經典英語詩歌欣賞
She Walks In Beauty—— George Gordon Byron
She walks in beauty,
like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade more, one ray less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, So soft, so calm,
yet eloquent The smiles that win, the tints that glow.
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
她在美中徜徉， 她在美中穿行;
象深邃的蒼穹綴滿繁星，
象皎潔的夜空萬里無雲。
明和暗多麼協調，
深與淺恰如其分;
白晝的光線過於炫耀，
柔和的夜色最爲溫馨。
美匯入她的舉止，
美溶進她的眼神; 美在烏黑的髮際遊弋，
美在燦爛的臉上逡巡。
不多一絲輝光，
不少半點柔陰;
包容的思緒彌足珍貴，
潛藏的心靈更加香醇;
在面頰，在眉宇， 無言勝似有聲;
那裏可以體察心緒的平靜， 那裏可以領會情感的溫存。
那折服人心的微笑，
那淡淡泛起的紅暈，
訴說着度過的優雅時光， 透露出沉積的善良品性。
人間萬事平心以待， 恰似美的天神;
一顆心裝着至愛， 一顆心永遠真純。
To a Waterfowl——William Cullen Bryant
Whither, midst falling dew,
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
Thy solitary way?
Vainly the fowler's eye
Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong,
As, darkly seen against the crimson sky,
Thy figure floats along.
Seek'st thou the plashy brink
Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide,
Or where the rocking billows rise and sink
On the chafed ocean-side?
There is a Power whose care
Teaches thy way along that pathless coast
The desert and illimitable air
Lone wandering, but not lost.
All day thy wings have fanned,
At that far height, the cold, thin atmosphere,
Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land,
Though the dark night is near.
And soon that toil shall end;
Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest,
And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend,
Soon, o'er thy sheltered nest.
Thou 'rt gone, the abyss of heaven
Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart
Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given,
And shall not soon depart.
He who, from zone to zone,
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must tread alone,
Will lead my steps aright.
威廉•庫倫•布萊恩特《致水鳥》
你要去往何方?露珠正在墜落，
天穹閃耀着白晝最後的腳步，
遠遠地，穿過玫瑰色的深處，
你求索着孤獨的道路。
也許，獵鳥者的眼睛
徒勞地看着你遠飛，想要傷害你，
當紅色的天空襯着你的身影，
你飄搖而去。
你想要飛往何處?
要尋覓雜草叢生、潮溼的湖岸?
大河的邊沿，還是磨損的海灘?
那裏有動盪的巨浪起起落落
有一種力量關照着你，
教導你在無路的海濱，
荒漠和浩淼的長空，
獨自漫遊，不會迷失。
你整天拍打着翅膀，
扇着遠天那寒冷的稀薄大氣，
儘管黑夜已靠近，你已疲憊
也不肯屈尊降落安全的大地。
不久那折磨就會結束;
不久你就會找到夏天的家，歇下，
在同伴間歡叫;不久
蘆葦將彎下，在你隱蔽的巢上。
你消失了，天空的深淵
吞噬了你的身影;但在我心上
已深深留下你教給我的一課，
它不會很快遺忘。
誰引導你穿過無垠的天空，
從一個領域到另一個領域，
也會在我必須獨自跋涉的長途上，
正確地引導我的腳步。
The Raven
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weakry.
Over many a quint and curious volume of forgotten lore.
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; -vainly I had tried to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
" ' Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is and nothing more.
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door;
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that: darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, " Lenore! "
Merely this, and nothing more.
Then into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon I heard again a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;
'Tis the wind, and nothing more!
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter.
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night ' s Plutonian shore! "
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. "
Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning-little relevancy hore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no sublunary being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above I us chamber door,
With such mime as "Nevermore.
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that ill~ word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered-not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before-
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before. "
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. "
Wondering at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,"
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed fastel-so, when Hope he would adjure,
Stern Despair returned, instead of the sweet Hope he dared adjure-
That sad answer, "Nevermore!"
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust, and door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore. "
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by angels whose faint foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite-respite and Nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Let me quaff this kind Nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. "
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! -prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by Horror haunted-tell me truly, I implore-
Is there-is there balm in Gilead?-tell me-tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. "
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! -prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us-by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn ,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. "
"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting-
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! -quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door! "
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore. "
And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o' er him streaming throve his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out chat shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted-nevermore!
