(shí)主義展覽。 自1938 年以來，他出版了30 余卷詩集，主要有《野性的黑暗》《黑林中的線條》《雨之囚徒》《暗水》《帶墻的花園》《迷宮》《黑暗的玫瑰》《在花朵中噴發(fā)》《夜曲》等。 他的很多作品已經(jīng)打破文體界限，小說、詩歌、散文、寓言等特征兼而有之，既富于自然色彩，又頗有形而上的哲學(xué)境界，系自然界物象與潛意識心象的結(jié)合體。

鴕 鳥

在明顯不變的外表下面， 鴕鳥隱藏短暫如八月熱天的紅藻的自我。 這樣的鳥兒分享飛魚的本性， 從自身上起身， 僅僅是為了最終回歸其本性的棲息地。 這樣就是鯨魚感到對這些未經(jīng)許可的造訪者的厭惡， 他們的帽子總是裝飾著鴕鳥的羽毛。 在沙漠上或睡鼠孤傲棲居的林邊野餐， 是被據(jù)說是源于摩西①或甚至更早的立法者的法律所禁止的， 這些立法者的名字失落在具有古風(fēng)的霧靄或類似的存在的后街里。 鴕鳥自己， 最初之水的合法杰出者，很好地意識到用來把這個(gè)地區(qū)的居民保護(hù)于食肉造訪者而設(shè)計(jì)的這些規(guī)定。 然而， 在一群戲劇評論家和穿著無尾夜常禮服的蛤蟆觀眾前， 它夸耀其非法的行為舉止。

鴕鳥回到它無所不在的沙漠之巢， 統(tǒng)治一個(gè)嘶啞的狗和獵犬的王國， 狗和獵犬凸出的口鼻已被裂開， 被木釘分開而釘， 便于讓穿紅色夾克的獵人縱隊(duì)進(jìn)入。

注：① 《圣經(jīng)》 中猶太人古代領(lǐng)袖、 領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者、 立法者。

THE OSTRICH

Beneath an appearance of apparent immutability the ostrich conceals a self as evanescent as frogspawn on a hot August day. Such birds partake of the nature of flying fish, rising above themselves only to return finally to their natural habitat.Such is the distaste felt by whales for these unauthorized visitors that the hats they wear are invariably trimmed with ostrich feathers.Picknicking in the desert or beside woods inhabited exclusively by dormice is expressly forbidden by laws said to derive from Moses or from even earlier lawgivers,whose names are lost in the mists of antiquity or in similarly anonymous back alleys of existence.The ostrich himself, a legal luminary of the first water, is well aware of these regulations designed to protect the inhabitants of the region from predatory visitors.Nonetheless it invariably flaunts its illegal behavior before an audience of dramatic critics and tuxedoed toads.

Returning to its omnipresent desert lair, the ostrich reigns supreme over a kingdom of husky dogs and hounds whose muzzles have been split and pegged apart so as to permit the entry of columns of red-jacketed huntsmen.

墻

在一次穿越道路的行動中停下的墻， 被問到其意圖， 它從磚塊之間釋放出一群鴿子， 接著釋放出一陣強(qiáng)烈得使提問者暈眩的香氣， 一陣紅花和紫花的騷動入侵他的大腦。

現(xiàn)在， 這道墻穿著一件白色長衣裙， 在路上繼續(xù)行進(jìn)， 每只手都端著一只水晶高腳杯——被迅速存放在空墳上。

雕刻的墓碑顯出一條海豚吞食一條地下魚的圖案， 陶醉于從梗莖中流進(jìn)上面的高腳杯的綠酒。

這一次， 這道墻以最為極端的優(yōu)美姿勢躺在一棵樹下休息，作為果實(shí)的替代， 這棵樹的枝頭結(jié)滿異常碩大而閃閃發(fā)亮的人類眼睛。

THE WALL

Questioned as to its intentions, the wall that has come to a stop in the act of crossing the road releases a flock of pigeons from between its bricks, followed by a burst of perfume so heady that the questioner reels, his mind invaded by a turmoil of large red and purple flowers.

The wall, now wearing a long white dress, proceeds on its way,carrying in each hand a crystal goblet, which it quickly deposits on an empty grave.

The tombstone, carved to represent a sleeping porpoise devouring a subterranean fish, becomes intoxicated by the green wine that flows up into the goblets through their stems.

The wall, by this time, is reposing in a posture of the most extreme elegance at the foot of a tree bearing on its branches, instead of fruit, a collection of exceptionally large and luminous human eyes.

熨 斗

在鯨魚骨骼緊身胸衣建筑的與石頭連在一起的柵欄那邊， 放著曼·雷①的熨斗， 它的底釘已經(jīng)摧毀了好幾十個(gè)存在于殼中的牡蠣。

這些牡蠣當(dāng)中的一些還未死去， 它們的叫聲， 以一縷淺淺的紫羅蘭色光線的形狀， 在這個(gè)地區(qū)的上空升起， 那是一種乳白色微光， 賦予它觸摸的一切以一絲魔幻神態(tài)。

流水聲對這光線形成音樂伴奏， 它們一起將此處的氛圍轉(zhuǎn)變成一種威脅的、 無味的迷惑性氛圍。 在林中筑巢的鳥兒， 被供以折磨器械——它們毫不猶豫對所有經(jīng)過那條路的人都使用這些器械， 這是無論在哪方面都很明顯的恐怖結(jié)局。

在散亂于林地上的破碎的花朵中間， 有一朵外表兇猛的唐菖蒲揮舞著利劍。 鳥兒受到某種通向自我毀滅的模糊沖動驅(qū)使， 從樹上一一飛下來， 將自己刺穿在那向上舉起的刀尖上。

同時(shí)， 這熨斗開始燙平那緊身胸衣的柵欄， 讓它化為碎片。 光線熄滅了， 水的喃喃聲停息了， 這個(gè)地方變成一個(gè)寂靜無光的虛處。

注：①美國著名的超現(xiàn)實(shí)主義畫家、 攝影家 （1890-1976）。

FLATIRON

On the other side of a fence constructed of whalebone corsets joined together with hair lies Man Ray’s flatiron whose spike shave already destroyed several dozen oysters in their shells.

The cries of these oysters, some of which are not yet dead, rise above the area in the shape of a pale violet light, an opalescent gleam that gives an air of magic to everything it touches.

The sound of flowing water forms a musical accompaniment to this light; together they transform the atmosphere of the place into one of menacing, unsavoury enchantment. The birds that nest in the trees are provided with instruments of torture which they do not hesitate to use on all who pass that way, the horrible results of which are evident on every side.

Among the broken flowers that litter the forest floor is a fiercelooking gladiolus brandishing a sword. Impelled by some obscure urge to self-destruction, birds fly down from the tree one after the other and impale themselves on the uplifted point.

Meanwhile the flatiron has begun to smooth the corset fence,reducing it to shreds.The light goes out; the murmur of water ceases;the area becomes a silent, lightless void.