荆棘鸟之歌

THE THORN BIRDS

Colleen McCullough 原作，恒星 译

http://www.focusonnature.com/Brazil155.jpg

译者序：荆棘鸟（Thorn bird）是南美巴西的一种珍稀鸟类。喜欢在临水的荆棘灌木丛中筑巢。这种鸟原来并不出名，1977年，澳洲作家考琳•麦卡洛（Colleen McCullough）发表长篇小说《荆棘鸟》，以其凄美的故事、奇特的爱情拷问人世而风靡全球。今天，很多人把这可怜的小鸟作为“凄美”的代称。译者在羁旅间隙，偶阅电影《2012》，想起《荆棘鸟》、扼腕于哥本哈根峰会、怆然于冰山之消融、物候之异样，夜不能寐，起而译之。

很久以前
有一只鸟儿，一生只有一次歌唱
离巢的霎那，就寻找荆棘
从不停歇，直到如愿以偿
于是它展开歌喉
让最甜美的声音远播四方
世上的生灵无以伦比
歌声里，它将最长的锐刺扎入心房
但是，就在它的生命即将涅槃
瑰丽的浪漫超越了极度的悲怆
云雀的歌喉黯然失色
夜莺的婉转悄然退场
为了一鸣献上一生
荆棘鸟啊，整个世界为你绝响！
天国里的上帝萧然微笑：
至美原来出自至殇！
至美的理想驱策着鸟儿
它浑然不觉将至的死亡！
然而，当我们将荆棘刺入自己的胸腔
我们知道，我们即将……
我们懂得，我们将往……
然而，我们仍然去做……
我们不在乎一切之将亡……

Long Ago, there was a bird who sang just once in its life.
From the moment it left its nest, it searched for a thorn tree.
and it never rested until it found one.
Then it began to sing more sweetly
than any other creature on the face of the earth.
And singing, it impaled its breast on the longest, sharpest thorn.
But as it was dying, it rose above its own agony
to out-sing the lark and the nightingale.
The thorn bird pays its life for that one song
and the whole world stills to listen
and God, in His heaven ~smiles.
As its best was bought only at the cost of great pain.
Driven to the thorn, with no knowledge of the dying to come.
But when we press the thorn to our breast,
We know........
We understand.....
And still......we do it.

2010年1月24日星期日凌晨于圣迭戈-戴尔玛书房