The Zen of Cat 一只貓的精美哲學(xué)
The Zen of Cat 一只貓的精美哲學(xué)
◎ Jim Wills
The boy was very sad. He knew that the cat’s days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn’t anything more that could be done, that he should take the cat home and make him as comfortable as possible.
男孩非常傷心。他知道貓的日子已經(jīng)屈指可數(shù)了。醫(yī)生說已經(jīng)沒法治了，他只能把貓帶回家，盡可能地讓它在剩下的時間里過得舒服些。
The boy stroked the cat on his lap and sighed. The cat opened his eyes, purred and looked up at the boy. A tear rolled down the Boy’s cheek and landed on the cat’s forehead. The cat gave him a slightly annoyed look.
男孩把貓放在大腿上，輕輕撫摩著它，嘆了口氣。貓睜開眼睛，喵喵地叫著，抬頭看了看男孩。一滴淚珠順著男孩的臉頰滑落，落在了貓的額頭上。貓有點兒不高興地看了他一眼。
“Why do you cry, Boy?” the cat asked. “Because you can’t bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?” The boy nodded “yes.”
“你哭什么啊，伙計？”貓問，“因為你無法承受將要失去我？因為你認(rèn)為永遠(yuǎn)都沒有什么能代替我？”男孩點了點頭。“是啊?！?
“And where do you think I’ll be when I leave you?” the cat asked. The boy shrugged helplessly. “Close your eyes, Boy,” the cat said. The boy gave him a questioning look, but did as he was told.
“那你認(rèn)為當(dāng)我離開你后，我會去往什么地方呢？”貓問道。男孩無奈地聳了聳肩?！伴]上你的眼睛，孩子?！必堈f。男孩疑惑地看了他一眼，但還是照著貓所說的去做。
“What color are my eyes and fur?” the cat asked. “Your eyes are gold and your fur is a rich, warm brown,” the boy replied.
“我的眼睛和毛皮是什么顏色的？”貓問?！澳愕难劬κ墙鹕?，你的毛皮是濃郁而溫暖的褐色。”男孩回答。
“And where is it that you most often see me?” asked the cat. “I see you...on the kitchen windowsill watching the birds...on my favorite chair...on my desk lying on the papers I need...on the pillow next to my head at night.” “Then, whenever you wish to see me, all you must do is close your eyes,” said the cat.
“那你最常見到我是在什么地方呢？”貓問?！拔医?jīng)常見到你……在廚房的窗臺上看鳥兒……在我最喜歡的椅子上……躺在桌子上我需要用的文件上……晚上睡在我腦袋邊的枕頭上?！薄澳敲矗瑹o論什么時候你想見我，你只要閉上你的眼睛就可以了?！必堈f。
“Pick up that piece of string from the floor—there, my ‘toy’.” The boy opened his eyes, then reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. “Now take each end of the string in one hand,” the cat ordered. The boy did so.
“把地上那段繩子撿起來——那里，我的‘玩具’?！蹦泻⒈犻_眼睛，伸手撿起了繩子。繩子大約有兩英尺長，貓曾經(jīng)能玩著繩子自娛自樂好幾個小時?！艾F(xiàn)在用兩只手捏住繩子的兩端?！必埫畹馈Ｄ泻⒄兆隽?。
“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the cat said. The boy complied.
“你左手捏著的那端，是我的出生，而右手的那端，就是我的死亡?，F(xiàn)在把兩端連在一起?！必堈f道。男孩又照做了。
“You have made a continuous circle,” said the cat. “Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?” The Boy inspected the string and then shook his head “no.”
“你擺出了一個連貫的圓圈，”貓說，“這個繩子上的任意一點與其他點有什么不同嗎？或者比繩子的其他部分更好或更差嗎？”男孩看著那根繩子，然后搖了搖頭?！皼]有?！?
“Close your eyes again,” the cat said. “Now lick your hand.” The boy widened his eyes in surprise.
“再次閉上你的眼睛，”貓說，“現(xiàn)在舔舔你的手。”男孩驚訝地睜大了眼睛。
“Just do it,” the cat said. “Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, think about all the pieces of string.”
“照我說的做吧，”貓說，“舔舔你的手，想想我在所有我熟悉的地方，想想所有的繩子?！?
The boy felt foolish, licking his hand, but he did as he was told. He discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The cat’s eyes were closed. The boy stroked the warm, brown fur, but the cat was gone.
要舔自己的手，男孩覺得很愚蠢，但他還是照做了。他發(fā)現(xiàn)了貓所知道的秘密——舔爪子能讓一個人鎮(zhèn)靜下來，思維也會變得更清晰。他繼續(xù)舔著，他的嘴角開始上揚，這些天來第一次露出了微笑。他在等著貓叫停，可是沒等到，于是他睜開了眼睛。貓的眼睛已經(jīng)閉上了。男孩撫摩著貓溫暖的褐色毛皮，可是貓已經(jīng)去了。
The boy shut his eyes hard as the tears poured down his face. He saw the cat on the windowsill, then in his bed, then lying across his important papers. He saw him on the pillow next to his head, saw his bright gold eyes and darkest brown on his nose and ears. He opened his eyes and through his tears looked over at the circle of string he still held clutched in his hand.
男孩用力地閉上了眼睛，淚如泉涌。他看到貓蹲在窗臺上，然后在他的床上，然后躺在他的重要文件上。他看到貓在他腦袋邊的枕頭上，看到他明亮的金黃色的眼睛還有鼻子和耳朵上深褐色的毛發(fā)。他睜開眼睛，透過淚水看向他依然抓在手里的繩圈。
One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely calico and white...very different from his earlier beloved cat and very much the same.
不久以后的某一天，他的膝上有了一只新的貓。它是一只可愛的白色花斑貓——與之前那只他深愛的貓是那么的不同，然而又是那么的相同。