烏鴉(愛倫·坡 著)
曹明倫 譯(安徽文藝出版社1999年版本)
從前一個陰鬱的子夜，我獨自沉思，慵懶疲竭，
面對許多古怪而離奇、並早已被人遺忘的書卷;
當我開始打盹，幾乎入睡，突然傳來一陣輕擂，
彷彿有人在輕輕叩擊——輕輕叩擊我房間的門環。
“有客來也”，我輕聲嘟喃，“正在叩擊我的門環，
惟此而已，別無他般。”
哦，我清楚地記得那是在風淒雨冷的十二月，
每一團奄奄一息的餘燼都形成陰影伏在地板。
我當時真盼望翌日——因爲我已經枉費心機
想用書來消除傷悲，消除因失去麗諾爾的傷感，
因那位被天使叫作麗諾爾的少女，她美麗嬌豔，
在此已抹去芳名，直至永遠。
那柔軟、暗淡、颯颯飄動的每一塊紫色窗布
使我心中充滿前所未有的恐懼，我毛骨悚然;
爲平息我心兒的悸跳.我站起身反覆唸叨
“這是有客人想進屋，正在叩我房間的門環，
更深夜半有客人想進屋，正在叩我房間的門環，
惟此而已，別無他般。”
於是我的心變得堅強;不再猶疑，不再彷徨，
“先生”，我說，“或夫人，我求你多多包涵;
剛纔我正睡意昏昏，而你敲門又敲得那麼輕，
你敲門又敲得那麼輕，輕輕叩我房間的門環，
我差點以爲沒聽見你”，說着我打開門扇——
但惟有黑夜，別無他般。
凝視着夜色幽幽，我站在門邊驚懼良久，
疑惑中似乎夢見從前沒人敢夢見的夢幻;
可那未被打破的寂靜，沒顯示任何象徵，
“麗諾爾?”便是我囁嚅唸叨的惟一字眼，
我念叨“麗諾爾”，回聲把這名字輕輕送還;
惟此而已，別無他般。
我轉身回到房中，我的整個心燒灼般疼痛，
很快我又聽到叩擊聲，比剛纔聽起來明顯。
“肯定”，我說，“肯定有什麼在我的窗櫺;
讓我瞧瞧是什麼在那兒，去把那祕密發現，
讓我的心先鎮靜一會兒，去把那祕密發現;
那不過是風，別無他般!”
然後我推開了窗戶，隨着翅膀的一陣猛撲，
一隻神聖往昔的烏鴉莊重地走進我房間;
它既沒向我致意問候，也沒有片刻的停留，
而是以紳士淑女的風度棲到我房門的上面，
棲在我房門上方一尊帕拉斯半身雕像上面;
棲息在那兒，僅如此這般。
於是這隻黑鳥把我悲傷的幻覺哄騙成微笑，
以它那老成持重一本正經溫文爾雅的容顏，
“冠毛雖被剪除”，我說，“但你顯然不是懦夫，
你這幽靈般可怕的古鴉，漂泊來自夜的彼岸，
請告訴我你尊姓大名，在黑沉沉的冥府陰間!”
