Poem 986

Reading by Dr. Edward Vargo

J986

A narrow fellow in the grass
Occasionally rides
You May have met him? Did you not
His notice sudden is.
The grass divides as with a comb,	5
A spotted shaft is seen;
And then it closes at your feet
And opens further on.
He likes a boggy acre,
A floor too cool for corn,	10
Yet when a boy, and barefoot
I more than once, at noon
Have passed, l thought, a whip lash
Unbraiding in the sun,
when stooping to secure it,	15
It wrinkled, and was gone.
Several of nature's people
I know, and they know me
I feel for them a transport
Of cordiality	20
But never met this fellow,
Attended or alone,
Without a tighter breathing
And zero at the bone.

　
Annotation

Line	Word or phrase	Annotation
1	narrow fellow	狹長的傢伙，指瘦長的蛇，但詩中避不用「蛇」字，讓讀者猜測之際，另獲一番情趣，同時也逆免引起傳統上對蛇的各種聯想。
2	rides	騎，指蛇爬行之美姿。
3	You May...not	此行之標點不合慣例，依例應將問號置於全句句末。
4	his...is	總是出其不意地注意到他.。
5-8	the grass...on	此段寫蛇來既無蹤，去也無跡。整個過程頗為緊湊，而詩中人更以超然而常奇想的口吻說出。
5	the grass ...comb	草向兩邊劈過，如同梳子梳髮。
6	A spotted shaft	斑點的矛柄，指蛇身上帶斑點。
7	it closes...opens further on	草在你腳邊再度合攏, 往前一直開展過去。
9	boggy acre	沼澤地，泛指一小片潮濕的地方。
10	floor	此處指地。
	too cool for corn	太冷，不適合玉蜀黍生長。
11	yet	指雖為人煙稀少的地區~詩中人卻經常到此，因而有幸與爬蟲類的同伴打過幾次照面。
	when a boy	原為when I was a boy或when as a boy。
13	passed	從…旁邊走過。
	whip lash	鞭索。鞭索通常由數股細皮帶編成，其紋路與蛇身上之紋路相近。
14	Unbraiding	解開，伸開。指蛇倦縮的身體向外展開。
15	stooping to secure	彎下腰去撿取。
16	wrinkled	皺成一團。
	was gone	消失了。
17-18	Several...I know	倒裝句，原為I know several of nature people。
17	nature's people	大自然的子民。
18	I know, and they...me	我認識他們。他們也認識我。影射他們的相對關係。
19-20	I...cordiality	=l feel a transport of cordiality for them，我對他們產生了一陣強烈的好感。transport一陣強烈的情緒。cordiality友善。
21-24	but...bone	此段說明詩中人與蛇的交情固然無可置疑，但每次邂逅，詩中人心中仍然不免傖慌恐懼。
21	But never met	=But never have l met﹒
22	Attended	有人陪伴。
23	tighter breathing	一陣氣促心悸。
24	zero at the bone	骨子裏一陣冷，Zero指華氏零度的氣溫，極冷。

　
　