不是挥手而是要被淹死了

    英国女诗人斯黛薇.史密斯（Stevie Smith1903---1971）的诗Not Waving But Drowning（不是挥手而是要被淹死了）使人想到的很多。对于有些人来说，身边的世界总是离自己很远，有时即便是挥手求援(wave for help)，也会被人当做闹剧 (lark)。于是，就只剩下了死者的哀鸣。而这个世界上,淹死人的地方又太多了.

        Not Waving But Drowning

不是挥手而是要被淹死了

Stevie Smith

Nobody heard him, the dead man,

But still he lay moaning:

I was much farther out than you thought

And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking

And now he's dead

It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,

They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always

(Still the dead one lay moaning)

I was much too far out all my life

And not waving but drowning.

1957

                                      （胡宗锋   译）

"Not Waving But Drowning" is a poem about unheard cries for help.  The speaker feels that her attempts to call attention to her unhappiness are overlooked as mere "larking."   All her life, she was "much farther out" than her friends thought, "And not waving but drowning."  The speaker wanted help, but her efforts were disregarded as jokes.  The old man for whom it was too cold and "his heart gave way" probably died from loneliness.  The speaker's statement that "it was too cold always" show that she feels chronic despair.
    

 
        世界上淹死人的地方很多, Drowning Pool又一个淹死人的池塘

不是挥手而是要被淹死了            非挥手溺水也

 没人听见他，一个被淹死的人       君不听，溺水而亡者

可他仍在哀鸣：                                依旧哀鸣：

我离你们比你们想象的远                吾距汝甚远
我不是挥手而是要被淹死了。        非挥手溺水也。

可怜的家伙，以前总爱闹着玩        老夫爱闹
这下给淹死了                                   溺水而亡
肯定是太冷了他的心受不了           冷之极心关难过
人们说。                                          众人曰。

噢，不不不，总是太冷                 非也！非也！冷如往昔！
（淹死的人还在哀鸣）               （溺水者依旧哀鸣）
这一辈子我都离你们太远              吾辈今生距汝甚远
不是挥手而是要被淹死了              非挥手溺水也！