百事翻从缺陷好

武夷山

Issues in Science and Technology杂志2009年第4期的“主编日志”栏目引用了加拿大诗人、著名歌手和歌词作家Leonard Cohen（1934－ ）在其创作歌曲Anthem中的四行：

Ring the bells that can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in.

试译如下：

敲响那还能敲的铃铛，

忘掉你那供奉完美之物的梦想，

万事万物皆有裂缝，

否则我们怎能见到光。

光是何等重要！上帝创世，首先创造了光。如果世界完美得没有缺陷，没有缝隙，则光都进不来，那么黑暗的世界还完美吗？ 我承认，我对这四句的理解与作者的用意可能不一样，不过，此处我就是抑制不住断章取义的冲动。

读到这四句，我立刻想起龚自珍的四句诗：

未济终焉心缥缈，百事翻从缺陷好。

吟道夕阳山外山，古今谁免余情绕？

我在2010年10月3日的博文（http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-1557-369250.html）中曾写道：

“万事都从缺陷好”，是至理名言。在歌德的《浮士德》中，浮士德与摩菲斯特打了赌：一旦浮士德说出“你真美啊，请停留一下！”浮士德就得按照约定倒地而死。为什么当你发现无与伦比的美（此处读作“完美”）的时候，命运却要发生转折？歌德实在是大有深意在。

梁启超曾写信给徐志摩，劝他别与张幼仪离婚，信中说：

“呜呼！志摩，天下岂有圆满之宇宙？......当知吾侪以不求圆满为生活态度，斯可以领略生活之妙味矣。”

（出处：李敖，胡适研究，台湾远景出版社，1980年，第三版）

Anthem完整歌词如下：

the birds they sang
at the break of day
start again
i heard them say
dont dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.

ah the wars they will
be fought again
the holy dove
she will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.

ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
thats how the light gets in.

we asked for signs
the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed
the marriage spent
yeah the widowhood
of every government --
signs for all to see.

i cant run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
but theyve summoned, theyve summoned up
a thundercloud
and theyre going to hear from me.

ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
thats how the light gets in.

you can add up the parts
but you wont have the sum
you can strike up the march,
there is no drum
every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.

ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack, a crack in everything
thats how the light gets in.

ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack, a crack in everything
thats how the light gets in.
thats how the light gets in.
thats how the light gets in.

Leonard Cohen演唱此歌的视频如下：http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTYzNTQ5NDQ0.html。唱得非常感人！