To Stop and Chat

停下聊聊天

 

By Darryl Ashton

译/侯金国

 

Have you ever noticed,

Those people on the wing?

The ones that always pass you by,

And never say a thing.

 

大街及小巷，

路人东西奔。

从你身边过，

一字不吭声。

 

And even though you know them,

They hurry past in haste,

No quick hello or friendly smile –

They have no time to waste.

 

偶碰俩故人，

匆匆往前行。

无暇打招呼，

微笑费光阴。

 

You’re only out for just a walk,

You didn’t want to stop and talk.

Perhaps a quick hello

Lingering for just a while.

 

出门溜溜弯，

见人问个安。

停下聊个天，

只是眨眼间。

 

But no, those people on the wing,

Never want to say a thing.

Their minds are full of this and that;

There isn’t time to stop and chat.

 

可是今人忙，

插翅欲飞翔。

心事重如山，

没空搭个腔。

 

Except, of course, when they’re not well,

Then they stop and have to tell,

Of all the aches and pains they’ve got –

And then, of course, you get the lot.

 

除非患疾病，

才会诉诉苦。

这里有疼痒，

那里不舒服。

 

Mrs. B was just like that,

Never had the time to chat,

Hurrying by at such a pace,

The ‘don’t stop me’ look upon her face.

 

张王刘李陈，

都是大忙人。

带机走如飞，

必争秒分分。

 

Mrs. B had things to do,

Had no time to talk to you.

One day I called to Mrs. B:

‘Please stop for once and listen to me.’

 

贵人贵事多，

哪有闲工夫？

碰到大头张，

我想打招呼。

 

I stopped and whispered

with a snickers:

‘You’ve got your dress

tucked in your knickers.’

 

不说对不住，

耳边窃笑语，

“拉链没拉上，

外衣扎内裤。”

 

（摘自侯国金微博）