第1章 沙与沫(1)

Sand and Foam

我永远在沙岸上行走，在沙土和泡沫的中间。

高潮会抹去我的脚印，风也会把泡沫吹走。

但是海洋和沙岸却将永远存在。

我曾抓起一把烟雾。

然后我伸掌一看，哎哟，烟雾变成一个虫子。

我把手握起再伸开一看，手里却是一只鸟。

我再把手握起又伸开，在掌心里站着一个容颜忧郁，向天仰首的人。

我又把手握起，当我伸掌的时候，除了烟雾以外，一无所有。

但是我听到了一支绝顶甜柔的歌曲。

I am forever walking upon these shores,Betwixt the sand and the foam.

The high tide will erase my foot-prints,And the wind will blow away the foam.

But the sea and the shore will remain forever.

Once I filled my hand with mist.

Then I opened it and lo, the mist was a worm.

And I closed and opened my hand again, and behold there was a bird.

And again I closed and opened my hand, and in its hollow stood a manwith a sad face, turned upward.

And again I closed my hand, and when I opened it there was naughtbut mist.

But I heard a song of exceeding sweetness.

仅仅在昨天，我认为我自己只是一个碎片，无韵律地在生命的穹苍中颤抖。

现在我晓得，我就是那穹苍，一切生命都是在我里面有韵律地转动的碎片。

他们在觉醒的时候对我说：“你和你所居住的世界，只不过是无边海洋的无边沙岸上的一粒沙子。”

在梦里我对他们说：“我就是那无边的海洋，大千世界只不过是我的沙岸上的沙粒。”

It was but yesterday I thought myself a fragment quivering withoutrhythm in the sphere of life.

Now I know that I am the sphere, and all life in rhythmic fragmentsmoves within me.

They say to me in their awakening, "You and the world you live in arebut a grain of sand upon the infinite shore of an infinite sea."

And in my dream I say to them, "I am the infinite sea, and all worldsare but grains of sand upon my shore."

只有一次把我窘得哑口无言，就是当一个人问我“你是谁？”的

想到神的第一个念头是一个天使。

说到神的第一个字眼是一个人。

我们是有海洋以前千万年的扑腾着、飘游着、追求着的生物，森林里的风把语言给予了我们。

那么我们怎能以昨天的声音来表现我们心中的远古年代呢？

斯芬克斯只说过一次话。斯芬克斯说：“一粒沙子就是一片沙漠，一片沙漠就是一粒沙子；现在再让我们沉默下去吧。”

Only once have I been made mute. It was when a man asked me,"Who are you?"

The first thought of God was an angel.The first word of God was a man.

We were fluttering, wandering, longing creatures a thousand thousandyears before the sea and the wind in the forest gave us words.

Now how can we express the ancient of days in us with only thesounds of our yesterdays?

The Sphinx spoke only once, and the Sphinx said, "A grain of sand is adesert, and a desert is a grain of sand; and now let us all be silent again."

我听到了斯芬克斯的话，但是我不懂得。

我在埃及的沙土上躺了很久，沉默着而且忘却了季节。

然后太阳把生命给了我，我起来在尼罗河岸上行走。

和白天一同唱歌，和黑夜一同做梦。

现在太阳又用一千只脚在我身上践踏，让我再在埃及的沙土上躺下。

但是，请看一个奇迹和一个谜吧！

那个把我集聚起来的太阳，不能把我打散。

我依旧挺立着，我以稳健的步履在尼罗河岸上行走。

I heard the Sphinx, but I did not understand.

Long did I lie in the dust of Egypt, silent and unaware of the seasons.

Then the sun gave me birth, and I rose and walked upon the banks ofthe Nile.

Singing with the days and dreaming with the nights.

And now the sun threads upon me with a thousand feet that I may lieagain in the dust of Egypt.

But behold a marvel and a riddle!

The very sun that gathered me cannot scatter me.

Still erect am I, and sure of foot do I walk upon the banks of the Nile.

记忆是相会的一种形式。

健忘是自由的一种形式。

我们依据无数太阳的运转来测定时间；他们以他们口袋里的小小的机器来测定时间。

那么请告诉我，我们怎能在同一的地点和同一的时间相会呢？

对于从银河的窗户里下望的人，空间就不是地球与太阳之间的空间了。

人性是一条光河，从永久以前流向永久。

难道在以太里居住的精灵，不妒羡世人的痛苦吗？

Remembrance is a form of meeting.

