Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town

Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town

Reading by Dr. Edward Vargo

原文與注釋(Text and Annotation)

anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did﹒
Women and men (both little and small)	5
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew	10
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still	15
anyone's any was all to her
someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then) they
said their nevers they slept their dream	20
stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow Can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember	(22-23)
with up so floating many bells down)
one day anyone died I guess	25
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)	(25-26)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was
all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep	30
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.
Women and men (both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came	35
sun Moon stars rain

Line

Word or Phrase

Annotation

1.		anyone 住在一個相當如何的鎮上。anyone是一個個人主義者(individualist)，能夠愛人，也是一個依個人天性去發展的人。他卻住在一個「相當如何的鎮上」。這鎮上的人講求如何鑽營，如何獲致外在的成功，成為與眾相同的人(conformists)。因此，第一行中就表示出 anyone與他周遭的人很不相同。[back]
2.	with up... down:	照一般的字序應是 with so many bells floating up [and] down。鐘聲代表時間的逝去。作者這樣的安排，予人一種生動活躍的韻律感。[back]
3.		本行作春、夏、秋、冬; 11行作秋、冬、春、夏; 34行作夏、秋、冬、春，皆代表自然時序的轉換。另11行和34行所作的次序改變亦有助於協韻。[back]
4.	he sang his didnt:	anyone志不在蠅營狗苟，故雖匱乏而不減其樂。didn't指他所無者。he danced his did指他能樂其所有。[back]
5.	Women and men:	指一般的市井之徒亦即詩中的 someones和 everyones。他們蠅營狗苟，自矜自重，實則他們的生命微不足道 (both little and small)，沒有意義。[back]
6.	cared . . . at all:	顯示出 women和 men只關心自己，而不能去愛人。anyone指詩中的一個人，但亦可隱指任何人。[back]
7.	they sowed . . . their same:	Cumming's認為一個能順天性發展，並能切切實質生活的人是一個"IS"。這一行是說: 他們播他們的 isn't，亦即他們不能順天性而發展自己，所以他們只是 isn't，也只能收穫 isn't。也就是說: 雖然他們活過一生，也只是白白的過了一生。 [back]
8.	sun moon stars rain:	也是用以代表時序的變化，但比 anyone所依據的 spring summer autumn winter顯得機械化些。[back]
9.	children guessed . . . few:	有些兒童本性末汲，故猶能憑藉本能測知。[back]
10.	down they . . . grew:	然而，一般兒童長大之後，漸漸變成 someones和 everyones，本性也就漸漸泯滅。[back]
12.	noone:	在詩中以虛為實，以 noone來稱愛上 anyone的一個individualist。
12.	more by more:	從little by little一詞引申而來。亦即 noone越來越愛 anyone。[back]
13.	when by now:	指 anyone和 noone 能夠切切實實地享受人生。when代表永值的時間，by有 replaced by之意，now指目前。
13.	tree by leaf:	tree指大自然，by有at the time of之意，leaf指春日長出的葉子，故指充實的人生。[back]
14.	she...grief	因 noone深愛著anyone，故她能樂其所樂，亦能憂其所憂。[back]
15.	bird by snow:	有雪中之鳥的意思。兩情相悅，即使冬天亦如鳥語的春日。
15.	stir by still:	stir為動，still為靜。亦即能在平靜中，獲得動的生活意義。[back]
17.		蠅營狗苟者亦與蠅營狗苟者結合在一起。[back]
18.	laughed their cryings:	someones和 everyones內心空虛，一片悲戚，但外表上還強裝笑容。
18.	did their dance:	他們不能真正的享受人生，只是機械地做他們的日常工作。參較第4行"he danced his did"。[back]
19.	sleep wake hope:	指出其生活之缺乏意義，其希望亦消逝無蹤。[back]
19-20.	they/said their nevers:	他們禱告 (said their prayers)，但內容卻一無所有，也就無從實現。[back]
20.	they slept their dream:	他們的夢想也無從真正地實現。參較第30行。[back]
22-23.		雪覆蓋起一切有生命的東西。孩童日漸長大，其本性亦日漸泯滅，有如為雪所覆。故惟有雪可以解說孩子們如何易於遺忘。[back]
24.	with up... down:	從上下文看來，本行的語氣變為沉重，代表生命的消逝。[back]
25-26.		死為人生必然的過程。anyone死後，noone也不久人世。[back]
27.	busy folk:	匆忙的眾生，即 someones和 everyones。[back]
28.	little by little:	從原來的「漸漸」之意而轉變成 anyone是一個 little, noone也是一個 little。兩個充充實實生活的小人物並埋在一起。(參看上行 side by side。)
28.	was by was:	anyone生前是一個 is, noone也是一個 is，死後並埋在一起，故稱 was by was。 [back]
29.	all by all:	all指他們享受人生的一切。
29.	deep by deep:	deep指他們的愛和生活都有深度。[back]
30.	more by more:	more一方面可指 anyone和 noone 的生活比 someones 和everyones有意義，另一方面 more and more又回到「越來越. . . . . 」之意。
30.	they dream their sleep:	死對 anyone和 noone並非一切的結束，在恆久的睡眠中仍然有其夢想。注意句中 dream已成為現在式。(參看第20行; someones和 everyones的情況是 "slept their dream"。)[back]
31.	earth by april:	指在春天的大地，充滿生氣和希望。by 有 at the time of之意。[back]
32.	wish by spirit:	wish指一廂情願的想法 (wishful thinking), by有 replaced by之意，spirit指真實的生活境地。也就是他們踏實地生活。
32.	if by yes:	if是有條件的，懷疑的; by 為 replaced by之意; yes是肯定的。是說他們能肯定生命的意義。[back]
33.	both dong and ding:	一般市井之徒還是如鐘聲般，機械似的生活著。[back]
34.	summer...spring	此行提出當做一種對比。也就是說，someones和 everyones本可以和 anyone和 noone一樣依自然的規律生活; 但他們並沒有。從34行中，我們可以看出 someones和everyones還是依據比較機械的時間生活。[back]
35.	reaped their sowing:	到頭來，如何播種，亦如何收穫。他們的生命沒有實質的意義。
35.	went their came:	someones和 everyones也是要死。注意這一行還是用過去式，暗示他們死得毫無希望。[back]

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