〈受傷的小孩〉∣ 〈The Hurt Child〉
◎瑪格麗特．愛特伍 ∣ ◎Margaret Atwood
受傷的小孩會咬你 ∣ The hurt child will bite you.
受傷的小孩會化身 ∣ The hurt child will turn
可怕的怪物 ∣ into a fearsome creature
來咬你。 ∣ and bite you where you stand.
受傷的小孩長出一層皮膚 ∣ The hurt child will grow a skin
蓋住你送的傷口 ∣ over the wound you have given it
──也不能說是送的，因為傷口 ∣ – or not given, because the wound
不是禮物，禮物是不一定 ∣ is not a gift, a gift is accepted
要收的，小孩沒得選擇。 ∣ freely, and the child had no choice.
它長出一層皮膚蓋住傷口 ∣ It will grow a skin over the wound,
珍藏的傷口、代代相傳的傷口 ∣ the hoarded wound, the heirloom wound
你從身上挖出來像挖出一枚子彈 ∣ you have pried out of yourself like a bullet
植入它的肉── ∣ and implanted in its flesh –
植入皮膚獸皮毛皮 ∣ a skin a hide a pelt
植入燙傷的外皮 ∣ a scalded rind,
植入魚類的尖齒 ∣ and sharp fish teeth
像乳牙── ∣ like a warped baby's –
然後它會咬你 ∣ and it will bite you
你會喊犯規 ∣ and you will cry foul
你就是會喊犯規 ∣ as is your habit
然後會打架 ∣ and there will be a fight
因為你會讓打架派上用場 ∣ because you'll take the fight out of the box
標著打架你一直好好收著 ∣ labelled Fights you keep so carefully stored
以防萬一，萬一就是現在， ∣ against emergencies, and this is one,
受傷的小孩會打輸 ∣ and the hurt child will lose the fight
它會跌跌撞撞 ∣ and it will go lurching off
闖進郊區，在藥妝店 ∣ into the suburbs, and it will cause
造成恐慌毀掉 ∣ panic in drugstores and havoc
大家的烤肉 ∣ among the barbecues
他們會說救命救命有個怪物 ∣ and they will say Help help a monster
它會上新聞 ∣ and it will get into the news
它會被追捕 ∣ and it will be hunted
獵犬出動，而它留下蹤跡 ∣ with dogs, and it will leave a trail
留下髮、毛、鱗片、乳牙和眼淚 ∣ of hair,fur,scales,and baby teeth,and tears
留下被碎玻璃之類 ∣ from where it has been ripped
扯下的東西 ∣ by broken glass and such
它會躲進山洞 ∣ and it will hide in culverts
躲進工具間、樹叢下 ∣ in toolsheds, under shrubs,
舔它的傷口，舔它的狂怒 ∣ licking its wound, its rage,
你送它的狂怒 ∣ the rage you gave it
它會拖著身體尋找一口井 ∣ and it will drag itself to the well
尋找湖泊溪流水庫 ∣ the lake the stream the reservoir
因為它渴 ∣ because it is thirsty
因為它像怪物一樣 ∣ because it is monstrous
像怪物一樣渴 ∣ with its raging thirst
渴讓它看起來長滿了刺 ∣ which looks like spines all over it
狗和獵人會找到它 ∣ and the dogs and the hunters will find it
它不會再逃 ∣ and it will stand at bay
而是哀嚎不公平 ∣ and howl about injustices
它會被開腸剖肚 ∣ and it will be torn open
心臟會被吃掉 ∣ and they will eat its heart
所有人會歡欣鼓舞 ∣ and everyone will cheer,
謝天謝地都結束了！ ∣ Thank god that's over!
小孩的血會滲入水脈 ∣ And its blood will seep into the water
你會每天喝。 ∣ and you will drink it every day.