Forgetfulness is a form of freedom.

We measure time according to the movement of countlesssuns; and they measure time by little machines in their littlepockets.

Now tell me, how could we ever meet at the same placeand the same time?

Space is not space between the earth and the sun to onewho looks down from the windows of the Milky Way.

Humanity is a river of light running from the ex-eternity toeternity.

Do not the spirits who dwell in the ether envy man hispain?

在到圣城去的路上，我遇到另一位香客，我问他：“这条就是到圣城去的路吗？”

他说：“跟我来吧，再有一天一夜就到达圣城了。”

我就跟随他。我们走了几天几夜，还没有走到圣城。

使我惊讶的是，他带错了路反而对我大发脾气。

神呵，让我做狮子的俘食，要不就让兔子做我的俘食吧。

除了通过黑夜的道路，人们不能到达黎明。

我的房子对我说：“不要离开我，因为你的过去住在这里。”

道路对我说，“跟我来吧，因为我是你的将来。”

我对我的房子和道路说，“我没有过去，也没有将来。如果我住下来，我的住中就有去；如果我去，我的去中就有住。只有爱和死才能改变一切。”

On my way to the Holy City I met another pilgrim and I asked him, "Isthis indeed the way to the Holy City?"

And he said, "Follow me, and you will reach the Holy City in a dayand a night."

And I followed him. And we walked many days and many nights, yetwe did not reach the Holy City.

And what was to my surprise he became angry with me, because hehad misled me.

Make me, oh God, the prey of the lion, ere You make the rabbit myprey.

One may not reach the dawn save by the path of the night.

My house says to me, "Do not leave me, for here dwells your past."

And the road says to me, "Come and follow me, for I am your future."

And I say to both my house and the road, "I have no past, nor have Ia future. If I stay here, there is a going in my staying; and if I go there is astaying in my" going. Only love and death will change all things."

当那些睡在绒毛上面的人所做的梦，并不比睡在土地上的人的梦更美好的时候，我怎能对生命的公平失掉信心呢？

奇怪得很，对某些娱乐的愿望，也是我的痛苦的一部分。

How can I lose faith in the justice of life, when the dreams ofthose who sleep upon feathers are not more beautiful than thedreams of those who sleep upon the earth?

Strange, the desire for certain pleasures is a part of my pain.

曾有七次我鄙视了自己的灵魂：

第一次是在她可以上升而却谦让的时候。

第二次是我看见她在瘸者面前跛行的时候。

第三次是让她选择难易，而她选了易的时候。

第四次是她做错了事，却安慰自己说别人也同样做错了事。

第五次是她容忍了软弱，而把她的忍受称为坚强。

第六次是当她轻蔑一个丑恶的容颜的时候，却不知道那是她自己的面具中之一。

第七次是当她唱一首颂歌的时候，自己相信这是一种美德。

Seven times have I despised my soul:

The first time when I saw her being meek that she might attain height.

The second time when I saw her limping before the crippled.

The third time when she was given to choose between the hard and theeasy, and she chose the easy.

The fourth time when she committed a wrong, and comforted herselfthat others also commit wrong.

The fifth time when she forbore for weakness, and attributed herpatience to strength.

The sixth time when she despised the ugliness of a face, and knew notthat it was one of her own masks.

And the seventh time when she sang a song of praise, and deemed it avirtue.

我不知道什么是绝对的真理。但是我对于我的无知是谦虚的，这其中就有了我的荣誉和报酬。

在人的幻想和成就中间有一段空间，只能靠他的热望来通过。

天堂就在那边，在那扇门后，在隔壁的房里；但是我把钥匙丢了。

也许我只是把它放错了地方。

你瞎了眼睛，我是又聋又哑，因此让我们握起手来互相了解吧。

一个人的意义不在于他的成就，而在于他所企求成就的东西。

I am ignorant of absolute truth. But I am humble before my ignoranceand therein lies my honor and my reward.

There is a space between man"s imagination and man"s attainment thatmay only be traversed by his longing.

Paradise is there, behind that door, in the next room; but I have lost thekey.

Perhaps I have only mislaid it.

You are blind and I am deaf and dumb, so let us touch hands andunderstand.

The significance of man is not in what he attains, but rather in what helongs to attain.