the net (the inside barrier) of their hearts is still between them. "40-Love" is a semantic pun here.It can be understood as "love at 40 years of age " (40-year-old love), while on the other hand,those familiar with the tennis competition will know that "love = 0-40: 0 ".This score is a critical point of a tennis game , meaning that the one who had three points in his hand, would win the game if one more point was gained.This "critical state" also implies the so-called "mid-life crisis" when the collapse of marriage is easy. Poetry variant aims to create a "highlight" effect, increasing the performance of poetry. Variations in the language are used to impress readers,bringing enjoyments to them with vast space left for imagination at the same time.
附中文:麥克高夫寫的是Middle aged couple playing tennis when the game ends and they go home the net will still be between them.詩歌運用了別出心裁的書寫變異。中間的壹道線代表網子,象征著隔閡。從整首詩沈悶且壹成不變的聲調看,中年夫婦的婚姻生活就像壹場缺乏懸念的網球比賽,網間回合似乎成了壹種習慣,缺乏生機。正如詩中寫到的:比賽結束後他們壹起回家(身體的距離拉近了),而那張網(內心的隔閡)卻依然夾在中央。“40-Love"語義雙關,即可理解為“love at 40 years of age”(40歲的愛情),同時熟悉網球比賽的人都知道love=0-40 : 0 的比分是壹局比賽的臨界點,握有三個局點的壹方若再得壹分此局即告結束,這種"臨界狀態"同時也暗示著婚姻生活隨時面臨崩盤的所謂“中年危機”。詩歌變異的目的是為了營造壹種“突出”的效果,增加詩歌的表現力。通過語言的變異,給讀者留下了深刻的印象,帶給讀者美的享受的同時留下廣闊的遐想空間。