齐别根钮*赫伯特“一颗钉的寓言”

关于一颗钉的寓言 “因为少了一颗钉子，国家倾覆了。”① 我们从小即受如此教导。然而在我们国家， 没有钉已有很久了，此时不会有，将来也不会。 没有往墙上钉相片的小钉， 也没有用于封棺材的大钉。 可尽管如此，也可能恰恰因为如此， 国家得以延续，甚至得到他国赞美。 人怎能活在一个没有钉子、纸张、绳线、 砖头、氧气、自由等诸如此类的国度？ 显然人可以胜任，因为这国家延续着延续着。 这国家的人民生活在家里而非洞穴， 工厂在大草原上冒烟，火车驰过冻原， 轮船在寒冷的海面呼啸。 有军队和警察、官印、国歌和旗帜， 表面上看，与世界上其他地方无异。 但只是从表面上看，因为我们的国家 并非建基于自然或人性之上。 它看似稳固地建在猛犸象骸骨之上， 实际上却很虚弱，仿佛悬浮在 行动与思想、存在与虚无之间。 真实之物———一片树叶一块石头———沉没。 鬼魅却顽固地久存着，不管 日升日落和天体运转。 在这片耻辱的土地上，万物的泪水坠落。 注：①出自西方谚语“ 少了一个铁钉， 丢了一只马掌； 少了一只马掌， 丢了一匹战马； 少了一匹战马， 败了一场战役； 败了一场战役， 失了一个国家。 ” 所据英译： The Fable About a Nail For lack of a nail the kingdom has fallen —according to the wisdom of nursery schools—but in our kingdom there have been no nails for a long time there aren’t and won’t be either the small ones for hanging a picture on a wall or large ones for closing a coffin but despite this or maybe because of it the kingdom persists and is even admired by others how can one live without a nail paper or string bricks oxygen freedom and whatever else obviously one can since the kingdom lasts and lasts people live in homes in our country not in caves factories smoke on the steppe a train runs through the tundra and a ship bleats on the cold ocean there is an army and police an official seal hymn and flag in appearance everything like anywhere in the world but only in appearance for our kingdom is not a creation of nature or a human creation seemingly permanent built on the bones of mammoths in reality it is weak as if brought to a stop between act and thought being and nonbeing what is real—a leaf and a stone—falls but spectres live long obstinately despite the rising and setting of the sun revolutions of heavenly bodies on the shamed earth fall the tears of objects