书城外语那些年那些诗
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第34章 Hope

Emily Bronte

Hope was but a timid friend;

She sat without the grated den,

Watching how my fate would tend,

Even as selfish-hearted men.

She was cruel in her fear;

Through the bars one weary day,

I looked out to see her there,

And she turned her face away!

Like a false guard,false watch keeping,

Still in strife,she whispered peace;

She would sing while I was weeping,

If I listened,she would cease.

False she was,and unrelenting;

When my last joys strewed the ground,

Even Sorrow saw,repenting,

Those sad relics scattered round;

Hope,whose whisper would have given

Balm to all my frenzied pain,

Stretched her wings,and soared to heaven,

Went,and ne’er returned again!

希 望

艾米莉·勃朗特

希望只是个羞怯的友伴。

她坐在我的囚牢之外,

以自私者的冷眼旁观

观察我的命运的好歹。

她因胆怯而如此冷酷。

郁闷的一天,我透过铁栏,

想看到我的希望的面目,

却见她立即背转了脸!

像一个假看守在假意监视,

一面敌对一面又暗示和平;

当我哀泣时她吟唱歌词,

当我静听她却噤口无声。

她心如铁石而且虚假。

当我最后的欢乐落满地,

见此悲惨的遗物四处抛撒,

就连“哀愁”也遗憾不已;

而希望,她本来能悄悄耳语

为痛苦欲狂者搽膏止痛,

却伸展双翼向天堂飞去,

一去不回,从此不见影踪。

背景知识

艾米莉·勃朗特(Emily Bronte),英国著名女作家,《呼啸山庄》是她的代表作。她曾与姐妹合出过一本诗集,直到20世纪她才被公认为英国三大女诗人之一。艾米莉生性内向而孤傲,深居简出,喜欢一个人在荒原上散步。长相平平的她一辈子都没有谈过恋爱。与她的姊妹一样,艾米莉的身体因为当地的气候而显得衰弱。在1848年9月她的兄弟的丧礼期间,艾米莉感染了风寒,并且拒绝服用药物。1848年12月19日,艾米莉因结核病去世。

单词注解

den [den] 洞穴,窝巢

guard [^B:d] 哨兵;卫兵;警备员

strew [stru:] 铺盖;点缀

frenzied [5frenzid] 狂乱的;疯狂(似)的

名句诵读

Hope was but a timid friend;She sat without the grated den,Watching how my fate would tend,Even as selfish-hearted men.

Like a false guard,false watch keeping,Still in strife,she whispered peace;She would sing while I was weeping,If I listened,she would cease.

Hope,whose whisper would have given Balm to all my frenzied pain,Stretched her wings,and soared to heaven,Went,and ne’er returned again!

Down by the Salley Gardens

William Butler Yeats

Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;

She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet.

She bid me take love easy,as the leaves grow on the tree;

But I,being young and foolish,with her would not agree.

In a field by the river my love and I did stand,

And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand.

She bid me take life easy,as the grass grows on the weirs;

But I was young and foolish,and now am full of tears.

来到柳园

威廉·巴特勒·叶芝

我与她赴幽会来到柳园,

她来时足娇小色白如棉。

听她讲爱莫急如叶慢长,

那时候小而蠢,和她意见不一

我与她站立在河边田野,

她雪白的手倚在我肩。

听她讲生活像水草慢长,

那时候小而蠢,如今空把泪洒。

背景知识

威廉·巴特勒·叶芝(William Butler Yeats),爱尔兰诗人、剧作家,著名的神秘主义者。叶芝是“爱尔兰文艺复兴运动”的领袖,也是艾比剧院(Abbey Theatre)的创建者之一。1865年6月13日出生于都柏林。曾在都柏林大都会美术学院学习绘画,1887年开始专门从事诗歌创作,被诗人艾略特誉为“当代最伟大的诗人”。

这首诗也被译为《莎莉花园》,在时态的运用上也有独特之处。全诗除了最后半行用现在时态以外都是过去时态。这说明过去对人们的现在具有十分重要的意义。在诗的最后,诗人用一般现在时是意味深长的。虽然对现在情况的描述只有五个词便戛然而止,但是,由于诗人把这几个词放在全诗最突出的位置,所以给人意犹未尽的感觉。这首貌似简单的诗,却向人们揭示了生活的哲理:对待爱情和生活,人们应当顺其自然,就像“绿叶长在树枝上”,“青草长在河堰上”。不然,会因为一时的“愚蠢”而遗恨终生。

单词注解

bid [bid] 命令,吩咐

snow-white 雪白的;纯白的

weir [wiE] 堰;坝

名句诵读

Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet.

In a field by the river my love and I did stand,And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand. She bid me take life easy,as the grass grows on the weirs;But I was young and foolish,and now am full of tears.