这个早晨不同寻常。一点小雪
盖在地上。太阳浮在清澈的
蓝天里。海是蓝的，一片蓝绿，
远到视线所及。
几乎不起一丝涟漪。静谧。我穿上衣出门
散步——在接纳大自然必然的
馈赠之前不打算回来。
我走过一些苍老的，躬着身子的树。
穿过散落着堆积小雪的石头的
田野。一直走，
直到悬崖。
在那里，我凝望着大海，天空，以及
在低远处白色沙滩上盘旋的
海鸥。一切都很可爱。一切都沐浴在纯净的
清冷的光里。但是，和往常一样，我的思想
开始漫游。我不得不集中
精神去看那些我看着的东西
而不是别的什么。我不得不告诉自己这就是
紧要的事，而不是别的。（我确实看着它，
一两分钟之久！）有一两分钟
它从往常的关于是是非非的沉思中
挣扎出来——责任，
温柔的回忆，关于死亡的想法，以及我该如何对待
我的前妻。我希望
所有的事情这个早晨都会离开。
我每天都要忍受的事物。为了
继续活下去我所糟践的东西。
但是有一两分钟我真的忘记了
我自己以及别的一切。我知道我做到了。
因为当我转身返回我不知道
我在哪里。直到鸟儿从扭曲的树上
腾空飞起。飞翔在
我需要行进的方向。
lay on the ground. The sun floated in a clear
blue sky. The sea was blue, and blue-green,
as far as the eye could see.
Scarcely a ripple. Calm. I dressed and went
for a walk -- determined not to return
until I took in what Nature had to offer.
I passed close to some old, bent-over trees.
Crossed a field strewn with rocks
where snow had drifted. Kept going
until I reached the bluff.
Where I gazed at the sea, and the sky, and
the gulls wheeling over the white beach
far below. All lovely. All bathed in a pure
cold light. But, as usual, my thoughts
began to wander. I had to will
myself to see what I was seeing
and nothing else. I had to tell myself this is what
mattered, not the other. (And I did see it,
for a minute or two!) For a minute or two
it crowded out the usual musings on
what was right, and what was wrong -- duty,
tender memories, thoughts of death, how I should treat
with my former wife. All the things
I hoped would go away this morning.
The stuff I live with every day. What
I've trampled on in order to stay alive.
But for a minute or two I did forget
myself and everything else. I know I did.
For when I turned back i didn't know
where I was. Until some birds rose up
from the gnarled trees. And flew
in the direction I needed to be going.
盖在地上。太阳浮在清澈的
蓝天里。海是蓝的，一片蓝绿，
远到视线所及。
几乎不起一丝涟漪。静谧。我穿上衣出门
散步——在接纳大自然必然的
馈赠之前不打算回来。
我走过一些苍老的，躬着身子的树。
穿过散落着堆积小雪的石头的
田野。一直走，
直到悬崖。
在那里，我凝望着大海，天空，以及
在低远处白色沙滩上盘旋的
海鸥。一切都很可爱。一切都沐浴在纯净的
清冷的光里。但是，和往常一样，我的思想
开始漫游。我不得不集中
精神去看那些我看着的东西
而不是别的什么。我不得不告诉自己这就是
紧要的事，而不是别的。（我确实看着它，
一两分钟之久！）有一两分钟
它从往常的关于是是非非的沉思中
挣扎出来——责任，
温柔的回忆，关于死亡的想法，以及我该如何对待
我的前妻。我希望
所有的事情这个早晨都会离开。
我每天都要忍受的事物。为了
继续活下去我所糟践的东西。
但是有一两分钟我真的忘记了
我自己以及别的一切。我知道我做到了。
因为当我转身返回我不知道
我在哪里。直到鸟儿从扭曲的树上
腾空飞起。飞翔在
我需要行进的方向。
lay on the ground. The sun floated in a clear
blue sky. The sea was blue, and blue-green,
as far as the eye could see.
Scarcely a ripple. Calm. I dressed and went
for a walk -- determined not to return
until I took in what Nature had to offer.
I passed close to some old, bent-over trees.
Crossed a field strewn with rocks
where snow had drifted. Kept going
until I reached the bluff.
Where I gazed at the sea, and the sky, and
the gulls wheeling over the white beach
far below. All lovely. All bathed in a pure
cold light. But, as usual, my thoughts
began to wander. I had to will
myself to see what I was seeing
and nothing else. I had to tell myself this is what
mattered, not the other. (And I did see it,
for a minute or two!) For a minute or two
it crowded out the usual musings on
what was right, and what was wrong -- duty,
tender memories, thoughts of death, how I should treat
with my former wife. All the things
I hoped would go away this morning.
The stuff I live with every day. What
I've trampled on in order to stay alive.
But for a minute or two I did forget
myself and everything else. I know I did.
For when I turned back i didn't know
where I was. Until some birds rose up
from the gnarled trees. And flew
in the direction I needed to be going.