英語散文佳作賞析：河之歌 The Song of the River

The Song of the River
河之歌

W.S Maugham
毛姆

You hear it all along the river. You hear it, loud and strong, from the rowers as they urge the junk with its high stern, the mast lashed alongside, down the swift running stream. You hear it from the trackers, a more breathless chant, as they pull desperately against the current, half a dozen of them perhaps if they are taking up wupan, a couple of hundred if they are hauling a splendid junk, its square sail set, over a rapid.
沿河上下都可以聽見那歌聲。它響亮而有力，那是船伕，他們划着木船順流向下，船尾翹得很高，桅杆系在船邊。它也可能是比較急促的號子，那是縴夫，他們拉縴逆流而上。如果拉的是小木船，也許就只五六個人；如果拉的是揚着橫帆的大船過急灘，那就要200來人。

On the junk, a man stands amidships beating a drum incessantly to guide their efforts, and they pull with all their strength, like men possessed, bent double; and sometimes in the extremity of their travail they craw on the ground, on all fours, like the beasts of the field. They strain, strain fiercely, against the pitiless might of the stream.
船中央站着一個漢子不停地擊鼓助威，引導他們加勁。於是他們使出全部力量，像着了魔似的，腰彎成兩折，有時力量用到極限就全身趴在地上匍匐前進，像田裏的牲口。

The leader goes up and down the line and when he sees one who is not putting all his will into the task he brings down his split bamboo on the naked back. Each one must do his utmost or the labour of all is vain. And still they sing a vehement, eager chant, the chant of the turbulent waters.
領頭的在纖繩前後跑來跑去，見到有人沒有全力以赴，竹板就打在他光着的背上。每個人都必須竭盡全力，否則就要前功盡棄。就這樣他們還是唱着激昂而熱切的號子，那洶涌澎湃的河水號子。

I do not know words can describe what there is in it of effort. It serves to express the straining heart, the breaking muscles, and at the same time the indomitable spirit of man which overcomes the pitiless force of nature. Though the rope may part and the great junk swing back, in the end the rapid will be passed; and at the close of the weary day there is the hearty meal...
我不知道詞語怎樣能描寫出其中所包括的拼搏，它表現的是繃緊的心絃，幾乎要斷裂的筋肉，同時也表現了人類克服無情的自然力的頑強精神。他們使勁，拼命使勁，對抗着水流無情的威力。雖然繩子可能扯斷，大船可能倒退，但最終險灘必將通過，在筋疲力盡的一天結束時可以痛快地吃上一頓飽飯…..

But the most agonizing song is the song of the coolies who bring the great bales from the junk up the steep steps to the town wall. Up and down they go, endlessly, and endless as their toil rises their rhythmic cry. He, aw --ah, oh. They are barefoot and naked to the waist. The sweat pours down their faces and their song is a groan of pain.
然而最令人難受的卻是苦力的歌，他們揹負着船上卸下的大包，沿着陡坡爬上城牆。他們不停地上上下下，隨着無盡的勞動響起有節奏的喊聲：嗨，呦——嗬，嗨。他們赤着腳，光着背，汗水不斷地從臉上流下。

It is a sigh of despair. It is heart-rending. It is hardly human. It is the cry of souls in infinite distress, only just musical, and that last note is the ultimate sob of humanity. Life is too hard, too cruel, and this is the final despairing protest. That is the song of the river.
他們的歌是痛苦的呻吟，失望的嘆息，聽來令人心碎，簡直不像是人的聲音。它是靈魂在無盡悲慼中的呼喊，只不過有着音樂的節奏而已。那終了的一聲簡直就是人性泯滅的低泣。生活太艱難、太殘酷，這喊聲正是最後絕望的抗議。這就是河之歌。