巴黎市井閑話

【美】肯尼斯·科赫? ? 陳子弘 譯

他們常常會(huì)這么開頭：“巴黎迫淹！多么希望能在那里懊赝ā！”
有人說敛熬，“巴黎是美國良才的的終極歸宿〉诠桑”
“滴答应民，滴滴嗒嗒，”是說雨點(diǎn)
落在阿波利奈爾詩《雨》寫的巴黎夕吻。
“我在巴黎那么快樂诲锹，”我說∩嫦冢“就像
愛一個(gè)人一樣归园。我前三次離開那里詩的都哭了的≈煽螅”
有些人說：“我不喜歡巴黎庸诱。”另的人又說晤揣，“巴黎又好起來了桥爽。”
“如果你見到的人只有門房和侍應(yīng)生昧识，
怎么可能喜歡一個(gè)地方呢钠四？”另一個(gè)人說，“法國人沒有朋友跪楞，
他們只有親戚缀去。”一個(gè)法國人說甸祭，“法語并不聰明缕碎，
太快×芤叮”“巴黎被毀了阎曹，”某些人一直這樣說伪阶。
“19世紀(jì)時(shí)巴黎才最好〈ο樱”
“兩次大戰(zhàn)之間巴黎最美好栅贴。” “老巴黎已經(jīng)不在了熏迹，”
波德萊爾這樣說過檐薯。“城市的形態(tài)
變化太快白怠坛缕！比人心更快！”
“巴黎捆昏！鐘上的指針赚楚！”有人叫道。另一個(gè)人卻說骗卜，
“給我一瓶威士忌宠页，我就跟你去巴黎！”
就這么說： “巴黎春天寇仓【倩В”

一天，女孩們聚在街角遍烦，
男孩們的眼光熱望著她們俭嘁。
汽車飛馳而過，事情就是這樣服猪。

這不像是種種可以想象的
深淵供填、溝壑和荒山野嶺的
電車交道口中間被香水噴灑的香氛
彌漫，被乳房文化重包圍的非洲原始情趣蔓姚。

“跟我到電話亭里去吧捕虽，”
法國母親面朝穿藍(lán)色短褲的男孩。
“這是您的孩子坡脐，”他禮貌地低語泄私，
“我會(huì)照您說的去做”赶校”之后晌端，母親的乳房
在馬克·夏爾豐大街上向她的情人敞開。
小男孩則玩著一只貓頭鷹恬砂。
三年后咧纠，他就讀弗羅芒坦中學(xué)，
我們現(xiàn)在看到他放學(xué)路上帶著一本黃色筆記本
回德斯卡萊格街的公寓泻骤，那里是他小小的家漆羔，
小家倒還在一起梧奢，盡管媽媽到處胡攪蠻纏，
他們住在充滿魅力的二樓公寓——
古老但又吸引人的家具迎接那孩子演痒，
他一頭扎進(jìn)那古舊的扶手椅中亲轨。

再不會(huì)有人爬坡上蘭比克啤酒街
去燒洗澡水了，優(yōu)雅的怪癖鸟顺，
因?yàn)樵枧铇I(yè)已征服了這夢幻之都惦蚊。

情侶們在別處找到胡鬧的法子。
此前讯嫂，習(xí)慣性的開放與老式做派
相結(jié)合帶來了色情躲貓貓游戲的刺激蹦锋，
這舒適感也無從尋覓,提都不要提了。

我的巴黎不是你的巴黎欧芽，
你的巴黎也不是我的莉掂。
我們倆坐在雪白人體軀干般的路緣石上，
映襯著十二月阿爾卑斯山一樣的靜謐渐裸。
陽光明媚巫湘。巴黎一定是在謀劃生計(jì)。
自己出去遛彎兒昏鹃。之后我停下步子，
我才發(fā)現(xiàn)陽光正在灑滿我全身诀诊。

