书城外语那些年那些诗
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第24章 Ode on a Grecian Urn

John Keats

Thou still unravished bride of quietness,

Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,

Sylvan historian,who canst thus express

A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:

What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape

Of deities or mortals,or of both,

In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?

What men or gods are these? What maidens loath?

What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?

What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

Heard melodies are sweet,but those unheard

Are sweeter;therefore,ye soft pipes,play on;

Not to the sensual ear,but,more endeared,

Pipe to the spirit dities of no tone:

Fair youth,beneath the trees,thou canst not leave

Thy song,nor ever can those trees be bare;

Bold Lover,never,never canst thou kiss,

Though winning near the goal—yet,do not grieve;

She cannot fade,though thou hast not thy bliss,

Forever wilt thou love,and she be fair!

Ah,happy,happy boughs! that cannot shed

Your leaves,nor ever bid the Spring adieu;

And,happy melodist,unwearied,

Forever piping songs forever new;

More happy love! more happy,happy love!

Forever warm and still to be enjoyed,

Forever panting,and forever young;

All breathing human passion far above,

That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloyed,

A burning forehead,and a parching tongue.

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?

To what green altar,O mysterious priest,

Lead’st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,

And all her silken flanks with garlands dressed?

What little town by river or sea-shore,

Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,

Is emptied of this folk,this pious morn?

And,little town,thy streets for evermore

Will silent be;and not a soul to tell

Why thou art desolate,can e’er return.

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede

Of marble men and maidens overwrought,

With forest branches and the trodden weed;

Thou,silent form,dost tease us out of thought

As doth eternity. Cold Pastoral!

When old age shall this generation waste,

Thou shalt remain,in midst of other woe

Than ours,a friend to man,to whom thou say’st,

“Beauty is truth,truth beauty,”—that is all

Ye know on earth,and all ye need to know.

希腊古瓮颂

约翰·济慈

你仍是宁静未过门的新娘,

你是寂静与悠长岁月的养女,

呵,田园的史家,你竟能如此描述

一个如花的故事,比诗还瑰丽:

在你的形体上,岂非缭绕着

古老的传说,以绿叶为其边缘;

讲着人或神,敦陂或阿卡狄?

呵,是什么人,什么神!在舞乐前

多热烈地追求!少女怎样地逃!

又是怎样的笛子和手鼓?怎样狂野地着迷?

乐曲传美妙,无声胜有声;

因此,柔情的风笛,你尽情地吹;

无声的小曲不是吹给肉耳听的,

而是与更钟爱的人两心相期。

那树下的美少年歌永不歇,

那树上的绿叶也永不凋零,

大胆的恋人也永远吻不到她,

虽然离目的还差一步——但你也别生悲切;

虽然你还没有吻她的福气,但她永远不会老,

你的爱永恒,她的美永恒!

呵,幸福的树木!你的枝叶

不会剥落,从不曾离开春天;

琴师也有幸,精力永旺盛,

吹奏万古常新的乐曲;

呵,更为幸福的爱情,格外幸福的爱情!

永远温暖,令人欢慰,

永远激情,永远年轻;

这爱情超越了人间的爱情;

那人间的爱情让人生厌,叫人伤心,

让人额头发烫,焦灼人的舌根。

这些献祭的人是谁?

哦,神秘的祭司,走上神圣的祭坛,

这头小母牛披彩缎,饰花环,

对着苍天哞哞叫喊,啊,

是从哪个傍河傍海的小镇,

或哪个静静的堡寨山村,

来了这些人,在这虔诚的清晨?

呵,小镇,你的街道永远恬静;

没有一个人能赶回来,告诉你

为什么你是这样荒凉静寂。

啊,形状高雅!姿态美好!

上面细刻着大理石的男女之像,

那画图里头上有树枝、脚下有青草,

你嘲笑得我们不知如何是好,您这无言的形状,

就像“永恒”嘲笑我们一样;你这苍凉的田园风光!

当衰老把我们这代人消磨殆尽,

你仍留在下一代更痛苦的人之中,

你对他们说,你是人类的友人,

“美即是真,真即是美”这就包括

在这世界上,我们所知和需知的一切。

背景知识

约翰·济慈(John Keats),出生于18世纪末的伦敦,他是杰出的英诗作家之一,也是浪漫派的主要成员。济慈诗才横溢,与雪莱、拜伦齐名。他只活了25岁,但其遗下的诗篇一直誉满人间,被认为完美地体现了西方浪漫主义诗歌的特色,并被推崇为欧洲浪漫主义运动的杰出代表。他主张“美即是真,真即是美”(Beauty is truth, truth beauty),擅长描绘自然景色和事物外貌,表现景物的色彩感和立体感,重视写作技巧,语言追求华美,对后世抒情诗的创作影响极大。

在这首诗里,诗人把古瓮给他的一些感性的、富有生命力的、色彩斑澜的印象,通过他的神思妙想、艺术的提炼,把触及他灵魂的东西至美地表达了出来。昔日的生命不复存在,但生命不一定要依附于肉体,曾几何时,他们在古代雕刻家手中获得了“再生”,化为永恒之美长存人间,且超然于人间苦海的变幻,抚慰凄风苦雨中忧伤的心——美即是真,真即是美,此美乃不朽!故痛苦有限的生命可以在美和真中找到慰藉。整首诗在咏物过程中向我们提示了这样一个真理:人生短促、艺术长久!

单词注解

sylvan [5silvEn] 森林的;多树木的

timbrel [5timbrEl] 铃鼓

adieu [E5dju:] 告别,辞行

heifer [5hefE] 小母牛

maiden [5meidn] 少女

名句诵读

Though winning near the goal—yet,do not grieve;She cannot fade,though thou hast not thy bliss,Forever wilt thou love,and she be fair!

“Beauty is truth,truth beauty,”—that is all Ye know on earth,and all ye need to know.