第一辑 英译汉
英国抒情诗廿四首
导读
《英国抒情诗》(花城出版社,1992)是译者发表的第一本正式出版物——一本译诗加注释和解析文字的小册子,包括上自乔叟下至希内的37位诗人的60首诗。后来出版英汉对照增订本,改题为《明亮的星——英诗名篇精选》(哈尔滨出版社,2005),收诗70首。再后来又加增订,改题为《英诗华章》(中央编译出版社,2015),共收古今英国39位诗人的88首诗。以下译诗及注评均选自《英诗华章》一书。
巴拉德[1]
杰弗里·乔叟Geoffrey Chaucer(约1340—1400)
押沙龙[2],遮起你闪亮的金色发丝;
以斯帖[3],放下你满含的脉脉柔情;
约拿单[4],收起你洋溢的友好情义;
珀涅罗珀[5]和玛尔西娅·卡托翁[6],
不要拿你们女人的魅力来竞争;
伊索德和艾莲娜[7],藏起你们的美色:
我的女神[8]来了,会盖过这一切。
别让你漂亮的身段显露,拉文[9];
还有你,来自罗马城的鲁克丽丝[10],
为爱情付高昂代价的波里克辛[11],
还有那受苦受难的克娄巴特立[12],
藏起你们的贞操和你们的名誉;
还有你,为爱情如此痛苦的提斯别[13]:
我的女神来了,会盖过这一切。
海若[14]、狄多[15]、拉俄达弥亚[16]之辈,
还有为你的德莫丰自缢的菲丽丝[17],
还有因你的行为而出名的卡娜塞[18],
那被伊阿宋引诱的许珀希皮里[19],
别夸耀,也别张扬你们的韵事:
许珀弥斯特[20]和阿里阿涅[21]也别价:
我的女神来了,会盖过这一切。
BALADE
Hyd, Absolon, thy gilt tresses clere;
Ester, ley thou thy meknesse al adoun;
Hyd, Jonathas, al thy frendly manere;
Penalopee, and Marcia Catoun,
Make of your wyfhod no comparisoun;
Hyde ye your beautes, Isoude and Eleyne.
My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne.
Thy faire body, lat hit nat appere,
Lavyne; and thou, Lucresse of Rome toun,
And Polixene, that boghten love so dere,
And Cleopatre, with al thy passioun,
Hyde ye your trouthe of love and your renoun;
And thou, Tisbe, that hast of love swich peyne.
My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne.
Hero, Dido, Laudomia, alle yfere,
And Phyllis, hanging for thy Demophoun,
And Canace, espyed by thy chere,
Ysiphile, betrayed with Jasoun,
Maketh of your trouthe neyther boost ne soun;
Nor Ypermistre or Adriane, ye tweyne.
My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne.
正像猎人在疲惫的追逐之后[22]
正像猎人在疲惫的追逐之后,
在一个阴凉之处坐下来休憩,
眼看着猎物从他的面前逃走,
丢了猎物的猎犬在身边喘息:
在长久追求和徒劳尝试之后,
我已经疲惫不堪放弃了追猎,
柔美的鹿儿却从原路转回头,
想要在近旁的溪边一解焦渴。
在那里她用柔和眼光望着我,
无意要逃走,只是无惧地静候:
等我把她捉到手,且半带瑟缩,
心甘情愿在这里被牢牢捆缚。
看一头野兽如此地难驯不羁,
竟轻易自迷就擒,真令我惊奇。
LYKE AS A HUNTSMAN AFTER WEARY CHACE
Lyke as a huntsman after weary chace,
Seeing the game from him escapt away,
Sits downe to rest him in some shady place,
With panting hounds beguiled of their pray:
So after long pursuit and vaine assay,
When I all weary had the chace forsooke,
The gentle deare returnd the selfe-same way,
Thinking to quench her thirst at the next brooke.
There she beholding me with mylder looke,
Sought not to fly, but fearelesse still did bide:
Till I in hand her yet halfe trembling tooke,
And with her owne goodwill hir fyrmely tyde.
