You had me at that martini. I saw

你用那杯马蒂尼征服了我。我看到你

you thread the olive’s red pimento throat

用搅酒棒穿透橄榄的

with your plastic swizzle stick, a deft act

辣椒红色喉咙，那动作熟练，

at once delicate and greedy. A man

细致而又贪婪。一个以

paid to taste the blade knows his match.

品尝利刃为职业的男人了解他的对手。

The pleasure. The brine. I wish we had time,

那种欢愉。那种咸味。我希望我们有时间，

I said—you stopped me—There’s always time.

我说——你制止了我——时间总会有的。

That’s when they called me to the stage. I saw

这时他们叫我上台。我看到你嘴巴角度的变换，

your mouth’s angle change as you made a match

当你知道我是谁——

of my name and Noted Gullet! Steel Throat!

宝藏食道！钢铁喉咙！拉莫·斯瓦米，吞剑者。

Ramo Swami, the Sword-Swallowing Man.

我向你保证这只是一次表演，

I want to assure you it’s just an act,

但它是我从七岁起知道的我唯一一种表演。我记得

but since age seven it’s the only act

妈妈第一次抓到我玩吞黄油刀的把戏：一个

I know. My mother recalls that first time

真正的男人可能不哭，但是一个真正的男孩会哭。

she caught my butter-knife trick: a real man

她看到我下定决心，建造一个从喉咙到脚趾

might not cry, but the real boy wept. She saw

贯通的隧道。那样深的黑暗找不到匹配之物，

my resolve to build a tunnel from throat

她警告说。你的微笑是划燃火柴，

to feet. A dark that deep could go unmatched,

希望展开对人心的洞穴探险。

she warned. Your smile is the strike of a match,

面对人群，看到你苍白的喉咙

the hope of an inner spelunking act.

让我的喉咙在最糟糕的时候收紧——

Facing the crowd, the sight of your pale throat

当难以捉摸的欲望闪现。是的，你会说，我看到了你

tightens mine at the worst possible time—

最后一次表演。失去专注，可怜的男人。

that fickle tic of desire. Yeah, I saw

真有趣，女人如何造就和毁灭她们的男人，

his last show, you’ll say. Lost focus, poor man.

马蒂尼如何毁灭和成就一段恋情。

Funny how women make and break their men,

最好的魔术师会挂起他们的锯子，

how martinis both break and make a match.

放走他们的鸽子，如果那个合适的女人

The best magician will hang up his saw,

及时脱下他们的拘束衣。

release his doves, if the right woman acts

如果嘴唇相遇，你喉咙里面隐隐的杜松子酒味道

to un-straitjacket his body in time.

会和我喉咙里面的日本武士风格的

If lips meet, the hint of gin in your throat

山茶花油混合。

will mingle with camellia in my throat,

我接受的训练就是避免接触，

same oil used by any samurai man.

并不知道僵硬的喉咙对应着

I trained against touch once upon a time,

僵硬的心。我准备好了做出反应，

not knowing a rigid pharynx would match

准备好了流血。正如任何炼金术士都知道的，

a rigid heart. I’m ready to react,

在喉咙里灌满生铁无法和爱情

to bleed. As any alchemist can see,

相提并论。不要为那些反人类的表演鼓掌。

to fill a throat with raw steel is no match

把我劈成两半吧，时间，时间：最古老的锯子。

for love. Don’t clap for these inhuman acts.

Cut me in two. Time, time: the oldest saw.