Yau Ching translated by Chenxin Jiang
That’s How We Met
If only I didn’t have to grow up
if only I had an instinct for falling in love[1]
“the ramp might be icy”
Onramp to or
offramp from the highway
boundless American English
always makes anything seem possible
the possible is really a maybe
and by the time you can see it there’s no escape
yes it’s iced over
this is more than a day’s worth
if you can see it it’s too late
an unfathomable mistake
if you’re spinning out at eighty or ninety miles an hour
all you have to do is brake suddenly it’ll be swift clean
and ruthless
One hand both hands let go
the steering wheel
starts spinning of its own accord
cleanly boundlessly
you said if you’re so strong then take it out on someone
the teenage boys with baby fat roaming the streets
in their rippling shorts streaming out of baseball games
baring firm uncancerous breasts
shoving each other and laughing on the streets
since we’re driving and we’re more than a match for them let’s
swiftly cleanly and immediately
it’s unfathomable
the things we’ve forgotten and now remember
Is that how we met
The I-94 East
towards the lake
is closed today
you can see the ice but not the lake boundless days glinting
if you go too fast and reach the end . . .
or is there ever an end?
detours detours detours the arrow points east and west
I’m back on the I-94 West is just the same as East
the kingdom of cars, America,
or the kingdom of automation?
I fell hazily in love with you
let’s call it the tide rising in a storm
the car’s shaking automatically
is it too cold too fast too slippery too messy too romantic or just fuck it
bro whatcha singing
What’s boundless, snow love highways or the USA
the icy ramp
the impersonal speed
exert force between the accelerator and the brake
the car will spin like a baseball you’ll be home
it’ll be clean swift and bound . . .
I’d forgotten this fantasy
let’s call it the tide rising in a storm
That’s how we met
我們如此結識
但願我可以沒成長
完全憑直覺覓對象[2]
「橋可能是冰了」
「橋」是往高速公路的入口
或出口
美文一望無際
總是似乎甚麼都可能
然「可能」實指「大概」呢
到你睇定定無走雞啦時
一定經已冰封三尺
也非一日之寒
看見便是太遲
錯得超乎我想象
以時速八十五哩九十哩滑行
只要煞掣 如此敏捷 乾淨
一刀兩斷的方式
一隻手 兩隻手都放開
呔盤自己會
高速旋轉的
敏捷乾淨一望無涯的方式
你卻說如此力氣不如施於人
通街BB肥的男孩
短波褲蕩漾 從棒球賽出來
坦露堅實不生癌的乳
在街上相互推笑著
咱們趁開著車況且難得夠打今次
敏捷乾淨又一股作氣的方式
超乎我想象
忘卻又記得的事情
我們如此結識嗎
I-94東
往湖的路
今天封了
見冰不見湖一望無邊的日子皚皚
走得太快到盡頭時……
抑或永沒盡頭？
改道改道改道箭咀指向東又指向西
我又到了I-94西跟東一模一樣
車的王國USA
還是自動的王國？
模糊地迷戀妳一場
就當風雨下潮漲
我的車自動震
是太冷太快太滑太亂太感動還是根本不想幹
哥哥究竟你在唱啥
一望無涯的是雪是愛是公路還是USA
冰封的橋
與我無關的速度
在快門與煞掣之間用力
車子高速旋轉如棒球 回家了
這樣乾淨爽快一望……
曾忘掉這種遐想
就當風雨下潮漲
我們如此結識
[1] These two lines (and two of those below, “I fell hazily . . . storm”) quote Leslie Cheung’s 1996 song “A Man of Intention,” with lyrics by Albert Leung.
[2]「寂寞也揮發著餘香／原來情動正是這樣／曾忘掉這種遐想／這麼超乎我想像／但願我可以沒成長／完全憑直覺覓對象／模糊地迷戀你一場／就當風雨下潮漲」〈有心人〉(張國榮唱，林夕詞)
