Lately I listen to a new summer program: CBC Radio Babel and find it very helpful and interesting. Indeed, during the interview, I talked a lot about how many wonders a new languange could bring to us. I am glad that they posted my poem “Fish in a House” on CBC website. English opens a door to another world -the poetic wonderland. But I also find a lot could be lost in translation. Today on facebook, I posted my poem “梨/Pears” in Chinese, Andy used Google Translator to translate it and posted it after my poem. I read it and decided I need to translate it myself. Although I could do a better job than a computer transaltion tool, I find some meaning will stll be lost. First of all, the title “梨” after translation will lose its pun meaning. In chinese, “梨/pears” the same sound as the chinese word for “离/depart,split”, implies more than an image of a fruit. Lovers would not share a pear/梨 with one another… I have trouble conveying this meaning in a translation… I am posting the poem in Chinese, would anyone like to translate?
梨
桌上的一盘梨
很像墙上的静物画，
只是面对一把刀，
它觉察到伤痛。
它也想知道切开后
里面有些什么，
却期待主人起身送客。
画中的梨很想走出来，
它遗憾梦想
镶进了遗忘的角落，
那拿刀的手又在何方？