The naming of cats

  Is a difficult matter

It is not just one of your holiday games

You may think at first

  I was a mad as a hatter

But I’ll tell you a cat

must have three different names

First of all there’s a name

  That the family used daily

Such as Peter, Augustus,

Alonzo or James

Such as Victor or Jordan,

  George or Bill Bally

But all of them sensible everyday names

There are fancies names

  If you think they sounds sweeter

Some for the gentleman

  Some for the dames

Such as Plato, Admetus,

Electra, Demeter

But all of them sensible everyday names

But I tell you a cat

needs a name that’s particular

A name that’s peculiar

  And more dignified

That’s how can he keep up his tail perpendicular

Or spread out his whiskers

  Or cherish his pride

Of name of this kind

  I can give you a quorum

Such as Munkustrap,

Quazo or Coricopat

Such as Bombalurina or else

Jellicles names will never belong

 To more than one cat

But above and beyond

  There still one nave left over

And that is the name

  That you never will guess

The name that no human will search

  And discovered

But the cat himself knows

  And will never confess

When you notice a cat

in profound meditation

The reason I tell you is always the same

His mind is engaged

in a rapt contemplation

Of the thought  of the thought

Of the thought  of his name

His ineffable  effable

Ineffable

Deep  and inscrutable

Singular

Name name name name…

為貓兒命名

是一件難事

它不是你在假期中的一個玩意

也許你起初會以為

我像個帽匠的瘋了(1)

但我可以告訴你每隻貓

都應該有三個不同的名字

首先的一個名字

是家中日常用的

就像Peter, Augustus,

Alonzo或是James

就像Victor或是Jordan

George或Bill Bally

但它們都只是日常用的名字

也有些花巧一點的名字

如果你覺得它們比較親切的話

有些是屬於男士的

有些是屬於淑女的

好像Plato或是Admetus

Electra, Demeter

但它們都只是每日都要用的名字

但我要告訴你每隻貓

都需要一個特別的名字

一個專屬於他的名字

以及更有尊嚴的

這可令他保持尾巴挺直

或是展開他的鬍鬚

或是保持他的傲氣

這一類的名字

我可以給你一列

就像Munkustrap

Quazo或是Coricopat

就像Bombalurina或是其他

Jellicles的名字是永遠

不會同屬於多過一隻貓的

然而除此之外

還有一個名字的

那是一個名字

你是永遠都猜不到的

一個名字是不會有人類去搜尋

以及發現

但貓兒自己會知道

而且永遠不會承認的

當你發現一隻貓

陷入了沉思時

我告訴你的原因永遠都是一樣的

他的思想正在忙碌於

全神貫注的去思考

在沉思  在沉思

在沉思  他的名字

他那神聖的  不能說出的

深沉以及高深茵測的

獨一無二的

名字, 名字, 名字, 名字…