如是我吟 (Philip Larkin, "This Be The Verse")

定理 译

你的爹妈操大你。
无心之过赖不掉。
他俩毛病堆成你，
烬上添花糟更糟。

但他们自己也被操，
操人的是正经傻冒，
西装革履，道貌岸然，
互掐脖子，背后捅刀。

苦难一代传一代，
越钻越深似海螺。
跳出来吧，尽快，
别生孩子，罗嗦。

第一次听说Philip Larkin，是在大学选了门课，叫Major British Writers；老教授在讲到二十世纪英国的诗坛泰斗Larkin时，背出Larkin的整首粗口诗－－－

They ???? you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.

But they were ????ed up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself.

背完后脸不红心不跳。如此朗朗上口，又能让当时刚到埠的我练习四字单词的发音，于是过耳不忘。如果万维因这些粗口而永久封了俺，从此超脱，则于我幸甚。