Plumbing The Deep 水暖深
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 星期二， 08年3月18日
By far my greatest fear when I was younger was one of deep water.目前我最大的担心我年轻的时候是一个深水。 I suppose as fears go that’s quite a rational one.我猜想是因为担心去的相当合理的。 It was perpetuated by Jaws —a movie surely unavoidable by anyone alive in the late 1970s.这是长期存在的大白鲨 ，电影肯定任何人都不可避免地活在20世纪70年代末。 At the time, Jaws served as confirmation that fear of the sea was absolutely justified and almost constituted common sense.当时， 大白鲨担任确认恐惧的海洋是绝对有道理的，几乎是常识。 Those who ventured beyond the shallow end of a pool I crowned in my mind as heroes, and as veritable demigods those who would dive head first from a board.这些谁冒险超越浅池我在我的脑海加冕的英雄，作为名副其实的demigods将这些潜水主管谁第一个局。 Those who would wade out far enough to lose their footing in the ocean however, I labeled as reckless dolts who did not properly value the life they had been given.这些谁将韦德远远不够失去立足海洋然而，我标记为鲁莽dolts谁没有适当的价值，他们的生活得到了。
When harboured and reinforced for twenty years, even the most rational fear can reach irrational proportions and formidable strength.当窝藏和加强为二十年，即使是最理性的非理性的恐惧可以达到可怕的程度和强度。 It seemed God had to carefully engineer an opportunity for its final dismantling, starting with a phone call from a friend—out of the blue so to speak.看来上帝认真工程师的机会，最后拆除，首先打电话给朋友出蓝，以便发言。 My friend had planned and paid for a scuba diving holiday in the Caribbean with a partner who had since gone off in a huff about something, so would I go instead?我的朋友曾计划和支付的潜水假期在加勒比地区的合作伙伴了，因为谁去了气呼呼的事情，所以我会去吗？ Many excuses came to mind, but you can imagine that none of them would be very convincing faced with such an offer.许多借口来考虑，但你可以想像，没有他们将是非常有说服力的面对这样的要约。 I accepted, viewing it gravely as a service, and nervously hoping more specific and robust excuses would present themselves when faced with the ocean itself.我接受，认为它严重地为服务，并紧张地希望更具体和有力的借口将提出自己面对大海本身。
It was with much trepidation and considerable self-transcendence that I completed my training and gained my diving license, graduating from the shallow end to the deep end of a pool somewhere in Alabama, then to the murkier regions of a former quarry.这是非常可观的不安和自我超越 ，我完成了我的培训和取得的潜水执照，脱离浅水深池月底在阿拉巴马州的地方，然后向murkier地区前采石场。 I would use up my air in half the time of my peers due to my anxiety, but by that time I had resolved to face The Deep once and for all, and I would not be deterred by any amount of cajoling.我会用我的空气中一半的时间我的同龄人，由于我的焦虑，但到那个时候我已经决心面对深一劳永逸的，我不会被吓倒的任何数量的cajoling 。
I had to be pushed off the boat on my first adventure in the open sea.我必须要推迟船在我的第一次冒险在公海上。 With all that outer paraphernalia and inner baggage, the physical and mental strength to do it myself had to be developed over time.与所有外用具及内的行李，身体和精神的力量做到这一点我本人有一定的时间。 I was enraptured though, from the very first moment.我眉飞色舞不过，从一开始的时刻。 The harsh sun, the growl and fumes of the boat engine, the nauseous movement of the waves, the weight of the equipment, were all replaced by purity and gentleness on the other side of the ocean’s skin.严酷的太阳，咆哮和烟雾的船引擎，恶心运动的海浪，重量的设备，均改为纯度和温柔对远在大洋彼岸的皮肤。 Fear turned to awe as I entered a world where I did not belong, but which had ample room to house me.恐惧转向敬畏我进入了一个世界里，我不属于，但它足够的空间容纳我。 How humbling to be at the mercy of such a body of vastness, floating in a medium of which the human body is largely composed, but which alone would not sustain it for more than a few seconds.如何卑微的摆布这样一个机构的地域辽阔，漂浮在一个中等的人体主要组成，但它本身不能维持它多了几秒钟。 Up to then such tranquility was unknown to me, but seemed a perfect natural state.截至然后这种平静是不知道我，但似乎是一个完美的自然状态。 My breathing became slower even than it was on land, and I used less air then even than my peers.我的呼吸变得缓慢甚至比在陆地上，我使用更少的空气然后甚至比我的同龄人。
