"A Bird Made of Birds" | Sarah Kay

翻译人员: Tianji (Homer) Li 校对人员: Jia Jen Low

I have a friend named Kaveh Akbar, who is a fellow poet.

我的朋友卡韦赫·阿克巴是一个诗人。

And Kaveh found this photo online

卡韦赫在网上发现了这张照片，

of the anatomical heart of a blue whale

上面是一只解剖了的蓝鲸心脏，

that scientists had hung on a hook from the ceiling,

科学家把心脏挂在天花板的钩子上，

which is how they were able to observe that the heart of a blue whale

使得他们能够发现

is big enough that a person can stand up fully inside of it.

蓝鲸的心脏如此之大， 一个人可以完全站在里面。

And when Kaveh shared this photo online,

当卡韦赫在网上分享这张照片时，

he did so with the caption,

他附上了这个标题，

"This is another reminder

“这再次提醒了我们，

that the universe has already written the poem you were planning on writing."

我们计划创作的诗歌 早已被这个宇宙写好了。”

And when I first saw that, I was horrified.

当我第一眼看到这个标题，我骇然了。

I was like, "Come on, man! I'm trying to invent new metaphors!

我心说，“不是吧，伙计! 我在尝试创造新的隐喻!

I'm trying to discover beauty that hasn't been discovered yet.

我在尝试发掘尚未被发现的美。

What do you mean, the universe is always going to get there before me?"

为什么宇宙总是比我先到达那里?”

And I know this isn't a uniquely poet problem,

我知道这不单纯是 诗人面临的问题，

but on days when the world feels especially big

而是在有的日子里， 我感到这个世界一望无际，

or especially impossible

深不可测，

or especially full of grandeur,

气壮山河，

those are the days when I feel,

同时我也开始思考，

"What do I possibly have to contribute

“我能为这一切

to all of this?"

做些什么呢？”

Not long ago, I saw this video that some of you may have seen.

不久前，我看到这段视频， 你们有些人可能看过。

It makes the internet rounds every couple of months.

它每隔几个月就会 在互联网上传播一次。

There are these birds that are called starlings,

有一种鸟叫做椋鸟，

and they fly in what's called a "murmuration,"

成群结队飞来飞去，

which is generally just a big cloud of birds.

简而言之就是一大群鸟。

And someone happened to catch a quick video on their phone

有人碰巧用手机拍了

of these starlings flying.

这些椋鸟飞行的短视频。

And at first, it's just an amorphous blob,

一开始，它只是毫无规律的一团，

and then there's a moment where the birds shift,

接着，在一个时刻，鸟群发生了改变，

and they form the shape of a starling

它们在天空形成了

in the sky!

一只椋鸟的形状！

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And as soon as I saw it, I was like,

当我看到这一幕，我不禁想，

(Gasps) "The universe has already written the poem

（惊叹）“你计划创作的诗歌

you were planning on writing!"

早已被这个宇宙写好了！”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Except, for the first time, it didn't fill me with despair.

不同以往，我第一次 没有为此感到失落。

Instead, I thought, "OK.

相反，我想，“好的。

Maybe it's not my job to invent something new.

也许我的工作并不是发掘新事物。

Maybe instead it's my job to listen to what the universe is showing me

也许恰恰相反，我的工作就是 倾听世界在向我展示什么，

and to keep myself open to what the universe offers,

并开怀接受这个世界的赠予，

so that when it's my turn,

这样在轮到我时，

I can hold something to the light,

我就能为这个世界做点什么，

just for a moment,

哪怕只是短暂的一刻，

just for as long as I have.

我所拥有的一刻。

The universe has already written the poem

你计划创作的诗歌

that you were planning on writing.

早已被这个宇宙写好。

And this is why

这也是为什么

you can do nothing but point at the flock of starlings

你只能指着那群

whose bodies rise and fall in inherited choreography,

在世代相传的队形中 起起落落的椋鸟，

swarming the sky in a sweeping curtain

像是覆盖天空的一幅巨大幕布，

that, for one blistering moment,

就在那一瞬间，

forms the unmistakeable shape

形成了耀眼的

of a giant bird

大鸟形状，

flapping against the sky.

展翅翱翔。

It is why your mouth forms an "o"

这就是为什么你们张大了嘴巴，

that is not a gasp,

这并不是惊叹，

but rather, the beginning of,

相反，你们的第一反应只是，

"Oh. Of course."

“噢，当然了。”

As in, of course the heart of a blue whale is as large as a house

像是蓝鲸跟房子一样大的心脏，

with chambers tall enough to fit a person standing.

里面足够高，当然能 容纳一个站立的人。

Of course a fig becomes possible

当然，

when a lady wasp lays her eggs inside a flower,

当寄生蜂把卵产在花里，

dies and decomposes,

死去并分解后，

the fruit, evidence of her transformation.

它就变成了果实。

Sometimes, the poem is so bright,

有时，诗歌是如此的明充满智慧，

your silly language will not stick to it.

无法用肤浅的语言表达。

Sometimes, the poem is so true,

有时，诗歌是如此的真实，

nobody will believe you.

甚至没人会相信你。

I am a bird

我就是

made of birds.

由许多鸟组成的那只鸟。

This blue heart a house you can stand up inside of.

这个蓝色的心脏就是 能容下你的房子。

I am dying

我在这里，

here

在这朵花里

inside this flower.

消逝。

It is OK.

没关系，

It is what I was put here to do.

这就是我被派到这里的目的。

Take this fruit.

收下这个果实吧。

It is what I have to offer.

这是我所能给予的。

It may not be first,

这或许不是第一个，

or ever best,

也许不是最好的，

but it is the only way to be sure

但这是能证明我来过这个世界

that I lived at all.

的唯一证据。

(Applause)

（掌声）