巴黎的酷男們四處穿梭在
女人之間洞渤、桌子之間，話語之間属瓣。
更熱情的男人感到有些糊涂
卻自認(rèn)為要比那些酷男自我感覺良好
要高明一籌载迄。一陣風(fēng)
吹開了百葉窗，直到出現(xiàn)一定的光亮抡蛙。

“啊护昧，您是一位詩人！”在圓亭咖啡館
一位侍者說我粗截，“而我惋耙，
有詩人的簽名：弗朗西斯·耶麥！”
“這怎么來的熊昌？”當(dāng)我看到他
帶著像一面白旗的餐巾回來時(shí)
問他绽榛。“我爸就這么
給了我婿屹∶鹈溃” “他是喜歡耶麥的
詩么？”“不昂利，我覺得
他沒讀過森缠。我也是培他。
不過說真的晾腔，我這個(gè)簽名挺出名的！”

在巴黎硬萍，我從未啞口。
有人對我說傀顾，
“我在貝魯特時(shí)是的士司機(jī)襟铭，”
還有，“我現(xiàn)在是法蘭西學(xué)院成員短曾『”

你說巴黎的社交生活太窄了，
還有“巴黎不像紐約是個(gè)小城市嫉拐×ǘ迹”
“在巴黎再也沒有人情味了⊥衽牵” “人們
又變得很客氣了漠嵌。”
“只有美國人和多愁善感的傻瓜才會(huì)
這樣寫巴黎——
這些地方其實(shí)沒什么看頭” “巴黎盖呼，
她是一個(gè)漂亮女人儒鹿！”“巴黎是一個(gè)巨大的胯骨〖肝睿”
“巴黎是迷宮的中心约炎，
而入口在羅馬⌒否”“我根本不該給你說巴黎的事圾浅。
現(xiàn)在你會(huì)來這里，毀了它給我的美好憾朴±瓴叮”
“我希望我是在巴黎長大的≈诶祝” “你根本不了解巴黎灸拍。”
“亨利·詹姆斯和屠格涅夫曾在巴黎相遇报腔≈晟Γ”
“生命中最美好的就是年輕并身處巴黎〈慷辏”
“我從未像在巴黎那樣感到孤獨(dú)過纤房。”
“巴黎的餐館允許帶狗出入翻诉∨谝蹋” “巴黎被毀了捌刮。”
“平安夜的巴黎舒岸，
所有人都會(huì)熬夜到天明绅作。” “你可以吃巧克力而不是
喝咖啡來開啟一天蛾派《砣希” “我不想離開這里『檎В”
“巴黎是世界上最大的阿拉伯城市眯杏。”

【詩人簡介】肯尼斯·科赫（Kenneth Koch壳澳，1925年2月27日—2002年7月6日）美國詩人岂贩、劇作家和教授，20世紀(jì)美國文學(xué)的重要人物之一巷波。他畢業(yè)于哈佛大學(xué)（1948年）和哥倫比亞大學(xué)（1959年獲得博士學(xué)位）萎津，并在哥倫比亞大學(xué)任教多年∧鳎科赫是紐約詩派的核心成員之一锉屈，其詩歌風(fēng)格以機(jī)智、超現(xiàn)實(shí)和實(shí)驗(yàn)性著稱垮耳，他的詩歌風(fēng)格和創(chuàng)作理念對后世詩人產(chǎn)生了深遠(yuǎn)影響部念，他的詩歌生涯跨越了五十年，見證了美國詩歌從傳統(tǒng)到現(xiàn)代再到后現(xiàn)代的轉(zhuǎn)變氨菇。

