四个四重奏:第29期 干燥的萨尔维吉斯(10)

To communicate with Mars, converse with spirits,

跟火星通话,与神灵交谈,

To report the behaviour of the sea monster,

报告海妖的行为,

Describe the horoscope, haruspicate or scry,

观测天象预卜未来,查看祭牲的内脏以释神谕,

Observe disease in signatures, evoke

或从水晶球中观察幻象,

Biography from the wrinkles of the palm

从签名的笔迹看出病症,从手掌的纹路

And tragedy from fingers; release omens

追溯身世经历和从手指想起悲惨不幸;

By sortilege, or tea leaves, riddle the inevitable

用签卜或茶叶祛除凶兆,用纸牌解释

With playing cards, fiddle with pentagrams

不可避免的事故,揣摩五角星形的图象

Or barbituric acids, or dissect

或靠服巴比妥酸打发日子,或把反复出现的想象

The recurrent image into pre-conscious terrors –

解析为前意识的各种恐惧——

To explore the womb, or tomb, or dreams; all these are usual

由此探索出生、死亡或梦境;所有这些

Pastimes and drugs, and features of the press:

都是平素的消遣和药物、报刊的特写报道,

And always will be, some of them especially

而且也将永远如此,其中有些尤其如此,

When there is distress of nations and perplexity

当国家陷入危难和困惑不决的时候,

Whether on the shores of Asia, or in the Edgware Road.

不论是在亚洲的海岸还是在艾琪韦尔大街。

Men’s curiosity searches past and future

人们的好奇心总爱探究过去和未来,

And clings to that dimension. But to apprehend

而且在这方面锲而不舍。但是领悟

The point of intersection of the timeless

那无始无终与时间的交叉点,

With time, is and occupation for the saint –

却是圣者的职业——

No occupation either, but something given

也不是职业,

And taken, in a lifetime’s death in love,

而是他们为了爱、热忱、无私和自我屈从

Ardour and selflessness and self-surrender.

而殉道的一生中的一种给予和取受。

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