Strange thing me seemed to see a beast so wyld,
So goodly wonne with her owne will beguyld.
译文一
可否把你比作夏季一天[23]
威廉·莎士比亚William Shakespeare(1564—1616)
可否把你比作夏季一天?
你是人更美妙心更美好。
阵风会把五月娇蕾摇撼,
夏季租期也嫌时日太少。
苍天之眼[24]有时照耀过热,
他那金面常被浮云遮蔽;
诸多美物终将失去美色,
由于非命或者自然变易。
但是你的夏天不朽永恒,
你的所有美色毫无损失,
你在不朽诗句之中长生,
死神不会说你受他荫庇,
只要人会呼吸眼能看清,
只要此诗存活给你生命。
译文二
可否把你比作夏季的一日
可否把你比作夏季的一日?
你竟是更加明媚更加温和。
阵风粗暴摇撼五月的娇蕾,
夏季的租期拥有时日无多。
苍天之眼有时照耀得过热,
他那金面常常被浮云遮暗;
各种美物终将褪去了美色,
由于偶然或者是自然变幻。
但是你的夏天将永恒不朽,
你的所有美色也毫无损失,
死神将不会说你受他庇佑,
当你在不朽诗句之中长生,
只要人会呼吸眼睛能看清,
只要此诗存活赋予你生命。
SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMERS DAY
Shall I compare thee to a Summers day?
Thou art more louely and more temperate:
Rough windes do shake the darling buds of Maie,
And Sommers lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heauen shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d,
And euery faire from faire some-time declines,
By chance, or natures changing course vntrim’d:
But thy eternall Sommer shall not fade,
Nor loose possession of that faire thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternall lines to time thou grow’st,
So long as men can breath or eyes can see,
So long liues this, and this giues life to thee.
自挽
罗伯特·赫里克Robert Herrick(1591—1674)
相忘于世界,相忘于自我,孑然,
此时此地,我歇在这石碑下面:
在寂静深处,无人听见,和看见。
ON HIMSELFE
Lost to the world; lost to my selfe; alone
Here now I rest under this Marble stone:
In depth of silence, heard, and seene of none.
爱我少些,爱我久些
你说,对于我,你的感情强烈;
求你,爱我少些,会爱我久些。
缓步行远:这法子最好。欲念
变狂躁,不是暴亡,就是厌倦。
LOVE ME LITTLE, LOVE ME LONG
You say, to me-wards your affection’s strong;
Pray love me little, so you love me long.
Slowly goes farre: The meane is best: Desire
Grown violent, do’s either die, or tire.
滑轮[25]
乔治·赫伯特George Herbert(1593—1633)
上帝造人的时刻,
旁边立着一只杯盛满祝福,
“让我尽量向他倾注,”上帝说,
“让这世上散置各处的财富
浓缩聚集于一握。”
于是力量先出发,
其次美、智慧、荣誉、快乐流出。
即将倒尽的时候,上帝停下,
审视着留在杯子底部的剩余,
他那仅有的精华[26]。
“如果我竟然,”他说,
“把这珍宝也赐予我的创造物,
他就会爱惜赠礼而不敬奉我,
就会依赖造化,而不信造化主;
双方都将是损失者。
“就让他有其余财宝,
但拥有又同时抱怨不得休息。[27]
让他富有而厌倦,这样至少,
若善行不能引导,厌倦也会
把他抛向我怀抱。”
THE PULLEY
When God at first made man,
Having a glasse of blessings standing by,
“Let us,” said he, “poure on him all we can.
Let the worlds riches, which dispersed lie,
Contract into a span.”
So strength first made a way;
Then beautie flow’d, then wisdome, honour, pleasure.
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
Rest in the bottome lay.
“For if I should,” said he,
“Bestow this jewell also on my creature,
He would adore my gifts instead of me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;
So both should losers be.
“Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessnesse.
Let him be rich and wearie, that at least,
If goodnesse lead him not, yet wearinesse
May tosse him to my breast.”
