we were on our way down

我们下到

to Camp Baumann in Merrick*

梅里克*1的鲍曼营地去的途中

it was the summer of ‘56

那是56年的夏天

he pulled the dump truck over

他把自卸卡车停在

to the side off Old Country Road*

老乡间公路*2边

turned off the engine and gripped

关掉引擎

both hands around the steering wheel

双手紧握方向盘

I hear you’re writing (there was a slight

我听说你在写(他停顿了一下

pause and then he spat out the word)

然后吐出了这个词)

poetry is it true he wanted to know

诗是真的吗他想知道

there was another pause this time mine

这时有另一个停顿这次是我

I’d written a poem or two and I was

我写了一首两首我在

thinking to myself holy crap what do

心中暗想天哪

I do now caught as I was then I said

我现在该怎么办然后我说

yes I had but really it was no big deal

是的但真的没什么大不了的

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

嗯他低声说，你仍然是

my son and then he turned the key

我的儿子然后他转动了钥匙

and the engine started up and soon

引擎启动了很快

we were back on the road heading south

我们又回到了向南行驶的路上

and me about to start another day

和我准备开始的另一天的生活

gathering the golden droppings

收集鲍勃·鲍曼的马的金色粪便

of Bob Baumann’s horses in their Pegasian*

在松林边的珀伽索斯*3马厩里我松了一口气

stables down by the pines relieved

因为得知我仍然是我父亲的儿子。

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。