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2. Beauty
2. 論美
And a poet said, "Speak to us of Beauty."
一位詩人接著說:"請給我們談淡美。"
Where shall you seek beauty, and how shall you find her unless she herself be your way and your guide?
他答道：你們將去哪里尋找美呢?如果她不出現在你們的旅途中，指引著你們，你們如何能夠找到她?
And how shall you speak of her except she be the weaver of your speech?
倘若她不是你們話語的編織者，你們如何能夠談論她呢?
The aggrieved and the injured say, "Beauty is kind and gentle.
被虐者和受傷者說:"美仁慈而溫柔。
Like a young mother half-shy of her own glory she walks among us."
就像一位年輕的媽媽，因自己的榮光半遮著面孔，走在我們的中間。"
And the passionate say, "Nay, beauty is a thing of might and dread.
激情澎湃者說:"不，美強烈而可畏。
Like the tempest she shakes the earth beneath us and the sky above us."
就像風暴雨一般，震撼著我們腳下的大地和頭上的天空。"
The tired and the weary say, "beauty is of soft whisperings. She speaks in our spirit.
疲乏者說:"美是柔聲細語，她在我們的心靈中講話。
Her voice yields to our silences like a faint light that quivers in fear of the shadow."
她的聲音沉浸在我們的寂靜中，正如一抹微光在陰影的恐懼中顫抖。"
But the restless say, "We have heard her shouting among the mountains,
但好動者說:"我們曾聽過她在山巒中呼喊，
And with her cries came the sound of hoofs, and the beating of wings and the roaring of lions."
她的呼喊喚來了馬蹄聲、展翅聲和雄獅怒吼聲。"
At night the watchmen of the city say, "Beauty shall rise with the dawn from the east."
晚上城市的守夜人說:"美與晨曦一起從東方升起。"
And at noontide the toilers and the wayfarers say, "we have seen her leaning over the earth from the windows of the sunset."
午日，含辛茹苦者和風塵仆仆者說:"我們曾看見她斜倚在黃昏之窗眺望著大地。"
In winter say the snow-bound, "She shall come with the spring leaping upon the hills."
冬日，困在風雪中的人說:"她將與春天一同來臨，在山谷里跳躍。"
And in the summer heat the reapers say, "We have seen her dancing with the autumn leaves, and we saw a drift of snow in her hair."
夏日，收割莊稼的人說:"我們曾看見她與秋葉相擁共舞，她的發梢綴著雪花。"
All these things have you said of beauty.
你們剛剛談及關于美的一切，
Yet in truth you spoke not of her but of needs unsatisfied,
事實上，并非她本身，而是你們未被滿足的要求，
And beauty is not a need but an ecstasy.
美并不是一種需求，而是一種狂喜。
It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth,
她不是干渴的嘴唇，也不是伸出的空手，
But rather a heart enflamed and a soul enchanted.
而是一顆滾燙的心，一個愉悅的靈魂。
It is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear,
她不是你們想看到的樣子，也不是你們想聽到的樂曲，
But rather an image you see though you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears.
而是你們雖閉上眼睛也能看到的樣子，雖掩住耳朵也能聽到的旋律。
It is not the sap within the furrowed bark, nor a wing attached to a claw,
她不是蘊涵在褶皺樹皮下的汁液，也不是利爪一下垂死的鳥兒。
But rather a garden forever in bloom and a flock of angels for ever in flight.
她是一座永遠綻放花朵的花園，一群永遠翱翔天穹的天使。
People of Orphalese, beauty is life when life unveils her holy face.
奧菲里斯城的人們啊，當生命揭下她圣潔的面紗時，美就是生命。
But you are life and you are the veil.
然而，你們是生命，也是而紗。
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
美是永生攬鏡自照。
But you are eternity and you are the mirror.
但你就是永生，你也是鏡子。
