When Giving Is All We Have

Track 2

by Alberto Ríos

翻譯：箐舞

When Giving Is All We Have

當給予是一切

Track 2

by Alberto Ríos

翻譯：箐舞

We give because someone gave to us.

We give because nobody gave to us.

We give because giving has changed us.

We give because giving could have changed注us.

We have been better for it,

We have been1)wounded by it—

Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet,

Big, though small, diamond in wood-2)nails.

Its story is old, the plot3)worn and the pages too,

But we read this book, anyway,4)over and again:

Giving is， frst and every time， hand to hand，

Mine to yours, yours to mine.

You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.

Together we are simple green. You gave me

What you did not have, and I gave you

What I had to give—together, we made

Something greater from the difference.

我們給予是因為有人給予我們。

我們給予是因為沒人給予我們。

我們給予是因為給予已經改變了我們。

我們給予是因為給予本能夠改變我們。

為了它，我們變得更美好，

因為它，我們已傷痕累累—

給予有很多張臉：它是大聲的，也是安靜的，

龐大，但也渺小，如鑲在木釘上的鉆石。

它的故事古老，情節老套，紙張也已破損，

但盡管如此，我們依舊反復閱讀著這本書：

給予是，第一次和每一次的，手手相傳，

我的給予你，你的給予我。

你給予我藍色，我給予你黃色。

我們一起成為純粹的綠色。你給予我

你所沒有的，我給予你

我必須給予的—我們一起在差異中

創造更偉大的成就。

注：could have done表示“本來能夠做成的（卻沒做成）”。

1) wound [wu?nd] v. 受傷

2) nail [neIl] n. 釘子

3) worn [w??n] adj. 用舊的

4) over and again 反復，三番五次