《管锥编》论《太平广记》中“一人得道,鸡犬升天,唯猫弃而未去”故事时,引元好
《游天坛杂诗》“同向燕家舐丹鼎,不随鸡犬上青云”中的自注:“仙猫洞。土人传燕家鸡犬升天,猫独不去”。猫虽仙而宁居洞中,不肯随主人去天堂,为什么?钱钟书引俗谚“猫认屋,狗认人”,引动物学家观察“猫恋地胜于恋人(The cat, though she possesses but a meagre attachment to person, has a very strong affection for place)”,得出结论:“猫之独留,荒唐言中亦蕴博物识性之学”。主人虽慈,天堂虽好,但非猫之所爱,宁愿孤独留下,和效忠主人的狗相比,这何尝不是另类的“富贵不能淫,威武不能屈”!这就是猫,固守选择权利的猫,拥有独立自由的猫!
你永远无从知道你那可爱的猫在想什么。正如诗人T·S·艾略特写道(略有删节):
When I tell you a cat must have three different names
(我告诉你一只猫必须有三个名)
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily
(第一是日常家居名)
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James
(比如彼得,奥古斯都或詹姆斯)
All of them are sensible, everyday names
(它们都是可知可查的日常名)
But I tell you a cat needs a name that's particular
(但我告诉你猫需要一个讲究的名)
A name that's peculiar and more dignified
(一个奇特又高贵的名)
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular?
(不然它怎么尾高气扬)
Or spread out his whiskers or cherish his pride?
(不然它怎么须展自傲)
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum
(这类名我可以给你一大串)
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat
(比如蒙克斯特普,奎佐或柯里克帕特)
Names that never belong to more than one cat
(这都是独一无二绝不属他的名)
But above and beyond there's still one name left over
(然而除此之外还留一个名)
And that is the name that you will never guess
(那是你永远也猜不到的名)
The name that no human research can discover
(人类研究发现不了的名)
But the cat himself knows and will never confess
(但猫自己知道而永不坦承的名)
When you notice a cat in profound meditation
(当你注意猫在沉思时)
The reason, I tell you, is always the same
(我告诉你的理由永远相同)
His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation
(它全神贯注)
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name
(思索着它的名)
His ineffable, (它那不可言说,)
Efface ineffable (不能言说)
Deep and inscrutable singular name
(藏于心底,高深莫测,卓越非凡的)
Name, name, name, name, name, name
(名……)
猫视己之“名”犹如人类视己之“生辰八字”,绝不让你掌握它的心灵,绝不让你控制它的行为。你的猫欢应着你给它的昵称,嬉戏于你的怀抱,可是你要牢记:它永远神秘,永远独立,永远自由!它的眼里从来就没有救世主!
The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity(傲然之猫之奥秘神性)
Round the cathedral rang 'Vivat'(回荡于大教堂之“万岁”)
Life to the everlasting cat!(永垂不朽之猫的生命)
注:
1.英文诗篇取自音乐剧《猫》(Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber,Based on Old
Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot)
2.“我与它”, “我与你”:参见马丁·布伯(Martin Buber)《我与你》
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