我们下到

we were on our way down

梅里克*1的鲍曼营地去的途中

to Camp Baumann in Merrick*

那是56年的夏天

it was the summer of ‘56

他把自卸卡车停在

he pulled the dump truck over

老乡间公路*2边

to the side off Old Country Road*

关掉引擎

turned off the engine and gripped

双手紧握方向盘

both hands around the steering wheel

我听说你在写(他停顿了一下

I hear you’re writing (there was a slight

然后吐出了这个词)

pause and then he spat out the word)

诗是真的吗他想知道

poetry is it true he wanted to know

这时有另一个停顿这次是我

there was another pause this time mine

我写了一首两首我在

I’d written a poem or two and I was

心中暗想天哪

thinking to myself holy crap what do

我现在该怎么办然后我说

I do now caught as I was then I said

是的但真的没什么大不了的

yes I had but really it was no big deal

嗯他低声说，你仍然是

well he said in a low voice, you’re still

我的儿子然后他转动了钥匙

my son and then he turned the key

引擎启动了很快

and the engine started up and soon

我们又回到了向南行驶的路上

we were back on the road heading south

和我准备开始的另一天的生活

and me about to start another day

收集鲍勃·鲍曼的马的金色粪便

gathering the golden droppings

在松林边的珀伽索斯*3马厩里我松了一口气

of Bob Baumann’s horses in their Pegasian*

因为得知我仍然是我父亲的儿子。

stables down by the pines relieved

to know I was still my father’s son.

译注

1.Merrick ，纽约长岛的一个小村庄。

2.Old Country Road,路名，在长岛。

3. Pegasian，珀伽索斯，神话故事中生有双翼的神马，被其足蹄踩过的地方有泉水涌出，诗人饮之可获灵感。