我自己的真正的家族

My Own True Family

泰德·休斯

Ted Hughes

泰德·休斯（Ted Hughes，1930-1998），英国二十世纪中后期的重要诗人。他的诗在英美现代诗歌中独树一帜，有着自己独特的风格和主题。最为突出的就是他的动物诗及其有关暴力的主题。他常用一双敏感而锐利的眼睛，一颗灵动的心，把动物的天性与自然生物品格化，人格化，以写动物、植物来表现他对人生、人性、人世的理解与认识。诗中浓缩而鲜明的意象，精练而大胆的语言，粗砺铿锵的节奏，沉郁冷峻的格调，都为他的诗作添加了不同寻常的异彩。

有一次我悄悄进入橡树林——我寻找一头鹿。

Once I crept in an oakwood — I was looking for a stag .

我遇见个老太婆——一身疙瘩的枯柴棒加破布。

I met an old woman there — all knobbly stick and rag.

她说：“你的秘密在我的小口袋里，我全有数。”

She said: "I have your secret here inside my little bag."

于是，她开始咯咯笑，我开始发抖。

Then she began to cackle and I began to quake .

她打开她的小口袋，我一而再地意识到——

She opened up her little bag and I came twice awake —

一个族群在围着我看，我在木桩上被捆牢。

Surrounded by a staring tribe and me tied to a stake.

他们说：“我们是橡树，是你真正的家族成员。

They said: "We are the oak-trees and your own true family.

我们被砍倒，被撕裂，你连眼睛也不 一 。

We are chopped down, we are torn up, you do not blink an eye.

你现在就将死去，除非你答应一个条件。

Unless you make a promise now — now you are going to die.

每见到一株橡树被砍倒，你得发誓栽两株。

Whenever you see an oak-tree felled, swear now you will plant two.

你若不发誓，黑色起皱的橡树皮会把你裹住，

Unless you swear the black oak bark will wrinkle over you

让你植根在橡林中，你出生在这儿却永远不发育。”

And root you among the oaks where you were born but never grew."

这是我在树枝下做的梦，这梦改变了我。

This was my dream beneath the boughs, the dream that altered me.

我走出橡树林，回到人间伙伴的居处，

When I came out of the oakwood, back to human company,

我走路像人类的孩子，我的心却成了一株树。

My walk was the walk of a human child, but my heart was a tree.