他们中有人失手杀了我们一条狗

Beverly Bennett

通力特人的历史

我们的先人到这片猎场时,
通力特人就己经在这里住着。
通力特人首先知道了
如何在这穷山恶水中存活。
他们给我们指出驯鹿出没的地方,
教我们在河里捕鱼的妙法。
我们的人从内地来到这里,
所以爱打驯鹿胜过所有别的事情,
而通力特人是都是渔人,
更喜欢猎海豹。
他们可是真的坐着皮筏子下盐海,
在大洋里抓海豹。那需要勇气。
而我们只在冰面上通过它们的呼吸孔抓猎。
他们也打鲸鱼和海象,当它们游经的时候:
这些东西的骨头到处还能找着,
在通力特人的废墟里。
他们也打熊,以熊皮为衣。
我们穿的是鹿皮。
通力特人个个强悍,但容易吓着。
打仗时他们宁愿逃跑也不拼杀。总之,
你从未听说他们杀过人。
我们与通力特人一直和平相处,
因为他们让我们来分享他们的土地,
直到有一天,他们中有人失手杀了我们一条狗
就吓得远走他乡。

因纽特人民歌
英译本转译 / 阿九

History of the Tunrit

When our forefathers came to these hunting grounds
the Tunrit people already lived here.
it was the Tunrit who first learned
how to survive in this difficult country.
They showed us the caribou crossing places
and taught us the special way to fish in the rivers.
Our people came from inland
so we love caribou hunting more than anything else,
but the Tunrit were sea people
and preferred to hunt seal.
They actually went out on the salt sea in their kayaks,
hunting seal in open water. That takes nerve.
We only hunt them through the ice at their breathing holes.
They also caught whales and walruses as they swam by:
The bones of these creatures are still lying around
in the wrecks of the Tunrit houses.
And they hunted bear and wore their skins for clothes.
We wear caribou.
The Tunrit were strong, but easily frightened.
In a fight they would rather run than kill. Anyway,
you never heard of them killing anyone.
And we lived among the Tunrit in those days peacefully,
for they let us come and share their land:
until once by accident some of them killed one of our dogs
and ran away scared, leaving their homeland.

摄影版权:Glenbow Museum

 

「初民之初心」,便是这首因纽特人(他们并不喜欢被称为爱斯基摩人)民歌所描绘的了。

纪录片导演罗伯特•弗拉哈迪第一部作品《北方的纳努克》拍摄的就是加拿大哈德逊湾的一家因纽特人。而通力特人是在因纽特人之前更早的北地初民。通力特人不可谓不勇猛,下海捉豹(海豹),上冰打熊,这种奇男子们会津津乐道的功业于他们却是家常便饭。他们比文明世界的人们更有分享精神,不吝于教授在严酷世界上生存的技巧;也更友爱,从不杀人。怎么说呢,野人的身体里装着小孩子的心。

他们的消失似乎源自一个不起眼的小错——误杀了因纽特人的一条狗,这个理由对于我们来说荒谬可笑。那是因为我们头脑已僵化地认为:人类的相处仅有一种模式。

但因纽特人的民歌表明,曾经有人以完全不同的方式和眼光对待和他们不一样的同类。

荐诗 / 范致行
2013/12/15

 

题图摄影/Beverly Bennett

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