双语·《西尔维娅·普拉斯诗集》 申请人

The Applicant
申请人

First, are you our sort of a person?
首先，你是我们的同类人？

Do you wear
你用不用

A glass eye, false teeth or a crutch,
玻璃眼珠，假牙或拐杖，

A brace or a hook,
牙套或钩子，

Rubber breasts or a rubber crotch,
橡胶乳房或橡胶胯部，

Stitches to show something’s missing? No, no? Then
针疤表示缺了什么？没，没缺？那么

How can we give you a thing?
我们如何给你一样东西？

Stop crying.
别再哭泣。

Open your hand.
伸出你的手。

Empty? Empty. Here is a hand
空的？空的。给你一只手

To fill it and willing
来填满它，它愿意

To bring teacups and roll away headaches
端来茶杯，驱散头痛

And do whatever you tell it.
你要它干什么它都干。

Will you marry it?
你愿意娶它吗？

It is guaranteed
它保证

To thumb shut your eyes at the end
临终时，用拇指合上你的双眼，

And dissolve of sorrow.
消除忧愁。

We make new stock from the salt.
我们用盐制成新产品。

I notice you are stark naked.
我注意到你赤身裸体，

How about this suit——
这套衣服如何——

Black and stiff, but not a bad fit.
黑色，硬挺，还算合身。

Will you marry it?
你愿意娶它吗？

It is waterproof, shatterproof, proof
防水，防碎，防止

Against fire and bombs through the roof.
火、炸弹穿透屋顶。

Believe me, they’ll bury you in it.
相信我，你下葬时也穿这衣。

Now your head, excuse me, is empty.
请原谅，你的头，是空的。

I have the ticket for that.
我有那张入场券。

Come here, sweetie, out of the closet.
来这儿，宝贝，走出密室吧。

Well, what do you think of that?
嗯，那事你看如何？

Naked as paper to start
婚姻开始赤裸如纸

But in twenty-five years she’ll be silver,
但二十五年后她将是银的，

In fifty, gold.
五十年后，金的。

A living doll, everywhere you look.
一个活玩偶，随你怎么端详。

It can sew, it can cook,
它会缝纫，它会烹调，

It can talk, talk, talk.
它会说话，说话，说话。

It works, there is nothing wrong with it.
它很有效，什么事都不会做错。

You have a hole, it’s a poultice.
你有个伤口，它就是敷药，

You have an eye, it’s an image.
你有个眼睛，它就是影像。

My boy, it’s your last resort.
我的小伙，它是你最后的依靠。

Will you marry it, marry it, marry it.
你可愿意娶它，娶它，娶它。

(1962/10/11. pp.221—222. No.182)
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