PBS高端访谈:诗歌伴随着我们生命中的重要时刻

AMNA NAWAZ: It's National Poetry Month, whereby poetry is lauded¹ in schools, libraries and bookstores all over the country. Poetry often gets a bad rap for being inaccessible², or too esoteric for most readers' tastes. But, tonight, poet and author David Gewanter shares his Humble³ Opinion on how, in fact, we use poetry in deeply important moments in our lives.

DAVID GEWANTER, Poet: Just the other day, I heard that poetry had died again. Poetry, the critics tell us, is too slow for our wired, sound-bitten world. I won't speak against these funeral directors of poetry. Who knows, they might tell me I'm dead too. But little shreds⁴ of poems are lying all around, like clumps⁵ of DNA⁶ found at the murder scene or some healthy virus passing when a body meets a body, coming through the rye. You don't need to be much of a detective to find it. We all carry bits of song with us, tatters of prayers, movie lines or advertising⁷ jingles⁸. We pocket them as souvenirs to help us remember things, like carpentry's righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Some poem viruses protect us, such as the sailor's rhyme: Red sky in morning, sailor take warning. So, poetry may be dead, but, as for poems, they don't rest in peace. They leave little twigs⁹ and thorns inside our heads, jabbing us awake. They witness our most vital moments. They warm our bedrooms and cheer the birth room. Poems reliably show up for graduations, weddings, and retirements¹⁰, brimming with tearful homilies. And they never miss a funeral. Poems also help us through the prosaic¹¹ days. I heard a couple having a not-heart-to-heart exchange, and thought of the two-liner from my teacher the poet Thom Gunn: Their relationship consisted in discussing if it existed. Years later, after Thom Gunn died, I wrote this dream poem about him walking by: My teacher limps on his heavy boot, the heel broken off. A cobbler's shop appears, and I buy the black nails, the hammer, glue and strapping¹². I work hard on it, bending there, until he speaks and walks on. But, as he is dead, his voice and step make no sound. So, poems give the past a second life. And poems help us move from who we are to who we want to become. They mix present life with our imagination and desires. Like a seat belt, crossing our hearts and loins, they define our position, even as we travel down the road. So, keep your poems close. The inner life you save may be your own.

阿姆纳·纳瓦兹：本月是全国诗歌月，诗歌在全国各地的学校，图书馆及书店广受赞誉。诗歌往往因为晦涩难懂而受到谴责，或者对于大多数读者的口味而言太过深奥。但是，今晚诗人兼作家大卫·赫瓦特分享了他的“谦卑观点”，在我们生活中的重要时刻，应如何运用诗歌。

大卫·赫瓦特，诗人：就在那一天，我听说诗歌又一次死去了。批评论者说，我们的世界纷繁交错，句句一针见血，诗歌对于我们而言太慢了。我不会声讨这些诗歌的埋葬者。谁知道，他们可能会告诉我，我也死了。但是，诗歌碎片散落，犹如谋杀现场发现的DNA团块，或者当身体互相接触时，通过黑麦传播的健康病毒。发现它的踪迹相当容易。歌曲常伴我们左右，祷告音乐，电影插曲或广告片段。我们将它们作为纪念品包裹起来，帮助我们记住一些事情，比如木工的配件。一些诗歌“病毒”保护着我们，比如水手的韵律：早上红色的天空，水手们要警惕。所以，诗歌可能已经死了，但是，对于诗歌来说，它们并不安宁。它们在我们头顶留下小树枝和荆棘，让我们醒来。它们见证了我们最重要的时刻。它们温暖我们的卧房，为新生命而欢呼雀跃。诗歌出现在毕业典礼，婚礼以及退休仪式上，分外可靠，不由让人们泪流满面。它们不会错过任何一场葬礼。在那些了然无趣的日子里，诗歌帮我们渡过。我听说有一对夫妇心不在焉地交流，并想起我的老师，诗人托姆·葛恩的句子：他们的关系除了讨论就没别的了，如果这种关系真的存在。多年以后，在汤姆·葛恩死后，我写下了这首梦想诗，关于他的过往：我的老师，他穿着沉甸甸的靴子，有些跛足，脚跟脱落。一个皮匠的商店出现了，我买了黑色的指甲，锤子，胶水和捆扎带。我努力工作，劳碌不辍，直到他说话并继续前行。但是，他已经走了，他的声音和脚步悄无声息。所以，诗歌给了过去第二次生命。诗歌可以帮助我们从我们的身份转变为我们想成为的人。它们将现在的生活与我们的想象和欲望混合。就像安全带一样，穿过我们的心脏和腰部，即使我们在路上，它们也确定了我们的位置。所以，保持你与诗歌的密切。你留存的内心可能是你自己的。

1 lauded   

v.称赞，赞美( laud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They lauded the former president as a hero. 他们颂扬前总统为英雄。 来自辞典例句
• The nervy feats of the mountaineers were lauded. 登山者有勇气的壮举受到赞美。 来自辞典例句

2 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

3 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

4 shreds   

v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件）

参考例句：

• Peel the carrots and cut them into shreds. 将胡罗卜削皮，切成丝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I want to take this diary and rip it into shreds. 我真想一赌气扯了这日记。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

5 clumps   

n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声

参考例句：

• These plants quickly form dense clumps. 这些植物很快形成了浓密的树丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bulbs were over. All that remained of them were clumps of brown leaves. 这些鳞茎死了，剩下的只是一丛丛的黃叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

7 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

8 jingles   

叮当声( jingle的名词复数 )； 节拍十分规则的简单诗歌

参考例句：

• Can I give Del and Mr. Jingles some? 我可以分一点给戴尔和金格先生吗？
• This story jingles bells for many of my clients. 这个故事对我许多客户来说都耳熟能详。

9 twigs   

细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
• Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。

10 retirements   

退休( retirement的名词复数 )； 退职； 退役； 退休的实例

参考例句：

• We've had two retirements in our office this year. 今年我们办公室已有二人退休。
• Those may take the form of sackings redundancies, temporary layoffs or retirements. 这些形式有开除，作为编余人员，暂时解雇或退休。

11 prosaic   

adj.单调的，无趣的

参考例句：

• The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。
• It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。

12 strapping   

adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• He's a strapping lad—already bigger than his father. 他是一个魁梧的小伙子——已经比他父亲高了。
• He was a tall strapping boy. 他是一个高大健壮的小伙子。