知足常樂

 Kurt Vonnegut 是我很欣賞的小說作家, 最近才知道他也寫過詩, 我不懂欣賞英文詩, 不過有一首詩的標題是另一位我也很喜愛的小說作家 Joseph Heller,  兩位都已去世不再有新動向, 不過我每次看到他們的大名總要看個究竟. 

有一天 Vonnegut 和 Heller 參加一個大富翁的宴會, Vonnegut 事後把兩人的一段閒談寫成詩, 標題《Joe Heller》, 要點是 Vonnegut 說宴會主人只要一天就能賺到 Heller 最暢銷名著《Catch-22》一輩子才能賺到的錢, 問他有何感想? Heller 回答但是我有一樣他永遠得不到的東西, Vonnegut 說怎麼可能! Heller 說我很滿意我眼前所有的, 他卻永遠不會滿足.

知足常樂易說難做, Heller 不僅不是凡夫俗子而且雖非巨富無憂生計, 自然可以輕描淡寫, 不過他的話觸及重點. 

Joe Heller by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

True story, Word of Honor:

Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer

now dead,

and I were at a party given by a billionaire

on Shelter Island.

I said, "Joe, how does it make you feel

to know that our host only yesterday may have made more money

than your novel Catch-22?

has earned in its entire history?"

And Joe said, "Ive got something he can never have."

And I said, "What on earth could that be, Joe?"

And Joe said, "The knowledge that Ive got enough."

Not bad! Rest in peace!