To the Oak Tree
Author：Shu Ting
Translator：Johanna Yueh
If I love you --
I will never be a clinging trumpet creeper
Using your high boughs to show off my height
If I love you --
I will never be a spoony bird
Repeating a monotonous song for green shade
Or be a spring
Bringing cool solace all year long
Or be a steep peak
Increasing your stature, reflecting your eminence
Even the sunlight
Even the spring rain
No, all these are not enough
I must be a ceiba tree beside you
Be the image of a tree standing together with you
Our roots, entwined underground
Our leaves, touching in the clouds
With each gust of wind
We greet each other
But nobody
Can understand our words
You'll have your copper branches and iron trunk
Like knives, like swords, like halberds, too
I'll have my crimson flowers
Like heavy sighs
And valiant torches
We'll share cold spells, storms and thunders
We'll share mists, hazes and rainbows
Seemingly always apart
But also forever interdependent
Only this can be great love
The loyalty is here
Love --
I love not only your strapping stature
But also your firm stand, the earth beneath you
单词锦囊：
clinging ['klɪŋɪŋ] adj. 执着的；有粘性的
trumpet creeper 凌霄花(Campsis chinensis); 紫薇[亦作 trumpet vine]
bough [baʊ] n. 大树枝
spoony ['spuːnɪ] adj. 痴情的；愚蠢的；多愁善感的
monotonous [mə'nɑtənəs] adj. 单调的，无抑扬顿挫的；无变化的
solace ['sɒlɪs] n. 安慰；慰藉；安慰之物
steep [stiːp] adj. 〔路、山等〕陡的，陡峭的
peak [piːk] n. 山峰；最高点；顶点
stature ['stætʃɚ] n. 身高，身材；（精神、道德等的）高度
eminence ['ɛmɪnəns] n. 显赫；卓越；高处
ceiba ['saɪbə] n. 木棉；木棉树
entwine [ɪn'twaɪn] v. 缠住；盘绕；使缠绕
gust [gʌst] n. 一阵狂风
copper ['kɒpə] adj. 铜的
iron ['aɪən] adj. 铁的
trunk [trʌŋk] n. 树干；躯干
halberd ['hælbɜːd] n. 戟（十五至十六世纪使用的一种武器）
crimson ['krɪmzn] adj. 深红色的
valiant ['væljənt] adj. 〔尤指在困境中〕英勇的，勇敢的
torch [tɔrtʃ] n. 火把，火炬；手电筒
cold spell 寒期;寒潮
mist [mɪst] n.薄雾，雾霭
haze [heɪz] n. 烟雾，霾
interdependent [,ɪntɚdɪ'pɛndənt] adj. 相互依赖的
strapping ['stræpɪŋ] adj. 魁梧的；高大健壮的
firm [fɝm] adj. 坚定的；牢固的；严格的；结实的
stand [stænd] n. 站立；立场；看台；停止
Author：Shu Ting
Translator：Johanna Yueh
If I love you --
I will never be a clinging trumpet creeper
Using your high boughs to show off my height
If I love you --
I will never be a spoony bird
Repeating a monotonous song for green shade
Or be a spring
Bringing cool solace all year long
Or be a steep peak
Increasing your stature, reflecting your eminence
Even the sunlight
Even the spring rain
No, all these are not enough
I must be a ceiba tree beside you
Be the image of a tree standing together with you
Our roots, entwined underground
Our leaves, touching in the clouds
With each gust of wind
We greet each other
But nobody
Can understand our words
You'll have your copper branches and iron trunk
Like knives, like swords, like halberds, too
I'll have my crimson flowers
Like heavy sighs
And valiant torches
We'll share cold spells, storms and thunders
We'll share mists, hazes and rainbows
Seemingly always apart
But also forever interdependent
Only this can be great love
The loyalty is here
Love --
I love not only your strapping stature
But also your firm stand, the earth beneath you
单词锦囊：
clinging ['klɪŋɪŋ] adj. 执着的；有粘性的
trumpet creeper 凌霄花(Campsis chinensis); 紫薇[亦作 trumpet vine]
bough [baʊ] n. 大树枝
spoony ['spuːnɪ] adj. 痴情的；愚蠢的；多愁善感的
monotonous [mə'nɑtənəs] adj. 单调的，无抑扬顿挫的；无变化的
solace ['sɒlɪs] n. 安慰；慰藉；安慰之物
steep [stiːp] adj. 〔路、山等〕陡的，陡峭的
peak [piːk] n. 山峰；最高点；顶点
stature ['stætʃɚ] n. 身高，身材；（精神、道德等的）高度
eminence ['ɛmɪnəns] n. 显赫；卓越；高处
ceiba ['saɪbə] n. 木棉；木棉树
entwine [ɪn'twaɪn] v. 缠住；盘绕；使缠绕
gust [gʌst] n. 一阵狂风
copper ['kɒpə] adj. 铜的
iron ['aɪən] adj. 铁的
trunk [trʌŋk] n. 树干；躯干
halberd ['hælbɜːd] n. 戟（十五至十六世纪使用的一种武器）
crimson ['krɪmzn] adj. 深红色的
valiant ['væljənt] adj. 〔尤指在困境中〕英勇的，勇敢的
torch [tɔrtʃ] n. 火把，火炬；手电筒
cold spell 寒期;寒潮
mist [mɪst] n.薄雾，雾霭
haze [heɪz] n. 烟雾，霾
interdependent [,ɪntɚdɪ'pɛndənt] adj. 相互依赖的
strapping ['stræpɪŋ] adj. 魁梧的；高大健壮的
firm [fɝm] adj. 坚定的；牢固的；严格的；结实的
stand [stænd] n. 站立；立场；看台；停止
