用尺测量 诗颖的一生 会是几公分的风景 To use a ruler to measure Sherrie’s whole life How many centimeters of scenery would there be 思念若是写成了诗,就能承载更多无法传达的倾诉。过去以儿童诗见长的诗人蔡荣勇,创作出许多脍炙人口的儿童文学作品,这回,他不写童趣诗集,改以真挚笔调倾吐心底的声音,《念念诗颖 Continuous Thoughts of Sherrie》是为纪念早凋的女儿诗颖而作,以诗记录病程,以诗回忆过往,以诗挖掘生活,以诗构筑生命与死亡。 一句句思念絮语,通过爱尔兰籍译者戴珍妮的英语诠释,打破了语言隔阂的藩篱,跨语境的诗句能传递得更远,让更多读者为之动容。 本书特色 ★丛书策划为享誉国际诗坛的台湾诗人李魁贤。 ★将台湾优秀诗人创作翻译为外语,让两种语言各自诠释不同语境的文字魅力。
May 24th That day A piece of x-ray film A long distance phone call At dawn’s first light, captured in a net Cancer’s scattered silhouette
The variegated coral tree outside the window Layers and layers of green leaves Enfolded Sherrie’s cancer cells
Sherrie, my precious darling The cancer cells in your lungs, Dad couldn’t reach them Like when you were faraway studying abroad in England
The newly sprouted flower buds of youth Yet Death inserted the firefly-like cancer cells Into the lungs to multiply
This joke A sweet family, the 921 earthquake Cannot find an exit to escape
I don’t know how to, slow down, my mood The footsteps of the years, seek The fine light of life is, slow
Note: Sherrie had been coughing non-stop, perhaps she had tuberculosis. Examined at the Taipei City Department of Health on May 24th 2012, doctors diagnosed her with lung cancer.