作者：内奥米·谢哈布·奈伊

来源： 《意林》杂志

　　The river is famous to the fish.

　　The loud voice is famous to silence，

　　Which knew it would inherit the earth

　　Before anybody said so.

　　The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds

　　Watching him from the birdhouse.

　　The tear is famou briefly， to the cheek.

　　The idea you carry close to your bosom

　　Is famous to your bosom.

　　The boot is famous to the earth，

　　More famous than the dress shoe，

　　Which is famous only to floors.

　　The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it And not at all famous to the one who is pictured.

　　I want to be famous to shuffling men

　　Who smile while crossing street

　　Sticky children in grocery line

　　Famous as the one who smiled back.

　　I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous

　　Or a buttonhole，

　　Not because it did anything spectacular，

　　But because it never forgot what it could do.

　　鱼儿熟知河流。

　　寂静熟知高声。

　　寂静知道，在任何人发声前，

　　它会接管地球。

　　鸟儿熟知睡在围墙上的猫。

　　它在笼中注视着猫的一举一动。

　　脸颊熟知眼泪，纵使短暂。

　　你的心熟知，

　　你心头的想法。

　　大地熟知靴子，

　　胜过熟知礼服鞋，

　　因为那些高贵的鞋履只为地板所熟知。

　　陈旧卷曲的照片为随身携带它的那个人所熟知，而并不被照片里的人所熟知。

　　我想为那些微笑着穿过街道的过客们所熟知。

　　那些在杂货店里排着队身子黏乎乎的孩子，

　　熟知我是那个会向他们报以微笑的人。

　　我想像个滑轮，

　　或是纽扣眼那样为人所熟知。

　　并非因为它做了什么惊人之举，

　　而只因其从未忘记自己的职责。