5月, 2009:

抄两首英文诗。第一首是刚刚上任的“御用诗人”(Poet Laureate) Carol Ann Duffy 的情人节诗。也许有人有兴趣把这首诗翻译成中文。

Valentine
by Carol Ann Duffy

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.

Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

现代诗在英国生活中用的还是很常见的，不少人似乎都能诌两句，不知道是不是和中学时的英语文学课有关。前几天的新闻中，一位上诉法庭法官在宣读一起离婚案的判决中，引用了曾拒绝担任“御用诗人”的 Philip Larkin 的一首诗，以警告父母离婚对孩子的影响。法官念诗成为新闻，是因为诗中的用词：

This Be The Verse (Philip Larkin)

They fuck you up, your mum and dad

They may not mean to, but they do

They fill you with the faults they had

And add some extra, just for you.