Sand and Foam

卡里·紀伯倫 / Kahlil Gibran

I am forever walking upon these shores. Betwixt the sand and the foam. The high tide will erase my foot-prints. And the wind will blow away the foam. But the sea and the shore will remain forever.

Once I f？illed move hand with mist. Then I opened it and look， the mist was a worm. And I closed and opened my hand again， and behold there was a bird. And again I closed and opened my hand， and in its hollow stood a man with a sad face， turned upward. And again I closed my hand， and when I opened it there was naught mist. But I heard a song of exceeding sweetness.

It was but yesterday I thought myself a fragment quivering without rhythm in the sphere of life. Now I know that I am the sphere and all life in rhythmic fragments moves within me.

They say to me in their awakening， “You and the world you live in are but a grain of sand upon the inf？inite shore of an inf？inite sea. ” And in my dream I say to them， “I am the inf？inite sea， and all worlds are but grains of sand upon my shore. ”

Only once have I been made mute. It was when a man asked me. “Who are you？” The f？irst thought of God was an angel. The f？irst word of God was a man.

We were f？luttering， wandering， longing creatures a thousand thousand thousand years before the sea and the wind in the forest gave us words. Now how can we express the ancient of days in us with only the sounds of our yesterdays？

The Sphinx spoke only once， and the Sphinx said， “A grain of sand is a desert， and a desert is a grain of sand； and now let us all be silent again.” I heard the Sphinx， but I did not understand.

Long did I lie in the dust of Egypt， silent and unaware of the seasons. Then the sun gave me birth， and I rose and walked upon the banks of the Nile， singing with the days and dreaming with the nights. And now the sun threads upon me with a thousand feet that I may lie again in the dust of Egypt. But behold a marvel and a riddle！ The very sun that gathered me cannot scatter me. Still erect am I， and sure of foot do I walk upon the banks of the Nile.

Remembrance is a form of meeting. Forgetfulness is a form of freedom.

We measure time according to the movement of countless suns； and they measure time by little machines in their little pockets.

Now tell me， how could we ever meet at the same place and the same time？

Space is not space between the earth and the sun to one who looks down from the windows of the Milky Way.

Humanity is a river of light running from the ex-eternity to eternity.

我永遠漫步在這海岸，在細沙和泡沫之間。高漲的潮水抹去我的足跡，海風也將泡沫拂走，但是，海與岸將會永恒。

我的手中曾經握滿薄靄。然后，我伸開手掌，哦，薄靄變成了小蟲。我將手握了又展，手中卻是一只小鳥。我再次將手握緊又展開，掌心上佇立一人，滿面愁容，昂首向天。再一次，我握起了手，張開卻一無所有，除了一片薄靄。然而，我聽到了一首無比柔美的歌。

就在昨天，我還以為自己只是碎屑—片，在生命的蒼穹之中毫無韻律地顫抖。如今我卻明白，我就是那蒼穹．整個生命是我懷中富有節奏而悸動的碎片。

他們醒來時，對我說道：“你和你居住的世界，只是無涯之海和無邊之岸的沙粒。”

在睡夢中，我對他們說道：“我正是那無涯之海，世界萬物不過是我海岸上那顆顆沙粒。”

獨有一次，我被迫緘默無語。“你是誰？”那是有人這樣問我時。

上帝的第一個念頭是天使。上帝的第一個詞匯是人。

在海洋和森林中的風聲賦予我們語之言前的千萬年間，我們是在漂泊、徘徊、孜孜不倦地追求著的一群生物。而現在，我們怎能僅用我們那昨天的聲音來描述心中的遠古時光呢？

斯芬克斯僅說過一次話。他說：“一粒沙子是一片沙漠，一片沙漠是一粒沙子。現在就讓我們再次沉默吧。”我聽到了斯芬克斯的話，卻毫不理解。

我長久地躺在埃及的漫天沙塵里，沉默著，忘卻了季節。直到太陽賜予我生命，我站起身來，沿著尼羅河岸行走。我與白晝一起唱歌，又與黑夜一起遐想。而今，太陽又用千萬只腳在我身上踐踏，讓我再次躺在埃及的漫天沙塵里。然而請記住那個奇跡和謎語吧！將我凝聚的太陽也無法將我驅散。我依然佇立，依然踩著穩健的步子走在尼羅河岸上。

記憶是一種相聚，忘卻亦是一種自由。

我們依據無限的陽光的運動估測時間，他們則用口袋里小小的器具估測時間。請告訴我，我們如何能同時同地相聚？

在一個從銀河之窗俯瞰的人眼里，宇宙不只是地球與太陽之間的一方空間。

人性是一條光河，從永恒之前向永恒流淌。

記憶填空

1. Once I f？illed move with mist. Then I opened it and ， the mist was a worm. And I closed and my hand again， and behold there was a . And again I closed and opened my hand， and in its hollow stood a man with a sad ， turned upward.

2. Long I lie in the dust of Egypt， silent and unaware of the . Then the sun gave me birth， and I rose and upon the banks of the Nile， Singing with the days and dreaming with the . And now the sun threads upon me with a thousand that I may lie again in the dust of Egypt.

佳句翻譯

1. 高漲的潮水抹去我的足跡，海風也將泡沫拂走，但是，海與岸將會永恒。

2. 再一次，我握起了手，張開卻一無所有，除了一片薄靄。

3. 我長久地躺在埃及的漫天沙塵里，沉默著，忘卻了季節。

短語應用

1. Long did I lie in the dust of Egypt， silent and unaware of the seasons.

unware of：不知，無知覺

2. We measure time according to the movement of countless suns； and they measure time by little machines in their little pockets.

according to：根據，基于