so you want to be a writer? by Charles Bukowski

[Lake]

so you want to be a writer?
by Charles Bukowski

if it doesn't come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don't do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don't do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don't do it.
if you're doing it for money or
fame,
don't do it.
if you're doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don't do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don't do it.
if it's hard work just thinking about doing it,
don't do it.
if you're trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.


if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you're not ready.

don't be like so many writers,
don't be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don't be dull and boring and
pretentious, don't be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don't add to that.
don't do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don't do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don't do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.


那么你想成为一个作家？
查尔斯·布考斯基

如果不是从你身上迸发出来
无论如何，
都不要写。
除非它主动从你的
心，头脑，嘴
以及内脏涌出，
否则不要写。
如果你得坐上几个小时
盯着电脑屏幕
或伏在你的
打字机上
搜寻词语，
不要写。
如果你是为了钱或
名声，
不要写。
如果你想要
一个女人睡在你的床上，
不要写。
如果你要坐在那
一遍遍地修改，
不要写。
如果仅仅想想就觉得它是件难事，
不要写。
如果你试图写成某人
那样，
忘了这码事吧。

如果你要等待它从你身上
咆哮而出，
那么耐心等待吧。
如果它从没咆哮而出，
做其它的事吧。

如果你要先读给你妻子
或你的女朋友或男朋友
或你的父母或任何人听
你还没准备好。

不要像许多作家一样，
不要像成千上万的
称自己为作家的人一样，
不要枯燥，无聊
自负，不要因自恋
而憔悴。
世界上的图书馆
面对你们这种人
已打着呵欠
去睡。
不要成为他们一员。
不要写。
除非来自于
你的心灵，像火箭，
除非一动不动
会逼你发疯或
自杀或杀人，
不要写。
除非你体内的太阳
焚烧着你的五脏，
不要写。

当时机真的来临
而你被选择
它会自己写
而且会一直写下去
直到你死或它死于你。

没有其它的方法。

而且也从未有过。
_________________
the trouble with poetry is that it encourages the writing of more poetry -- Billy Collins

[William Zhou周道模]

诗好读好懂，议论入诗，时有好意象跳出，有逼人的气势。问好！
_________________
诗歌是灵魂的歌唱.
周道模

[Lake]

Thanks William. The poet is indeed outspoken.
_________________
the trouble with poetry is that it encourages the writing of more poetry -- Billy Collins

[白水]

if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

good

[戴玨]

第一句沒譯好，感覺是說“無論如何都不要寫”，可考慮：
如果它不是不顧一切地要
從你身上迸發出來，
不要寫。
_________________
I labour by singing light
我的blog
我的專欄

[Lake]

谢谢戴玨， 你说得对。我忽略了标点符号，把它并为下一行了。
_________________
the trouble with poetry is that it encourages the writing of more poetry -- Billy Collins