那人不知在垂釣什麼
每次經過，我都看見他
拿著釣竿往溪裡垂釣著……

垂釣魚嗎？
可是沒見他釣起過魚
垂釣蝦子嗎？
可是沒見過他釣起過蝦子
只見他一次次拉起釣線
欣喜地彷彿釣到什麼
但是他果真釣到什麼？

這次我放大了膽子上前去問他
「我看你釣得很高興
你到底都釣到了什麼？」

他回頭用懷疑的眼光看著我：
「你真的想知道嗎？」
「當然真的想知道。」

「我釣到了靈感。」
「什麼？靈感能釣嗎？」

「是呀！我還釣到了詩意。」
「什麼？詩意能釣嗎？」

「唉！你不懂啦。」
說著，他轉回頭繼續垂釣
不再理睬我……

Fishing　Hsu ChiCheng

Each time I pass by
I see him fishing by the brook
Who knows what does he fish…

Does he fish for fish?
Yet he has not caught even one fish
Does he fish for shrimp?
Yet he has not caught even one shrimp
However, he draws the fishing line repeatedly
And he appears so happy each time
What on earth has he fished?

One day I went ahead and asked him:
“You are so joyful,
And what have you fished?”

He turned round and gazed at me in disbelief
“Do you really want to know?”
“Certainly.”

“I have fished inspiration.”
“What? Inspiration can be fished?”

“Yes! I have fished poetics, too.”
“What? Poetics can be fished also?”

“Alas, you do not know.”
Then he turned back and continued to fish
And didn’t pay any attention to me…@