KENNETH KOCH

What People Say About Paris

They often begin by saying, “Paris! How I wish I were there!”
Someone said, ‘Paris is where good Americans go when? they die.”
“Pit pat, pit pit patter,”say the raindrops
Falling on Paris in Apollinaire’s poem ‘‘La Pluie.”
“I was so happy in Paris,” I said. “It was like
Loving somebody. The first three times I left there, I cried.”
“I don't like Paris,” say some. And others, ‘Paris is getting nice again.”
“If you don’t meet anyone but concierges and waiters,
How can you like any place?” Another says, “The French do not have friends,
They have relatives.” A Frenchman says, “Le frangais n’est pas intelligent,
Il est rapide.” “Paris is ruined,” say certain, all the time.
“Paris was at its best in the nineteenth century.”
“Paris was wonderful between the wars.” "Old Paris is no more,”
Said Baudelaire. ‘The form of a city
Changes more quickly, alas! than a mortal’s heart!”
“Paris! Like the dial of a clock!’’ cried one. And another,
“Give me the bottle of whiskey and I'll go with you to Paris!”
It is said: “Paris in the spring!”

One day the girls were clustered on the street corner
And the boys were moving toward them with their eyes.
The automobiles sped past and let this happen.

It is not like the primitive joys
Of Africa to be be-spattered by perfumes
And breast culture in the midst of a tramway crossing
Of gulfs, gulches, and wild cliffs of every imaginable costume.

“Come into the telephone kiosk with me,”
Said the French mother to the blue-shorts-clad boy.
“Tam your son,” he gallantly whispered,
“And I shall do as you say.” Later the mother’s breasts popped open
To her lover, on the avenue Marc Chalfont. The boy played with an owl.
Three years later he entered the Lycée Fromentin
From which we see him carrying a yellow notebook now
On his way home to the rue Descaligues, where his little family,
Still together, despite his mother’s fooling
Around, has a second-floor apartment full of charm—
Its old but attractive furniture welcomes the boy
Who flings himself into an ancient armchair’s arms.

No longer does one walk up the lambic street
To fire the bathwater there, an elegant freak,
For the bathtub industry has conquered this city of dreams.

Lovers found ways to clown around elsewhere.
Earlier, the combination of obligatory openness
With old-fashionedness gave thrills of an erotic hide-and-seek
With comfortableness no longer to be found, even considered.

My Paris was not your Paris
And your Paris was not mine.
We both sat down on the quick white Valentine
Of the torsoed curb that makes December Alpine.
The sun shines. Paris must be earning a living.
I take myself out with my walk. Then my walk leaves me
And I realize that the sun is shining on me.

The cool men of Paris move back and forth
From woman to woman, table to table, word to word.
The warmer men are confused
But feel superior to the cool ones who feel
Superior to them. A wind blows
The shutters open, till there is a certain degree of shine.

“Ah, you are a poet!” said the waiter
At La Rotonde, “and I,
I have the name of a poet: Francis Jammes!”
“How did this come about?” I said
When he came back with his napkin
Like a white flag. “My father just
Gave it to me.” “He liked Jammes’s
Poetry?” “‘No, I don’t
Think he’d read it. Neither have I.
It’s true, I have a name that is quite well-known!”

In Paris I was never mute.
“I was once a cab driver in Beirut,”
Someone said to me. And, ‘I am a member of the Institute.”

The social life, you say, is too limited in Paris.
Also, ‘‘Paris is a small town, unlike New York.”
“You can no longer find any courtesy in Paris.”“People have
again become courteous in Paris.”
“Only an American and a sentimental fool would write this
way about Paris—
Places don’t really mean anything any more.”’ “‘Paris, it is
A beautiful woman!” ‘Paris, it is a giant’s hip bone.”
“Paris is the center of a maze
Whose entrance is in Rome.” “I should never have told you about Paris.
Now you will come here and ruin it for me.”
“I wish that I had grown up in Paris.” “You know nothing of Paris.”
“Henry James met Turgenev in Paris.”
“The best thing in life is to be young and in Paris.”
“T have never been so lonely as I’ve been in Paris.”
“Dogs are allowed in restaurants in Paris.” “Paris is ruined.”
“On Christmas Eve in Paris
Everyone stays up until dawn.” “You can have chocolate in
the morning instead of coffee.” “I never want to leave.”
“Paris is the largest Arab city in the world.”

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