我們，大水之後 (After The Flood, We) by Margaret Atwood

[Catherine Yen]

 

我們，大水之後 (Catherine Yen 譯)

 

我們應該是唯一的倖存者

在到處升起的霧中

如同

在樹林裡

 

我越過橋

走向高地安全的地方

（樹林的頂端像島嶼）

 

集中溺死的母親們

沉到水底的骨骸

（圓而堅硬地在我手裡）

當白色的霧像水一般

洗滌我的雙足；

 

魚群必須在我們之下的

樹林下方游水，

像鳥，飛過一棵棵的樹

在一里之外

這個城市，廣大而寂靜，

靜靜躺著，遺失在遙遠的海底下

 

你散步在我身旁，

說著美麗的清晨

甚至不曉得

這裡曾經發生過洪水

 

將小石子

隨意踢過你的肩頭

落入深濃的空氣中

 

未聞那幾乎誕生

慢慢走在我們後方

第一個蹣跚的腳步，

沒有看到

那人模人樣

殘忍的臉

慢慢由石頭形成。

 

 

After The Flood, We (by Margaret Atwood)

 

We must be the only ones

left, in the mist that has risen

everywhere as well

as in these woods

 

I walk across the bridge

towards the safety of high ground

(the tops of the trees are like islands)

 

gathering the sunken

bones of the drowned mothers

(hard and round in my hands)

while the white mist washes

around my legs like water;

 

fish must be swimming

down in the forest beneath us,

like birds, from tree to tree

and a mile away

the city, wide and silent,

is lying lost, far undersea.

 

You saunter beside me, talking

of the beauty of the morning,

not even knowing

that there has been a flood,

 

tossing small pebbles

at random over your shoulder

into the deep thick air,

 

not hearing the first stumbling

footsteps of the almost-born

coming(slowly) behind us,

not seeing

the almost-human

brutal faces forming

(slowly)

out of stone.