鬼才導演活地亞倫曾經表示,在他所拍過的所有電影當中,最令他不感滿意的電影就是《漢娜姊妹》(Hannah and Her Sisters, 1986)。不過,不少電影迷對這齣電影的印象也蠻深刻的,尤其是不倫姐夫單獨約會太太的妹妹,在舊書店裏向她曖昧表白的一幕。
飾演姐夫的米高堅人到中年,覺得婚姻枯燥乏味,竟然情不自禁地戀上了太太的妹妹。這位大叔藉着詩人康明斯(E.E. Cummings)絕美的詩歌,隱晦地向太太的妹妹表白。為什麼這個渣男大叔沒有被當場拒絕呢?大概是因為康明斯的情詩實在太浪漫精采了吧?現在就讓我們來一起重讀康明斯的《我不曾遊歷過的地方》:
somewhere i have never travelled 《我不曾遊歷過的地方》
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond 我不曾遊歷過的地方,欣然超越
any experience, your eyes have their silence: 任何經歷,你的眼神多靜寂:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me, 你最嬌柔的手勢,有力量包圍着我,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near 或有些我觸摸不到的東西,因為它們離我太近了。
your slightest look easily will unclose me 你至輕的一瞥,就能輕易解開我,
though i have closed myself as fingers, 儘管我封閉自己,如緊握手指,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens 你總是一瓣一瓣地讓我開啟,如同春天盛開
(touching skilfully, mysteriously) her first rose (巧妙、神秘地觸摸)她的第一朵玫瑰。
or if your wish be to close me, i and 若是你要關閉我,則我和
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly, 我的生命將異常美麗又驟然地閉合,
as when the heart of this flower imagines 就如玫瑰的心想像雪花
the snow carefully everywhere descending; 小心翼翼地四處飄落;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals 在這個世界上,我們所感知的任何事物都及不上
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture 你極致纖弱的力量:其質地
compels me with the color of its countries, 以它的本色驅使我,
rendering death and forever with each breathing 隨着每次呼吸形成死亡與永恒
(i do not know what it is about you that closes (我不懂你身上究竟有什麼時而關閉
and opens; only something in me understands 時而開啟;但我內心的某處理解
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses) 你雙眼的聲音比所有玫瑰都深沉)
nobody,not even the rain, has such small hands 不論誰,即使是雨,也不曾擁有如此小巧的雙手。
雖然康明斯採用的標點符號異常,又連I(我)也不用大寫,但他的詩句所流露的清新真挚與撩人感性卻實在叫人招架不住,難怪太太的妹妹明知事有蹺蹊,回家後仍然忍不住在夜闌人靜時,偷偷細味姐夫朗讀過的情詩。
撰文︰曹穎寶博士
香港恒生大學英文系副教授兼系主任