第130章 影影绰绰的绿

The Map

地图

Elizabeth Bishop

Land lies in water; it is shadowed green.

陆地躺在水中；影影绰绰的绿。

Shadows， or are they shallows， at its edges

阴影，或许是浅滩，在它的边缘

showing the line of long sea-weeded ledges

呈现长长的、遍生海藻的礁岩轮廓

where weeds hang to the simple blue from green.

那儿，自绿色中，海藻缠附于纯净的蓝。

Or does the land lean down tolift the sea from under，

陆地向下倾斜，或许是为了高高托起大海，

drawing it unperturbed around itself ?

不动声色地曳着它，环绕自身？

Along the fine tan sandy shelf

沿着细腻的、棕褐多沙的大陆架陆地

is the land tugging at the sea from under?

是否从海底使劲拽着海洋？

The shadow of Newfound land liesflat and still.

纽芬兰的影子静静平躺。

Labrador’s yellow， where the moony Eskimo

拉布拉多呈黄色，在恍惚的爱斯基摩人

has oiled it. We can stroke these lovely bays，

给它上油的地方。我们能在玻璃下爱抚

under a glass as if they were expected to blossom，

这些迷人的海湾，仿佛期待它们绽放花朵

or as if to provide a clean cagefor invisible fish.

或是要为看不见的鱼儿提供一座净笼。

The names of seashore towns runout to sea，

海滨小镇的名字奔涌入海，

the names of cities cross the neighboring mountains

城市之名越过毗邻的山脉

— the printer here experiencing the same excitement

——这儿，印刷工体会着同样的亢奋

as when emotion too far exceed sits cause.

当情感也远远超越它的因由。

These peninsulas take the water between thumb and finger

这些半岛在拇指和其余手指间掬水

like women feeling for the smoothness of yard- goods.

宛如女人摩挲一匹匹光滑的织物。

Mapped waters are more quiet than the land is，

绘入地图的水域比陆地更安静，
 lending the land their waves' own conformation:

它们把自身波浪的构造借给陆地：
 and Norway's hare runs south in agitation，

挪威的野兔在惊惧中向南跑去，
 profiles investigate the sea， where land is.

纵剖图测量着大海，那儿是陆地所在。
 Are they assigned， or can the countries pick their colors?

国土可否自行选取色彩，还是听从分派？
-What suits the character or the native waters best.

哪种颜色最适合其性格，最适合当地的水域。
 Topography displays no favorites; North's as near as West.

地形学不会偏袒；北方和西方一样近。
 More delicate than the historians' are the map-makers' colors. 

比历史学家更精微的，是地图绘制者的色彩。