An Egyptian Pulled Glass Bottle

in the Shape of a Fish

Here we have thirst

And patience, from the first,

  And art, as in a wave held up for us to see

  In its essential perpendicularity;

Not brittle but                                                                    5

Intensethe spectrum, that

  Spectacular and nimble animal the fish,

  Whose scales turn aside the sun’s sword with their polish.

 

 

  Annotation

 

 

 An Egyptian Pulled Glass Bottle in the Shape of a Fish:一個埃及魚形瓶。“Pulled Glass”是古埃及製造玻璃器皿的一種方法,玻璃加熱成糊狀後,摻入顏色,再用特殊的工具將之拉鑄成形。

1

Herein this bottle. thirst:渴了喝水是人的基本需求,也因此而有水瓶的製造。

2

patience:在水瓶的製作過程中,製造者必須付以耐心。耐心也是人的基本特質。from the first:“thirst”及“patience”都是此水瓶最初形成的必要因素。人如不口渴便不必造水瓶,沒有耐心也無法完成它。

3-4

And art, ……perpendicularity:玻璃瓶之完成為一件藝術品(art),就像在波浪達到最高峰時,把它捕捉起來供人觀賞。In its essential perpendicularity:波浪的運動主要是與水平面上下垂直的。注意“thirst……patience……art”之間的關係。“thirst”觸發了人造水瓶的動機,製作過程中必須有“patience,”直到“art”的完成,此一系列過程有如波浪由開始形成達到最高峰一樣。

 

5-8

 

Not brittle……their polish:此句照文法習慣重新組合後較易懂:That spectacular and nimble animal the fish, whose scales turn aside the sun’s sword with their polish, is not brittle but intense, like the spectrum.

5

brittle:硬而易倅;脆的。

6

intense:強烈而豐富的,指光譜(spectrum)。光線照射在魚鱗上,因各鱗片角度的不同,反射出不同的顏色,形成一種光譜,色彩強烈而豐富。

7

spectacular:壯觀的;指魚色彩的絢麗。nimble:指魚行動敏捷。

8

Whose scales turn aside the sun’s sword with their polish:魚鱗折射太陽的光線。Turn aside:折射。the sun’s sword:用sword來比喻光線。With their polish:由於它們(魚鱗)表面的光澤。