我試把海螺靠近耳朵

我試把海螺靠近耳朵，

聽到大海可怕的音樂；

駭浪轟隆的拍擊巨岩，

暴雨呼嘯著沖掃沙灘。

也聽到海鳥與船艦的呼叫聲，

他們像是從惡夢中把我驚醒。

我睜開雙眼把此事仔細思考，

這是否對我的志業是種警告。

我回想起少年時在一個場合，

看到一位道士在吹法螺。

他召請神祗來拯救他的信徒，

把作祟的小鬼趕回地府。

也想起幼年時住在鄉下的村莊，

看牛的每天兩次把羊角吹響。

清晨他集合眾耕牛到野外吃草，

傍晚再解散他們回家睡覺。

雖然我恐怕與小鬼們會另有麻煩，

現在我有個美好的牧野可以盤桓。

不管我無法聽見海螺及羊角的號召，

我必須繼續努力把當做的工作做好。

英文原詩附後

並請批評指正

I Hold a Seashell near My Ear

I hold a seashell near my ear,

hear a horrible symphony of the sea:

the splashes of huge waves hitting the rocks,

the whooshes of rain and wind sweeping the beach.

I hear also the calls of ships and seabirds.  

Together they scare me as a horrible dream.

I open my eyes and consider it for a long while.

Is this a warning to me, to cease some of my deeds?

I recall when I was a middle school student,

saw a Taoist old monk blow a big seashell.

It called the local god to save troubled people,

by driving the evil demon back into deep hell.

I recall when I was a small country boy,

saw the cow herder blew a sheep horn.

In the morning,

it gathered the cattle to graze in the field.

In the evening,

it dismissed them to ruminate at home.

Although I’ll probably have

some further fuss with some demons,

presently I have a great field,

can freely graze.

No matter I can’t hear

the seashell or sheep-horn calls;

I must perk up my courage, 

to accomplish my crusades!