阿米斯塔号
文/Ken
没有名字
只有号码
长长的铁链
把几百个身影
拉上了船
离开一片大陆
去另一片大陆...
最底层
脚腕被牢牢铐在柱子上
黑黑的皮肤磨得发白
赤裸着
挤缩在地上
热 渴 饿
大大的眼睛
干干的舌头
人 还是牲口
分不清了...
舱壁上有个舷孔
拳头大小
能听到海浪的拍打
偶尔一束阳光射进来
给黑暗中的生灵带来一线希望
也许没有完全被抛弃
上帝还在远处召唤：
活下去吧
苦难的孩子们...
不知多少日子了
几个礼拜
几个月？
每天从昏暗里
干瘪的躯体
有的还在弱弱地呻吟
被拖将出去
扔进海里
船 一无反顾地向前...
这天凌晨
突然
甲板上一阵狂喊：
America!
God bless!
Oh, America!
船长放下望远镜
已经看到了那个堡垒
太熟悉了
里面那片空场
是交货的地方
还有看台上
那些穿着齐整的男男女女...
会心地一笑
习惯地咂一咂大拇指
仿佛听到了哗哗的金币声...
着实兴奋
下去刮个胡子吧
正好清理一下
海上那些讨厌的腥味...
注：多年前游波多黎各的 San Felipe del Morro Castle，恰逢 Steven Spielberg 在此拍摄贩奴影片《Amistad》, 记忆犹新。
Amistad
By Ken Fan
No names,
Only numerals.
An extended iron chain
Pulls hundreds of men onto the ship,
Departing one continent,
Towards another.
At ship's bottom,
Ankles are cuffed to the poles.
Dark skins are rubbed pale.
In stark nakedness,
They crouch on the damp floor,
Hot, thirsty and hungry.
Large protruding eyes and
Withered tongues.
Human, or animals?
Hard to tell now...
There's a porthole on the side,
The size of a fist,
Where the sounds of ocean waves can be heard.
On occasions, a beam of sunlight shines through,
Delivering a faint hope to
those miserable souls.
Perhaps they aren't entirely forsaken,
And God still consoles them from distance:
-- Live on,
My suffering children...
Can't recall how many days it has been,
Or weeks,
Or months?
Everyday from back shadow,
Wilted bodies are pulled out,
Some are still moaning, ever so feebly,
And dumped into the ocean.
The ship, albeit unwaveringly, pulls ahead in a full speed.
Suddenly at daybreak,
A frantic scream on the deck:
-- America!
-- God bless!
-- Oh America!
The captain puts down his binoculars,
Already has spotted that castle,
Oh so familiar!
There's an open square field inside,
A place to settle the goods,
With pretty ladies and fine gentlemen watching on the surrounding terraces...
He grins, knowingly.
and sucks his thumb in a habit,
As if he already hear the clinking sound of gold coins...
In such a great mood,
Time to shave,
Might as well clean up
that stinking smell from the sea...
Note: Quite a few years ago while touring San Felipe del Morro Castle in Puerto Rico，I happened to run into the filming by Steven Spielberg's crew, which is about a slavery trade story "Amistad". This left a lasting impression on me.
换一换
