美底牢獄 The Prison of Beauty

美底牢獄The Prison of Beauty

美底牢狱

嬿求正在鏡台邊理她底晨妝，見她底丈夫從遠地囘來，就把頭攏住，問道，『我Yanqiu was at her dressing table doing her morning hair when she saw her husband come home from afar; she gathered her hair back and asked, "Did you bring back everything I—

嬿求正在镜台边理她底晨妆，见她底丈夫从远地囘来，就把头拢住，问道，『我

所需要底你都給帶囘來了沒有？』—needed?"

所需要底你都给带囘来了没有？』

『對不起！"I'm sorry!你雖是一個建築師，或泥水匠，能爲你自己建築一座「美底牢獄」；Though you are an architect, or a mason, able to build for yourself a "Prison of Beauty";

『对不起！你虽是一个建筑师，或泥水匠，能为你自己建筑一座「美底牢狱」；

我却不是一個轉運者，不能爲你搬運等等材料．』I, however, am no freight-hauler, and cannot carry all sorts of materials for you."

我却不是一个转运者，不能为你搬运等等材料．』

『你念書不是念得越糊塗，便是越高深了！"With all your reading, you've either grown more muddled or more profound!怎麽你底話，我一點也聽不懂？』Why is it that I can't understand a word you say?"

『你念书不是念得越糊涂，便是越高深了！怎么你底话，我一点也听不懂？』

丈夫含笑說：『不懂麽？Her husband said with a smile, "You don't understand?我知道你開口愛美．閉口愛美，多方地要求我給你帶等I know that you talk of loving beauty with every breath, and in all sorts of ways you ask me to bring you—

丈夫含笑说：『不懂么？我知道你开口爱美．闭口爱美，多方地要求我给你带等

等裝飾囘來；—ornaments and finery;我想那些東西都圍繞在你底體外，合起來，豈不是成爲一座監禁你底I think that all those things, wrapped about your body and taken together, would surely become a

等装饰囘来；我想那些东西都围绕在你底体外，合起来，岂不是成为一座监禁你底

牢獄嗎？prison that imprisons you, wouldn't they?

牢狱吗？

她靜默了許久，也不做聲．她底丈夫往下說，『妻呀，我想你還不明白我底意思：She was silent for a long while, saying nothing. Her husband went on, "My dear wife, I think you still don't understand what I mean:

她静默了许久，也不做声．她底丈夫往下说，『妻呀，我想你还不明白我底意思：

我想所有美麗的東西，只能讓他們散佈在各處，我們只能在他們底出處愛他們；I think that all beautiful things can only be left scattered about in their various places; we can only love them where they naturally belong;若是把他們聚攏起來，擱在一處，或在身上，那就不美了．……』if we gather them together and set them in one place, or upon our bodies, then they are no longer beautiful.…"

我想所有美丽的东西，只能让他们散布在各处，我们只能在他们底出处爱他们；若是把他们聚拢起来，搁在一处，或在身上，那就不美了．……』

她睁着那雙柔媚的眼，搖着頭說，『你說得不對．你說得不對．若不剖蚌，怎能得She opened wide her soft, charming eyes, and shaking her head said, "You're wrong. You're wrong. If one doesn't split open the oyster, how can one obtain—

她睁着那双柔媚的眼，摇着头说，『你说得不对．你说得不对．若不剖蚌，怎能得

着珠璣呢？—pearls?若不開山，怎能得着金剛、玉石、瑪瑙等等寶物呢？If one doesn't quarry the mountain, how can one obtain diamonds, jade, agate, and other such treasures?而且那些東西，本來不美，And besides, those things are not beautiful to begin with—

着珠玑呢？若不开山，怎能得着金刚、玉石、玛瑙等等宝物呢？而且那些东西，本来不美，

必得人把他們琢磨出來，加以裝飾，才能顯得美麗咧．若說我要裝飾，就是建築一所they must be cut and polished by human hands, adorned, before they can appear beautiful. If you say that my wanting to adorn myself is building a—

必得人把他们琢磨出来，加以装饰，才能显得美丽咧．若说我要装饰，就是建筑一所

美底牢獄，且把自己監在裏頭，且問誰不被監在這種牢獄裏頭呢？—Prison of Beauty, and shutting myself up inside it, then let me ask—who is not shut up inside such a prison?如果世間眞有美If there truly is, in this world, a Prison of—

美底牢狱，且把自己监在里头，且问谁不被监在这种牢狱里头呢？如果世间真有美

底牢獄，像你所說，那麽，我們不過是造成那牢獄底一沙一石罷了．』—Beauty, as you say, then we are nothing more than a single grain of sand or stone that goes into building that prison."

底牢狱，像你所说，那么，我们不过是造成那牢狱底一沙一石罢了．』

『我底意思就是聽其自然，連這一沙一石也毋須留存．孔雀何爲自己修飾羽"What I mean is: let things follow their own nature — not even that grain of sand or stone need be kept. Why should the peacock adorn its own—

『我底意思就是听其自然，连这一沙一石也毋须留存．孔雀何为自己修饰羽

毛呢？—feathers?芰荷何嘗把他底花染紅了呢？』Has the water-chestnut or the lotus ever dyed its own blossoms red?"

毛呢？芰荷何尝把他底花染红了呢？』

『所以說他們沒有美感！"That's precisely why I say they have no sense of beauty!我告訴你，你自己也早已把你底牢獄建築好了．』Let me tell you — you yourself long ago finished building your own prison."

『所以说他们没有美感！我告诉你，你自己也早已把你底牢狱建筑好了．』

『胡說！"Nonsense!我何曾？』When did I ever do such a thing?"

『胡说！我何曾？』

你心中不是有許多好的想像；Don't you have, in your heart, many fine imaginings;不是要照你底好理想去行事麽？and don't you wish to act according to your fine ideals?你所有底，是不Everything you possess — is it not—

你心中不是有许多好的想像；不是要照你底好理想去行事么？你所有底，是不

是從古人曾經建築過底牢獄裏檢出其中底殘片！—picked out as fragments from prisons that the ancients once built!或是在自己的世界取出來底材料呢？Or is it material drawn out from a world entirely your own?自然要加上一點人爲才能有意思．若是我底形狀和荒古時候的人一樣，你還Naturally, a touch of the artificial must be added before there can be any meaning to it. If my form were exactly like that of people in the wild ages of old, would you still—

是从古人曾经建筑过底牢狱里检出其中底残片！或是在自己的世界取出来底材料呢？自然要加上一点人为才能有意思．若是我底形状和荒古时候的人一样，你还

愛我嗎？—love me?我準敢說，你若不好好地住在你底牢獄裏頭，且不時時把牢獄底牆垣壘得I would venture to say, that if you did not dwell properly within your own prison, and did not constantly build up the walls of that prison—

爱我吗？我准敢说，你若不好好地住在你底牢狱里头，且不时时把牢狱底墙垣垒得

高高地，我也不能愛你．』—higher and higher, I too could not love you."

高高地，我也不能爱你．』

剛愎的男子，你何嘗佩服女子底話？Obstinate man — when have you ever truly admired a woman's words?你不過會說，『就是你會說話！All you can say is, "It's just that you're so good at talking!等我思想一Wait till I've thought it over for a—

刚愎的男子，你何尝佩服女子底话？你不过会说，『就是你会说话！等我思想一

會兒，再與你決戰．』—while, and then I'll do battle with you again."

会儿，再与你决战．』