The Opposites Game

翻译人员: Carol Wang 校对人员: Candace Hwang

"The Opposites Game"

《反义词游戏》

For Patricia Maisch

写给派翠西亚 · 梅诗（Patricia Maisch 2011 年 1 月 8 日图森枪击案幸存者）

This day my students and I play the Opposites Game

这天，我和学生玩反义词游戏 用了艾米莉 · 迪金森的一句诗

with a line from Emily Dickinson. My life had stood

我的生命曾站立——一把上膛的枪

a loaded gun, it goes and I write it on the board,

我把这句话写在黑板上 他们喊出每个词的反义词

pausing so they can call out the antonyms –

My Your

我的——你的

Life Death

生命——死亡

Had stood ? Will sit

曾站立——将坐下

A Many

一把——很多

Loaded Empty

上膛的——空空的

Gun ?

枪——

Gun.

枪——

For a moment, very much like the one between

如闪电与雷声间的时延

lightning and its sound, the children just stare at me,

孩子们只是呆呆盯着我

and then it comes, a flurry, a hail storm of answers –

然后是七嘴八舌、 如冰雹般的抢答——

Flower, says one. No, Book, says another. That's stupid,

是花儿，一个声音说 不，是书！另一个回答

愚蠢！第三个声音喊 枪的反义词是枕头

cries a third, the opposite of a gun is a pillow. Or maybe

a hug, but not a book, no way is it a book. With this,

或者，可能是拥抱 但不是书，绝对不是书

the others gather their thoughts

说完，其他人集中精力思考

and suddenly it’s a shouting match. No one can agree,

突然爆出震耳的抢答比赛

根本没有重样的答案 因为每人都有自己的最终选择

for every student there’s a final answer. It's a song,

是歌，是祈祷

a prayer, I mean a promise, like a wedding ring, and

我觉得是承诺，就像婚戒 然后是婴儿

later a baby. Or what’s that person who delivers babies?

接生婴儿的人叫什么

A midwife? Yes, a midwife. No, that’s wrong. You're so

助产士吗 对，就是助产士

错，不对，大错特错啦 你绝对猜不到！是低语，是星星

wrong you’ll never be right again. It's a whisper, a star,

it's saying I love you into your hand and then touching

是正在对着你的手说我爱你 然后去摸某人的耳朵

someone's ear. Are you crazy? Are you the president

你疯了吗 你是傻子国总统吗

of Stupid-land? You should be, When's the election?

你真该是！何时大选

It’s a teddy bear, a sword, a perfect, perfect peach.

是泰迪熊、是剑 是最最完美的梨子

Go back to the first one, it's a flower, a white rose.

还是从头开始吧 是花儿，是白色的玫瑰

When the bell rings, I reach for an eraser but a girl

下课铃响起，我拿起黑板擦 但一女孩从我手里抢走了它

snatches it from my hand. Nothing's decided, she says,

还没确定答案呢， 她说

We’re not done here. I leave all the answers

我们还没做完游戏

我只好把答案都留在黑板上

on the board. The next day some of them have

第二天，他们分成了几拨 有些人已经互不说话

stopped talking to each other, they’ve taken sides.

There's a Flower club. And a Kitten club. And two boys

有花儿队、猫咪队

calling themselves The Snowballs. The rest have stuck

还有仅 2 个男孩的雪球队

with the original game, which was to try to write

其他人还继续玩最初的游戏

something like poetry.

努力写下像诗一样的文字

It's a diamond, it's a dance,

是钻石、是舞蹈

the opposite of a gun is a museum in France.

枪的反义词是天上的一只鸟

It's the moon, it's a mirror,

是月亮，是明镜

it's the sound of a bell and the hearer.

是钟声和相伴的云淡风轻

The arguing starts again, more shouting, and finally

争论又起，喊声更甚

a new club. For the first time I dare to push them.

最终又形成新的一派

我第一次敢敦促他们，说道

Maybe all of you are right, I say.

也许你们都对

Well, maybe. Maybe it's everything we said. Maybe it’s

好吧，也许吧 也许是我们所说的一切

也许是没说的一切 是字组成的句子

everything we didn't say. It's words and the spaces for words.

They're looking at each other now. It's everything in this

现在他们看着彼此，喊出 是教室里的一切和教室外的一切

room

and outside this room and down the street and in the sky.

是整个街道上的一切 和天上的一切

It's everyone on campus and at the mall, and all the people

是校园里和商场里的所有人

waiting at the hospital. And at the post office. And, yeah,

是医院里、邮局里 在等待的所有人

it's a flower, too. All the flowers. The whole garden.

是的，也是花儿，所有花儿 是那整个的花园

The opposite of a gun is wherever you point it.

枪的反义词是你指向的任何地方

Don’t write that on the board, they say. Just say poem.

不用写在黑板上 他们说，请直接读诗吧

Your death will sit through many empty poems.

你的死亡将看完 很多空空的诗篇

（枪声）