The Secret Admirer （请教）
2007-01-24 21:24:04
0The Secret Admirer
By Steve McOrmond
I know your moods, the scent on your wrist,
I know when you have cares, you care to walk,
often by the sea. You would not recognize me.
I am neither short nor tall, handsome nor ugly;
when I enter a room, it is even more empty.
Born on the night of a tire fire, my life doesn’t
smell like roses, to say nothing of my history.
Me and calamity have a way of coinciding.
You needn’t worry. I’m content to linger
in parking garages and coffee shops; eyes
that follow in crowds at the mall, fingers
that barely graze your hair. At close range,
words die in my throat. One day, perhaps
I’ll find the courage, the perfect moment
to introduce myself, proclaim my desire.
Until then, I’ll run silent, at a safe distance,
attached to you by a thin, invisible wire.
暗慕者
史蒂夫 麦考蒙德
我悉知你的心境，你腕上的气息
当你烦闷，你乐意去散步，通常
是在海边。而你不会认出我来
我不矮也不高，不英俊也不难看
我进入的瞬间，空屋愈发地空旷
于胎火徐燃焦烟弥漫之夜降生，我的生命
嗅不出玫瑰，我的过去不提也罢
我和灾难，总有办法邂逅于偶然
你无需担忧。我满足于流连
在停车场，在咖啡店；双眼
殷殷追随你于商场的人流，指尖
堪堪抚过你飞起的发端。触手可及处
千言万语湮灭于喉间。也许某天
我能找到勇气，和一个完美的瞬间
向你介绍自己，并袒呈渴慕。在那之前
我将默默奔行，在安全的距离之外
被你牵引，用一根细细的，看不见的线。
Note: tire fire (from Wikipedia)
A tire fire is a slow-burning fire that occasionally occurs at dumps where tires are being stored. They are noted for being difficult to extinguish, and therefore can burn for long periods. Such fires produce a lot of smoke, which often carries toxic chemicals from the breakdown of rubber compounds while burning. A single tire contains about two U.S. gallons (7.5 liters) worth of oil.
from nobody: 初次尝试，诚心请教。有多处可商榷。如 “tire fire“， 在英文中常见，人们会立即联想到其特点，首先是燃烧慢，历时久，更主要是味道大（橡胶）。中国没有那末多废置于垃圾堆的轮胎，会很陌生。我不到万不得已，不想用注释，就翻成了现在的样子。如果大家觉得很容易从胎火联想到焦味，或许经过注释了解到，可把“焦烟弥漫”去掉， 变成“在一个胎火徐燃之夜降生。。。”
也不太喜欢“飞起的发端” 。。。“飞起的“失了平实（本诗之风格）。但必须有点什末，否则读起来不好听。
请大家赐教，谢之。另外我只是借鉴了原诗的标点。有些意译，是为了读起来连贯。总之，希望是不看原文读起来也顺，也象诗。