Ballad of a Thin Man by Bob Dylan

我的 DVD 清單啟動。今天入手的是 I’m Not There，之前在電影院享用過，由於留下一堆謎團，勢必要親手擁有來破解它們；不過看在 Bob Dylan 類傳記電影份上，說什麼還是會擁有它的（笑）。

我從《搖滾記》認識 Bob Dylan，從中譯本滲出的詩人氣蘊已讓我回味再三，這份感受也讓我為譯者功力鼓鼓掌。接著從浦澤直樹筆下「間接」接觸Bob Dylan：漫畫《20世紀少年》主角遠藤賢知的救世歌曲《Bob Lennon》，是首結合 Bob Dylan 與 John Lennon 名字的民謠抒情作品。

然後遇見 Bob Dylan 就是在 I’m Not There。在這部電影之前，我不是 Dylan 迷；這部電影之後，容我介紹 Ballad of a Thin Man。

 

You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man ?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home.

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is ?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you says, "What's mine ?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is ?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone ?"

But something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak ?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone.

And something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To all give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations.
You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read
It's well known.

But something is happening here
And you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan".

And you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason ?"
And he says, "How ?"
And you say, "What does this mean ?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home".

Because something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones.

Does something is happening
And you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

樂音沈重開場，歌詞超現實流轉，彷彿看見破碎又真實的人性。是的，我認為人性與心靈就鋪陳其中。每個你聽到的幻想與抽象，都來自心中那個小小的傳說與神話。

最後我以「詩」的意象作結。Leonard Cohen 曾言：

“Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.”

詩為此生留下的印記；倘若你為此生燃盡心力，詩便是留予後人的灰燼。