新诗在线第59期 |木心 从前慢| 李正栓 梁余晶 王飞等译

雨夜人鱼

从前慢（同题译）

作者：木心

译者：李正栓 梁余晶 王飞 韦乔钟

安妮 李海 礼兰刘小燕

罗坚 刘海燕 艳萍 王昌玲

从前慢

木心

记得早些少年时

大家诚诚恳恳

说一句是一句

清早上火车站

长街黑暗无行人

卖豆浆的小店冒着热气

从前的日色变得慢

车、马、邮件都慢

一生只够爱一个人

从前的锁也好看

钥匙精美有样子

你锁了，人家就懂了

All were slow in the past

Tr. Li Zhengshuan (李正栓)

I remember when I was a teenager

All were earnest and sincere,

Acting as what they said.

When I went to the railway station in early morn,

The long street was dark and nobody was in sight.

Hot steam wafted from shops selling soybean milk.

The past sunlight was slow;

Carts, horses and mails were all slow.

One could love only one person as life was slow.

The past locks looked nice;

The keys were elegant in appearance.

When you locked, all understood.

All Were Slow in the Past

Tr.Liang Yujing(梁余晶)

In my younger years, as I recall,

all of us, diligent and honest,

never said any hollow words.

Going to the railway station at dawn,

I saw a long street, dark and empty,

with a steaming cafe selling soybean milk.

In the past, daylight changed slowly.

Slow carriages. Slow horses. Slow mails.

One love, slow enough, would fill your life.

The locks of the past looked nice, too.

The keys, fine and well-shaped.

You locked something, and others would know.

when everything was slower

Tr. Wang Fei（王飞）

still remember when I was young

everyone, earnest and sincere

meant what s/he said  

         

early morning at the train station

on the long, dusky street, there weren’t any souls

only a soybean-milk shop, making hot steam        

once upon a time, the days were long

carriages, horses, and mails were all slower

it would take a lifetime to love someone

the locks were good-looking, too

their keys are as delicate and beautiful

once you locked them, people would understand

Slowness of the Past

Tr.Wei Qiaozhong(韦乔钟)

In my youth, as I remember

Everyone was earnest

Each word counted

By the train station in early morning

The avenue extended dark and empty

The little soymilk shop steaming warm

The sun paced snail-slow

So did coaches, horses, and mails

One's life was long enough for one love only

Back then, locks looked nice too

Their keys dainty and decent

Once anything was locked, the hint was taken

Everything Slower in Old Days

Tr. Anne（安妮）

I remember days when I was young.

Wholehearted and sincere, everyone

lived up to his word.

Early morning at the railway station,

on the long empty dusky street,

there was a soybean milk store steaming.

During old days, daylight flowed slow.

The train, horse and mail took their time.

You would love just one person for a lifetime.

Locks looked pretty,

keys well-designed and exquisite.

Once you locked them, people got to know it.

Moments from a Lingering Past

Tr. Li Hai(李海)

Recollections of my early youth:
people behaved in all sincerity,

men of their words;

Going to the train station at the crack of dawn,

I found myself on a long dark street with no passengers,   

hot steams rising from a soybean milk store.  

In the past, the sun took its course leisurely.

The carriages and horses, the mail service, all went slowly.

A life was enough to love just one person.

The old-style locks of the past looked pretty,

the keys exquisite and well-made.

Once the door’s locked, the others got it.

Slowness in the Past

Tr. by Lilan(礼兰)

I remember when I was young

all were diligent

each word counting

If you went to the railway station in the early morning

no person was in the dark long street

small shops selling soya milk steaming

In the past the sun was slow

so were carriages, horses, mails

A life was long enough to love only one person

The locks of the past looked pretty, too

The keys were delicate

If you lock them, people will understand

Time Moved Slower in the Past

Tr. Liu Xiaoyan(刘小艳)

In childhood, as I remember

people were diligent and honest.

Each word spoken was a promise kept.

Going to the railway station in the morning,

I saw long streets, dark and empty,

Steam rising from soy milk stalls.

In the past, the daylight drifted slowly.

So did the carriages, horses, and mails.

One life was only enough for one love.

The locks in the past looked handsome, too.

The keys, exquisite and in good shape.

When you locked them, people would know.

Once Slow

Tr.Luo Jian(罗坚)

In those years when I was a teen,

The people were genuine and down-to-earth,

saying a word,

they mean a word.

Early morning, I walked to the train station,

the long street was dark with no person.

A little stall selling soybean milk,

steamed with white smoke.

In those years, the daytime ran slowly,

the carriage, the horse and the mails were all andantes.

A whole life was just enough

to love one person.

and the locks were delicate,

with the keys in fine patterns.

If you lock up something,

people would understand it,

naturally.

Once, Time Moved Slowly

Tr.Liu Haiyan(刘海燕)

Recall in our younger days,

We were diligent and sincere,

each word spoken from the heart.

Early morning at the train station,

a long street, dark and empty,

saw a small soy milk stall steaming.

The past days went slowly.

Carriages, horses, and mails went slowly,

And our love went slowly just for one person.

Even the lock back then looked nicer, too,

and the keys, more exquisite.

Once you locked something, others would know.

Everything Was Slow in the Past

Tr.Yan Ping(艳萍)

Remembering the early days when I was young,

Everyone was sincere and honest,

Every word counted.

Early morning at the train station,

No one in the street, long and dimmed,

The soybean milk store was steaming hot.

In those days, time moved slowly

Everything moved slowly, coaches, horses, mail…

A lifetime was not enough to love one person.

Even locks looked nice,

Keys were exquisite and pretty

You locked up something, and people understood.

The Past of Leisure

Tr.Wang Changling(王昌玲)

I remember in my youthful days

Everyone is sincere

Who means what he says

My walk to the railway station before dawn

When the Long Street is dark and empty

The soybean milk stand is steaming

The sun of yore moves at a leisurely pace

Horse, cart, and mail all move at a leisurely pace

A lifetime is barely enough to love the right ONE

A rare sight is the lock of yore, and so is its key

At a locked door

The one locked out understands, and knocks no more