"Miles from Any Shoreline" | Sarah Kay | TED

翻译人员: Laixi Kang 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

I frequently miss entire days

时光常常一整天一整天从我手里流逝

caught in my brain’s spider webs

而我困于我脑袋中的蛛网，动弹不得

but if I happen to look up in time

但我若及时抬头

to notice that the darkness

碰巧发现黑暗

still has a little daylight left to swallow

还未将日光完全吞噬

I will ivy up the fire escape to catch

我会像藤曼攀上消防通道

whatever embers of the day

捕捉仅剩的余烬

are still slow dying behind New Jersey

在新泽西州身后渐渐消亡

and last week through the fog

上周，透过孤独的迷雾

of my loneliness I realized

我注意到

the living room was slippery pink

客厅是一片湿滑的粉红

which I knew meant

我知道

a light show must be on display

一场灯光之秀正在上演

so with a quickness I reserve for emergencies

于是，我如临大敌一般

I scampered to the roof and sure enough

仓皇爬到屋顶

an explosion of upside-down clementine

火花像颠倒的橘子般炸裂

cotton candy cloud wisps

一朵朵棉花糖般的烟尘

was tie-dyeing the Hudson River neon

给哈德逊河染上霓虹

and I swear I am not a lightweight

我绝非易醉之人

but I was colordrunk immediately

却迅速沉醉在这色彩里

dizzy with gasp and skyward-reaching

气喘吁吁，向天空伸展

hoping my fingers might find

希望触到

a bell I could ring

一个我能敲响的铃铛

that would summon all of New York City

叫整个纽约市

to look up! and west!

抬起头来，看向西边！

but there was no bell and no one to call

但我没有铃铛，也没有可以通话的人

just my own astonishment

只有我自己的惊讶

still willing to answer after the first ring

仍愿意在铃响后应答

how predictable: one good sunset

不出所料：一次美好的日落

and I release my nihilism

就足以让我放手虚无

like rose petals behind a bridal gown

让它像婚纱后的玫瑰花瓣消散

look I have married my cynicism

瞧，我早已嫁给犬儒主义

and renewed my vows

重申了我的誓言

but it didn’t stop the streetlights

但一盏盏路灯

from coming on at the exact moment I passed beneath them

依然在我经过之时逐一亮起

when nobody else was in the park to see it

空荡荡的公园里却无人目睹

like the whole city was winking

就好像整个城市朝我挤了挤眼

and yes I blushed

是的，我脸红了

the way I do whenever someone beautiful flirts with me

就像每次有美人与我调情

I haven’t stopped thinking about death

我没有停止思考死亡

I am just wringing every last jaw-drop

我只不过要把震惊

from the tissue between heartbreaks

从心碎之间的纸巾里拧干

On a long run outside the city

城外的一次长跑

along a highway and

我沿着高速公路

miles from any shoreline

距海岸数英里之外

I found a starfish alone on the asphalt

发现沥青路上一只孤独的海星

an unsolvable mystery

这个无从揭晓的谜团

with no witness to corroborate

也没有目击者的证言

and there I was again

于是，我再次

wandering the streets of

徘徊在名为困惑的城市的街道上

Bewilderville: Population 1

成为它唯一的人口

what else could I possibly do

我别无它法

but swing wide the doors of my delight

只能将我欣喜的大门敞开

to this patron saint of unbelonging

给流亡之人的守护神

fragile and whole and so far from home

脆弱，完整，离家千里之外

if you too have been the one nobody asked to dance

若你也无人邀约共舞

I’ve got a starfish I’d love to introduce you to

我愿向你介绍一只海星

and I don’t have any proof

我没有证据

but one time the wind

但有一次

or my ancestors or unseasonal warmth

我先祖的风，抑或是或反季的暖流

carried three hawks

将三只鹰

to my kitchen windowsill

引到我的厨房窗台

to rattle my coffin to cocoon

将我的棺材抽拨成蚕茧

and two of them left

两只飞走了

but one of them stayed

但剩下一只留了下来

eyed me through the glass

透过玻璃看着我

like a promise or a dare

像是承诺，或是挑战

and so lately I am trying

所以，近来我开始尝试

to pick up

不再错过宇宙的来电

when the universe calls

(Applause)

（掌声）