哀失明[28]
约翰·弥尔顿John Milton(1608—1674)
考虑到在这黑暗无边的世界里,
我一生尚未过半,而光明已耗尽,
那一锭藏起就等于死亡的白银[29]
于我已无用,虽然我的心更愿意
用它来为我的主人效劳,并交出
真实的账目,以免他回来时斥责,
我愚蠢地发问:“上帝让日间劳作,
却又不赐给光亮?”但“耐心”为止住
这嘀咕,立时就回答:“上帝不需求
人的工作或他自己所赐;谁最能
承受他温和约束,就效劳得最好。
他至高无上。众天使奉旨令奔走,
在陆地和海洋之上不休地急行;
那些仅伫立待命者也是在效劳。”
ON HIS BLINDNESS
When I consider how my light is spent
E’re half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one Talent which is death to hide
Lodg’d with me useless, though my Soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest He returning chide, —
“Doth God exact day-labour, light deny’d?”
I fondly ask; —But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either man’s work, or His own gifts; who best
Bear His milde yoak, they serve Him best.His State
Is Kingly; thousands at His bidding speed
And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest: —
They also serve who only stand and waite.”
隐居颂[30]
亚历山大·蒲柏Alexander Pope(1688—1744)
那种人幸福啊,愿望和心思
系挂着几亩祖传的田产,
满足于呼吸乡土的空气,
在自己的地面。
牛群供乳汁,庄稼供食粮,
他的羊群供给他衣着;
树木为他在夏季遮凉,
在冬天生火。
有福啊,他能够无忧地觉得
时辰、昼夜和岁月流逝,
而身体健康,心意平和,
白天里闲适,
黑夜里酣眠;学习和安逸
一张一弛;怡然的娱乐,
天真的情怀,再加上冥思
最令人快活。
就这样让我活,无人见,无人知;
就这样让我死,无人哀哭;
悄然离世,不需要碑石
昭告我长眠处。
ODE ON SOLITUDE
Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air
In his own ground.
Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire;
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.
Blest, who can unconcern’dly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,
Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mix’d; sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please
With meditation.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.
圣星期四(二)[31]
威廉·布雷克William Blake(1757—1827)
在一个富裕丰产的国度,
眼看婴儿们陷入了惨境,
由那高利贷冷手来喂养,
难道这是桩神圣的事情?
那颤抖的啼哭可是歌声?
那能是一首欢乐的歌曲?
为何会有这么多穷孩子?
因为这是个贫穷的国度!
他们的太阳从来不照耀,
他们的田野荒凉又阴冷,
他们的道路布满了荆棘;
那里是永恒无尽的寒冬。
在哪里真正有太阳照耀,
在哪里真正有雨水洒落,
那里的婴儿才不会挨饿,
贫穷也不会把心灵恫吓。
HOLY THURSDAY [II]
Is this a holy thing to see,
In a rich and fruitful land,
Babes reduced to misery,
Fed with cold and usurous hand?
Is that trembling cry a song?
Can it be a song of joy?
And so many children poor?
It is a land of poverty!
And their sun does never shine,
And their fields are bleak & bare,
And their ways are fill’d with thorns;
It is eternal winter there.
For where-e’er the sun does shine,
And where-e’er the rain does fall,
Babe can never hunger there,
Nor poverty the mind appall.
一朵红红的玫瑰[32]
罗伯特·彭斯Robert Burns(1759—1796)
我爱人像一朵红红的玫瑰哟,
六月里刚刚绽开;
我爱人像一支美妙的曲子哟,
演奏得合调合拍。
你长得漂亮,我可爱的姑娘,
我把你深深迷恋;
我要永远地爱着你,亲爱的,
直到海水全变干。
一直到海水全变干,亲爱的,
石头被太阳晒化:
我要永远爱着你哟,亲爱的,
只要生命还漏沙。[33]
道一声珍重,我唯一的爱人,
暂时道一声珍重!
我还会回来的,我的爱人哟,
哪怕是万里路程!
A RED RED ROSE
O my luve is like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my luve is like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun: