11「那是種既珍貴又霉爛的快感」A PRECIOUS, mouldering pleasure ’t is

那是種既珍貴又霉爛的快感，

當有一本古書得以看見。

他那個世紀的穿著，

這是一種特權，我想，

握著他莊嚴的手，

我們體內升起溫暖，

一條或許兩條返古的通道，

回到當他還年輕的時代。

他探討的古樸意見，

呈現出來的學識，

我們共同關心的話題，

還有古人的文學。

學者們最感興趣的話題，

都有些什麼比賽，

當柏拉圖是一個定數，

當索福克勒斯還是一個男人；

當薩福是個活生生的女孩，

當比阿特麗斯的衣著

還是但丁神化了的禮服。

幾世紀前的實際情況，

熟悉的他詳細地討論，

就像一個進城的人

告訴你，你所有的夢都是真的：

他就住在夢誕生的地方。

他的存在充滿魔力，

你求他別走；

古舊的書卷搖晃著羊皮紙的頭，

既誘惑又折磨，就那樣。

（老哈譯注：索福克勒斯和薩福，現代學者對其二者的性取向有異議。）

（老哈譯，20197.20前）

A PRECIOUS, mouldering pleasure ’t is

To meet an antique book,

In just the dress his century wore;

A privilege, I think,

His venerable hand to take, 

And warming in our own,

A passage back, or two, to make

To times when he w as young.

His quaint opinions to inspect,

His knowledge to unfold 

On what concerns our mutual mind,

The literature of old;

What interested scholars most,

What competitions ran

When Plato was a certainty, 

And Sophocles a man;

When Sappho was a living girl,

And Beatrice wore

The gown that Dante deified.

Facts, centuries before, 

He traverses familiar,

As one should come to town

And tell you all your dreams were true:

He lived where dreams were born.

His presence is enchantment, 

You beg him not to go;

Old volumes shake their vellum heads

And tantalize, just so.