雷蒙德·卡佛 著
孙仲旭 译

作家能挣多少钱？她说
首先
她以前
从来没遇到过一位作家
不多我说
他们也得做别的事
比如什么？她说
比如在工厂上班我说
扫地教书
摘水果
诸如此类
各种各样的事我说
在我们国家她说
上过大学的人
绝对不会去扫地
嗯那只是一开始的时候我说
作家都能挣很多钱
给我写首诗吧她说
一首情诗
所有的诗都是情诗我说
不明白她说
这不好解释我说
现在就给我写一首吧
好吧我说
一块餐巾/一枝铅笔
写给塞姆拉我写道
不是现在傻啊她说
一边轻轻啃我的肩膀
我只是想看看
晚一点？我说
一边把手放到她的大腿上
晚一点吧她说
噢塞姆拉塞姆拉
除了巴黎她说
伊斯坦布尔是最漂亮的城市
你读过莪默·伽亚谟（见注）吗？她说
读过读过我说
一块面包一瓶葡萄酒
我对莪默倒背如流
顺着也行
卡里尔·纪伯伦？她说
谁？我说
纪伯伦她说
谈不上我说
你觉得军队怎么样？她说
你参过军吗？
没有我说
我没觉得军队怎么样
怎么会呢？她说
该死你难道不觉得男人
应该参军？
嗯当然我说
他们应该的
我跟一个男的生活过她说
一个真正的男人是个
陆军上尉
可是他给打死了
嗬要命我说
一边到处看着找军刀
喝得烂醉
该死他们的眼睛决不撤退
我刚到这边
一把茶壶就从桌子对面飞过来
对不起我对着
茶壶说
我是说对着塞姆拉
见鬼她说
我不知道见了什么鬼
我会让你搭上我
注：莪默·伽亚谟（1048—1123 ），波斯诗人、数学家、天文学家、哲学家，著有诗集《鲁拜集》。
For Semra, with Martial Vigor
How much do writers make? she said
first off
she'd never met a writer
before
Not much I said
they have to do other things as well
Like what? she said
Like working in mills I said
sweeping floors teaching school
picking fruit
whatnot
all kinds of things I said
In my country she said
someone who has been to college
would never sweep floors
Well that's just when they're starting out I said
all writers make lots of money
Write me a poem she said
a love poem
All poems are love poems I said
don't understand she said
It's hard to explain I said
Write it for me now she said
All right I said
a napkin/a pencil
for Semra I wrote
Not now silly she said
nibbling my shoulder
I just wanted to see
Later? I said
putting my hand on her thigh
Later she said
O Semra Semra
Next to Paris she said
Istanbul is the loveliest city
Have you read Omar Khayyam? she said
Yes yes I said
a loaf of bread a flask of wine
I know Omar backwards
& forwards
Kahlil Gibran? she said
Who? I said
Gibran she said
Not exactly I said
What do you think of the military? she said
you been in the military?
No I said
I don't think much of the military
Why not? she said
goddamn don't you think men
should go in the military?
Well of course I said
they should
I lived with a man once she said
a real man a captain
in the army
but he was killed
Well hell I said
looking around for a saber
drunk as a post
damn their eyes retreat hell
I just got here
the teapot flying across the table
I'm sorry I said
to the teapot
Semra I mean
Hell she said
I don't know why the hell
I let you pick me up
(感谢小二原文输入)