There was no sound then except that breath: the husky drawing in, and the chink of exhalation, releasing plumes of amorphous bubbles.没有任何声音，但随后呼吸：在赫斯基吸引和叮当的呼气，释放柱非晶泡沫。 Colours were completely new; their hue and luminosity changed constantly, with a freedom alien to the flat shades known to land.颜色是完全新的，他们的色调和亮度不断变化，以自由外来单位色调称为土地。 Freedom of movement in all directions was also new and brought boundless fun, though my own mammalian efforts took me nowhere in comparison to the sleek agility of sea creatures.迁徙自由在各个方向也带来了无限的新的和有趣的，但我自己的哺乳动物努力把我无处相比，圆滑灵活的海洋生物。 Stillness was a favourite practice, controlling the posture and breath to hover inches from the seabed.寂静是一个最喜欢的做法，控制姿势和呼吸徘徊英寸从海底。 Movement without effort was the crowning joy, drifting with the tide over coral gardens, tiny fish hovering and darting, as would bees over blooms.运动而不努力是至高无上的喜悦，漂流的渡过珊瑚花园，小鱼类徘徊和darting ，如将蜜蜂的花朵。
The creatures seemed to look on us as bumbling enigmas.动物看起来似乎对我们装模作样谜。 They showed no irritation by our presence, neither fear, as they knew any lazy flinch of theirs would easily outsmart us.他们没有刺激我们的存在，既不害怕，因为他们知道任何懒惰畏缩他们的我们很容易弄巧成拙。 Some were notoriously intelligent, and many seemed positively hospitable, even taking time from apparently busy schedules to play games.有些人非常聪明，许多似乎积极热情，即使考虑时间显然繁忙玩游戏。 The beauty, power, and harmony of that vast and strange environment have etched themselves on my mind and heart.美丽，权力，与和谐的广大和陌生的环境已经铭刻在我自己的心灵。 I can still see a flock of eagle rays emerging into view, their massive wings forming slow, graceful arcs suspended in a saline cathedral.我仍然可以看到一群老鹰射线新兴成认为，其大规模的翅膀形成缓慢，优美的弧线悬浮在生理盐水大教堂。 I can still catch the cheeky glance of grouper snatching chunks of raw fish from my pocket.我仍然可以赶上厚脸皮一览石斑鱼抢掠块生鱼片从我的口袋里。 I can still feel the specific majesty of depths beyond 100ft.我仍然可以感受到具体陛下的深度超过一○○英尺 I’d have imagined the form of a shark in those depths would have caused me to expire from sheer fright a few weeks before.我想象的形式，在这些鲨鱼的深度会造成箱过期从纯粹吓得前几个星期。 In reality its beauty disarmed me, and I saw only the grace and efficiency of movement.在现实中它的美丽解除我，我只看到了宽限期和效率的行动。 The perfection of that creation brought tears to my eyes.完善创造了眼泪说，我的眼睛。 In The Deep, to my surprise, I seemed to meet the Creator in myriad beguiling guises.深，向我吃惊的是，我似乎满足造物主在无数欺骗性伪装。
I have visited other oceans since, but I no longer hanker for sub-aquatic charms.我访问了其他海洋以来，但我不再卓海康分水产品魅力。 Perhaps it is the growing sense that such peace and beauty are in-built, requiring only the key of meditation for their discovery.也许，这是不断增长的意义，这种和平与美的在建，只需要在关键的冥想的发现。 An ever-deepening Deep seems accessible without need of a license or expensive airfares, without the use of weights, wetsuits, and cumbersome canisters, and without the job of conquering fear.一个不断深化深似乎没有需要获得的许可证或昂贵的机票，而无需使用权，雨衣，和繁琐的罐，没有就业的征服恐惧。
Image: Prashphutita Greco at Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries图片： Prashphutita希腊在斯里兰卡清中心画廊