烏鴉答曰“永不復焉”。
聽見如此直率的回答，我對這醜鳥感到驚訝，
儘管它的回答不着邊際——與提問幾乎無關;
因爲我們不得不承認，從來沒有活着的世人
曾如此有幸地看見一隻鳥棲在他房門的上面，
看見鳥或獸棲在他房門上方的半身雕像上面，
而且名叫“永不復焉”。
但那隻棲於肅穆的半身雕像上的烏鴉只說了
這一句話，彷彿它傾瀉靈魂就用那一個字眼。
然後它便一聲不吭——也不把它的羽毛拍動，
直到我幾乎在喃喃自語“其他朋友早已離散，
明晨它也將離我而去，如同我的希望已消散。”
這時烏鴉說“永不復焉”。
驚異於屋裏的寂靜被如此恰當的回話打破，
“肯定”，我說，“此話是它惟一會說的人言，
從它不幸的主人口中學來。一連串橫禍飛災
曾接踵而至，直到它主人的歌中有了這字眼，
直到他希望的輓歌中有了這個憂鬱的字眼——
永不復焉，永不復焉。”
但那隻烏鴉仍然在騙我悲傷的靈魂露出微笑，
我即刻拖了張軟椅到門邊雕像下那烏鴉跟前;
然後坐在天鵝絨椅墊上，我開始產生聯想，
浮想連着浮想，猜度這不祥的古鳥何出此言，
這隻猙獰醜陋可怕不吉不祥的古鳥何出此言，
爲何對我說“永不復焉”。
我坐着猜想那意思，但沒對烏鴉說片語只言，
此時，它炯炯發光的眼睛已燃燒進我的心坎;
我依然坐在那兒猜度，把我的頭靠得很舒服，
舒舒服服地靠着在燈光凝視下的天鵝絨椅墊，
但在這燈光凝視着的紫色的天鵝絨椅墊上面，
她還會靠麼?啊，永不復焉!
接着我覺得空氣變得稠密，被無形香爐薰香，
提香爐的撒拉弗的腳步聲響在有簇飾的地板。
“可憐的人”，我嘆道，“是上帝派天使爲你送藥，
這忘憂藥能終止你對失去的麗諾爾的思念;
喝吧，喝吧，忘掉你對失去的麗諾爾的思念!”
這時烏鴉說“永不復焉”。
“先知!”我說“不管是先知是魔鬼，是鳥是魔，
是不是撒旦派你，或是暴風雨拋你，來到此岸，
來到這片妖惑鬼祟但卻不懼怕魔鬼的荒原——
來到這恐怖的小屋——告訴我真話，求你可憐!
基列有香膏嗎?① 告訴我，告訴我，求你可憐!”
烏鴉說“永不復焉”。
“先知!”我說“不管是先知是魔鬼，是鳥是魔，
憑着我們都崇拜的上帝——憑着我們頭頂的蒼天，
請告訴這充滿悲傷的靈魂。它能否在遙遠的仙境
擁抱一位被天使叫作麗諾爾的少女，她纖塵不染，
擁抱一位被天使叫作麗諾爾的少女，她美麗嬌豔。”
烏鴉說“永不復焉”。
“讓這話做我們的告別辭，鳥或魔!”我起身吼道，
“回你的暴風雨中去吧，回你黑沉沉的夜之彼岸!
別留下你黑色的羽毛作爲你靈魂謊過言的象徵!
留給我完整的孤獨!快從我門上的雕像上滾蛋!
讓你的嘴離開我的心;讓你的身子離開我房間!”
烏鴉答曰“永不復焉”。
那隻鳥鴉並沒飛走，它仍然棲息，仍然棲息，
棲息在房門上方蒼白的帕拉斯半身雕像上面;
它的眼光與正在做夢的魔鬼的眼光一模一樣，
照在它身上的燈光把它的陰影投射在地板;
而我的靈魂，會從那團在地板上漂浮的陰影中
To Helen——Edgar Allan Poe
Helen， thy beauty is to me
Like those Nicean barks of yore，
That gently， o'er a perfumed sea，
The weary， way-worn wanderer bore
To his own native shore.
On desperate seas long wont to roam，
Thy hyacinth hair， thy classic face，
Thy Naiad airs have brought me home
To the glory that was Greece.
And the grandeur that was Rome.
Lo! in yon brilliant window-niche
How statue-like I see thee stand!
The agate lamp within thy hand，
Ah! Psyche from the regions which
Are Holy Land!
海倫，我視你的美貌
如昔日尼西的小船
於芬芳的海上輕輕漂泛
疲憊勞累的遊子
轉舵駛向故鄉的岸
久經海上風浪，慣於浪跡天涯
海倫，你的艷麗面容，你那紫藍的秀髮
你那仙女般的丰采令我深信
光榮屬於希臘
偉大屬於羅馬
看呀,在遠遠明亮的壁窗裏
你站立著,如同一尊雕塑
手上提著一盞光亮的明燈
塞姬女神啊,那些神聖的土地
纔是你的宿地
