一位愛爾蘭飛行員預見自己的死

電影就不多加評述了，看過片子的人應該還記得那位喜歡寫詩的年輕士兵。這是上戰場前，他給大夥兒念的一首詩：
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death
By:W.B Yeats

I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My county is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.

我知道我將要遭逢厄運
在頭頂上的雲間的某處；
我對所抗擊者並不仇恨，
我對所保衛者也不愛慕；
我的故鄉是在基爾塔坦，
那裡的窮人是我的同胞，
結局既不會使他們損減，
也不會使他們過得更好。
不是名人或歡呼的群眾，
或法律或義務使我參戰，
是一股寂寞的愉快衝動
長驅直入這雲中的騷亂；
我回想一切，權衡一切，
未來的歲月似毫無意義，
毫無意義的是以往歲月，
二者平衡在這生死之際。

（翻譯：傅浩）



電影裡省略了四句，為：

I know that I shall meet my fate
somewhere among the clouds above.
我將在雲之上，與命運之神相會。
Those that I fight I do not hate,
與我戰鬥之人，我不怨恨。
Those that I guard I do not love,
我所保護之人，我不貪愛。
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
我之戰鬥，不為法律、不為責任、
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds.
不為民眾、不為歡呼的掌聲。
A lonely impulse of some delight,
drove to this tumult in the clouds.
一脈微微的喜悅，催著我直上雲霄。
I balance all brought all to mind,
雲海浮沉，往日曆歷在目，
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
未來的似已惘然，
A waste of breath the years behind.
過去的已如塵煙。
In balance with this life, this death.
生死乃一線之隔。