Starlings in Winter

Mary Oliver

Chunky1. chunky: 短粗的，厚实的。and noisy,

but with stars in their black feathers,

they spring from the telephone wire

and instantly

they are acrobats

in the freezing wind.

And now, in the theater of air,

they swing2. swing: 摇摆，旋转，（秋千一样）来回晃动。over buildings,

dipping and rising;

they float like one stippled3. stippled: 点刻的，点画的。star

that opens,

becomes for a moment fragmented,

then closes again;

and you watch

and you try

but you simply can’t imagine

how they do it

with no articulated4. articulated: 明确表达的，用语言说出的。instruction, no pause,

only the silent confirmation

that they are this notable thing,

成群结队，吵来吵去，

但黑色的羽毛里却繁星点点，

它们从电线上

倏忽跳起

它们是杂技演员

在冬日的寒风里。

现在，就在这半空的剧院中，

它们在楼宇间荡起秋千，

一会儿俯冲下去，一会儿又直冲云霄；

它们游来荡去，点刻成璀璨的星星

瞬间张开，

散落繁星满天，

却又悄然合拢；

你看着

你揣摩着

但你却无法想象

它们怎么做到的？

没有明确的指令，没有片刻的停顿，

你只好默默赞叹

鬼斧神工，浑然天成，

this wheel of many parts, that can rise and spin

over and over again,

full of gorgeous life.

Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us,

even in the leafless winter,

even in the ashy city.

I am thinking now

of grief, and of getting past it;

I feel my boots

trying to leave the ground,

I feel my heart

pumping5. pump: 用水泵抽，在此指心脏跳动。hard. I want

to think again of dangerous and noble things.

I want to be light and frolicsome6. frolicsome: 爱玩闹的，嬉戏的。.

I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing,

as though I had wings.

这由许多零件构成的轮子，能够凌空而起

盘旋反复，

承载着无限的生机。

啊，世界，你给我们什么样的馈赠啊？

在这绿叶凋敝的季节，

在这烟雾迷蒙的城市。

悲伤侵袭而来，而我现在就要去超越；

我感到我的靴子

就要离开地面，

我感到我的心脏

怦怦跳动。

我又想起危险与崇高。

我宁愿轻轻飞起，

我宁愿碧空游弋，

我宁愿美丽无比，

我宁愿无所畏惧，

因为我心生双翼。