BRUEGHEL’S TWO MONKEYS

This is what I see in my dreams about final exams:
two monkeys, chained to the floor, sit on the windowsill,
the sky behind them flutters,
the sea is taking its bath.

The exam is History of Mankind.
I stammer and hedge.

One monkey stares and listens with mocking disdain,
the other seems to be dreaming away–
but when it’s clear I don’t know what to say
he prompts me with a gentle
clinking of his chain.


這是我的中學畢業考試夢：
兩隻被鎖住的猴子坐在窗上。

窗外，天空在飛翔，
大海在沐浴。

我正在考人類歷史，
結結巴巴，含糊其辭。

一隻猴子瞪著我，嘲諷地聽著，
另一隻猴子是在打盹兒——

可是當提問後出現沈默時，
它卻在向我提示，
用鎖鏈發出輕微的聲響。