Robert Frost - Departmental 汉译

An ant on the tablecloth

Ran into a dormant moth

Of many times his size.

He showed not the least surprise.

His business wasn’t with such.

He gave it scarcely a touch,

And was off on his duty run.

Yet if he encountered one

Of the hive’s enquiry squad

Whose work is to find out God

And the nature of time and space,

He would put him onto the case.

Ants are a curious race;

One crossing with hurried tread

The body of one of their dead

Isn’t given a moment’s arrest-

Seems not even impressed.

But he no doubts report to any

With whom he crosses antennae,

And they no doubt report

To the higher up at court.

Then word goes forth in Formic:

“Death’s come to Jerry McCormic,

Our selfless forager Jerry.

Will the special Janizary

Whose office it is to bury

The dead of the commissary

Go bring him home to his people.

Lay him in state on a sepal.

Wrap him for shroud in a petal.

Embalm him with ichor of nettle.

This is the word of your Queen.”

And presently on the scene

Appears a solemn mortician;

And taking formal position

With feelers calmly atwiddle,

Seizes the dead by the middle,

And heaving him high in the air,

Carries him out of there.

No one stands round to stare.

It is nobody else’s affair.

It couldn’t be called ungentle.

But how thoroughly departmental.

分工

桌布上爬行着一只蚂蚁，

遇到了一只休眠的蛾子，

那身材有他的好几倍大，

他丝毫没有显露出惊讶，

应付这种情况不是本分，

他几乎没有去蹭他一蹭，

便继续去履行他的职责。

但是他如果碰上了一只

蚁群调查小组里的蚂蚁——

小组的任务是找出上帝，

研究时间和空间的性质——

就会把问题交给他处理。

蚂蚁是一种奇异的族类：

即使在一直匆忙赶路时

践踏过另一只蚁的尸体，

也不会有一瞬间的分神，

甚至显得有点麻木不仁，

但是一定会把消息传递

给触须触到的任何蚂蚁，

这蚂蚁又毫无问题回去

报告蚂蚁王国上层当局。

然后便会传来这类蚁语：

“本朝无私的粮秣官杰瑞，

杰瑞·麦克米克已殉职；

有位全权专职杰尼扎瑞，

主持该军需官身后事宜，

特派料理殡葬专职官吏

运送他返回到乡梓故里，

置诸花萼以便举哀行礼，

并用花瓣充当他的殓衣，

再以荨麻汁液涂敷躯体。

这便是女王懿旨，钦此。”

于是便会有庄严的执事，

立即出现在出事的场地，

平心静气地转动着触须，

他正式就职，行礼如仪，

再兜腰抓住死者的躯体，

把他在半空中高高举起，

举着他的遗体随即离去。

没有任何蚂蚁前来围观，

因为这与其他蚂蚁无关。

这不能说成是无情无义，

然而，分工是多么彻底。