Billy Collins: Two poems about what dogs think (probably)

翻译人员: Yuanqing Edberg 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

不知你们是否已经注意到，

I don't know if you've noticed,

but there's been a spate of books

近来陆续

that have come out lately

出版了很多新书

contemplating or speculating

是关于猜测和解读

on the cognition and emotional life of dogs.

狗的认知和情绪的。

狗是否会思考，它们能否感知， 如果有，是怎样做到的？

Do they think, do they feel and, if so, how?

So this afternoon, in my limited time,

那么今天下午， 在有限的时间里

I wanted to take the guesswork out of a lot of that

我想通过介绍你们认识两条狗

by introducing you to two dogs,

来做与其有关的一些猜想。

both of whom have taken the command "speak"

这两条狗都真正懂得“说话”

quite literally.

的意思。

The first dog is the first to go,

让第一条狗先来吧，

and he is contemplating an aspect

他想要对他和主人的关系

of his relationship to his owner,

做一个分析，

and the title is "A Dog on His Master."

标题是 “狗与主人。”

"As young as I look,

“我看起来很年轻，

I am growing older faster than he.

但我比他更容易变老。

Seven to one is the ratio, they tend to say.

比率是七比一， 他们这样说到。

Whatever the number, I will pass him one day

无论是什么数字， 总有一天我会超越他

and take the lead,

成为主导，

the way I do on our walks in the woods,

就像我们在林间散步那样，

and if this ever manages to cross his mind,

如果这个念头会在他脑中出现

it would be the sweetest shadow

它会是我在雪地或草地上

I have ever cast on snow or grass."

投下的最甜蜜的影子。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you.

谢谢你们。

And our next dog

下一只狗

speaks in something called the revenant,

说的事情叫做亡灵，

which means a spirit that comes back

意思是一个亡魂

to visit you.

回来探望你。

"I am the dog you put to sleep,

“我是被你送进沉睡的狗，

as you like to call the needle of oblivion,

而你喜欢把它叫做遗忘之针，

come back to tell you this simple thing:

我回来是为了告诉你 这个简单的事实：

I never liked you."

我从来都没有喜欢过你。“

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"When I licked your face,

“当我舔着你的脸，

I thought of biting off your nose.

我想咬掉你的鼻子。

When I watched you toweling yourself dry,

当我看见你用毛巾擦干身子，

I wanted to leap and unman you with a snap.

我想在瞬间扑过去阉割你。

I resented the way you moved,

我讨厌你走动的样子，

your lack of animal grace,

因为你缺乏动物的优美，

the way you would sit in a chair to eat,

你坐在椅子上吃东西的模样，

a napkin on your lap, a knife in your hand.

膝上盖着餐巾， 手里握着餐刀。

I would have run away

我宁愿跑开

but I was too weak,

但我实在太软弱，

a trick you taught me

你教会我一个诡计

while I was learning to sit and heel

当我学着坐和蹲的时候，

and, greatest of insults,

最大的侮辱，

shake hands without a hand.

是没有手却要握手。

I admit the sight of the leash would excite me,

我承认看见皮带会让我兴奋

but only because it meant I was about to smell things

但这只因为它意味着我可以去嗅闻

you had never touched.

你从未触及的东西。

You do not want to believe this,

你不会相信

but I have no reason to lie:

但我没有理由撒谎：

I hated the car, hated the rubber toys,

我讨厌汽车，讨厌橡皮玩具，

disliked your friends, and worse, your relatives.

不喜欢你的朋友，更不喜欢你的亲眷

The jingling of my tags drove me mad.

玎玲响的标签促使我发狂。

You always scratched me in the wrong place."

而你，为我搔痒总是挠错位置。“

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"All I ever wanted from you was food and water

“我只想从你那里得到食物和水

in my bowls.

放进我的碗里。

While you slept, I watched you breathe

当你睡觉，我看着

as the moon rose in the sky.

你的呼吸随着月亮升起

It took all of my strength

它带走了我所有的力气

not to raise my head and howl.

而不能抬起头对着月亮狂吠。

Now, I am free of the collar,

现在，我不再有项圈，

free of the yellow raincoat,

也没有黄色的雨衣，

monogrammed sweater,

和绣着名字的外套

the absurdity of your lawn,

你的草坪有多荒谬

and that is all you need to know about this place,

就是你所需要知道的 这个地方的一切

except what you already supposed

除了你那些假想的

and are glad it did not happen sooner,

庆幸它没有早点儿发生

that everyone here can read and write,

这儿的每一个都能读和写，

the dogs in poetry,

狗陶醉在诗歌中，

the cats and all the others

猫的和其它的动物

in prose."

则潜心于散文。“

Thank you.

谢谢你们

(Applause)

（鼓掌）