雙語詩歌·墓畔哀歌
墓畔哀歌
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
格 雷
Thomas Gray
格雷（Thomas Gray，1716-1771），英國十八世紀(jì)一位有重要影響的詩人。他作品數(shù)量不多，生前僅發(fā)表過14首詩歌，且他寫詩并不刻意發(fā)表，40歲時就不再進行創(chuàng)作，轉(zhuǎn)而研究詩歌史、語言、音樂、植物學(xué)、古玩和建筑史等，在劍橋大學(xué)任歷史學(xué)教授。但他在詩歌方面的聲譽卻非常高。詩作感情深沉而復(fù)雜，用詞準(zhǔn)確有力，具有多樣化的特色；他的傳世之作《墓畔哀歌》兼具古典詩歌的典雅風(fēng)范，又有抒情和感傷的情調(diào)，代表了新古典主義詩歌的傳統(tǒng)，并預(yù)示了浪漫主義詩潮的到來。
晚鐘響了，為逝去的白晝報喪，
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
牛群哞哞叫，慢慢地繞過草野，
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
疲憊的農(nóng)夫蹣跚在回家的路上，
The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
把整個世界留給了我和暗夜。
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
眼前的景色消溶于蒼茫的暮靄，
Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
天地之間充盈著莊嚴(yán)的寧靜，
And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
只有甲蟲們嗡嗡叫，飛去繞來，
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
鈴聲昏沉，催眠了遠(yuǎn)方的羊群。
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;
還有在常春藤披蓋的高塔那里，
Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower
陰郁的夜梟向月亮發(fā)出怨訴，
The moping owl does to the moon complain
說有人隨意走近它秘密的住地，
Of such, as wandering near her secret bower,
擾亂了它的古老幽僻的領(lǐng)土。
Molest her ancient solitary reign.
粗壯的榆樹和紫杉的濃蔭下面，
Beneath those rugged elms, that yew tree's shade,
荒蕪的草皮一堆連一堆隆起，
Where heaves the turf in many a moldering heap,
小村里簡樸的先輩在這里安眠，
Each in his narrow cell forever laid,
各自永遠(yuǎn)在窄坑中安放了遺體。
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
芬芳的清早，輕風(fēng)活潑的呼叫，
The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn,
茅草屋檐下，燕子的呢喃多話，
The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed,
公雞的打鳴，引發(fā)回聲的羊角號
The cock's shrill clarion , or the echoing horn,
難喚醒他們起身于長眠的矮榻。
No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.
對他們來說，不再有爐火點燃，
For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
黃昏里不再有主婦為家務(wù)操心
Or busy housewife ply her evening care;
沒兒女咬著舌迎接爸爸的回轉(zhuǎn)，
No children run to lisp their sire's return,
或爬到膝上去分享妒羨的親吻。
Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
他們曾多次開鐮叫莊稼倒臥，
Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,
他們破開了硬土，犁出了壟溝；
Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
趕牲口下地，他們是多么快樂！
How jocund did they drive their team afield!
叫樹木折腰，他們揮動著斧頭！
How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
愿“雄心”別譏笑他們有效的勤奮、
Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
家常的娛樂、默默無聞的天數(shù)，
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure ;
愿“富貴”別帶著倨傲的微笑聆聽
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
窮人們簡短質(zhì)樸的生平記錄。
The short and simple annals of the poor.
門閥紋章的夸耀，權(quán)勢的威風(fēng)，
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
美色和財富提供的一切享受，
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
到頭來總是那無可逃避的時辰，
Awaits alike the inevitable hour.
榮華的道路條條都通向墳頭。
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
自鳴得意者，別怪罪這些村民，——
Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault,
“懷念”沒有在墳頭放上紀(jì)念品，
If Memory o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
沒讓教堂的走道和雕花的拱頂
Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
包容贊美歌洪亮頌辭的共鳴。
The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.
生動的胸像，刻著傳略的骨灰甕，
Can storied urn or animated bust
豈能把元氣追回來，重返軀殼？
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
“榮譽”的聲音能敦促尸骸復(fù)生？
Can Honor's voice provoke the silent dust,
“諂媚”能說服死神冷酷的心竅？
Or Flattery soothe the dull cold ear of Death?
也許就在這荒無人煙的地方
Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
埋葬著一度孕育過圣火的心靈；
Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
那雙手，也許能掌握帝國的權(quán)杖，
Hands that the rod of empire might have swayed,
或者會彈奏出令人迷醉的琴音：
Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre.
但“知識”從來沒有對他們展示
But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page
蘊藏著歷史積累的豐富典籍；
Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;
冷酷的“貧窮”壓折了凌云的壯志，
Chill Penury repressed their noble rage,
凍結(jié)了他們心中靈泉的流溢。
And froze the genial current of the soul.
多少顆寶珠含著瑩潔的光彩
Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
沉埋在幽冥莫測的海底深處：
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear:
多少枝鮮花開放而無人理睬，
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
向荒漠空間浪擲了繽紛芳馥。
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
在這里也許埋著個漢普登村漢，
Some village Hampden, that with dauntless breast
曾挺身而出，反抗本地的霸主，
The little tyrant of his fields withstood;
或者沉默的彌爾頓，名不見經(jīng)傳，
Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,
或克倫威爾，不曾陷國家于屠戮。
Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood.
想贏得恭聽的議員們熱烈鼓掌，
The applause of listening senates to command,
對痛苦和毀滅的威脅加以蔑視，
The threats of pain and ruin to despise,
把富庶播撒到整個含笑的鄉(xiāng)邦，
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
叫國人都來閱讀他們的歷史——
And read their history in a nation's eyes,
他們的命運不讓：既不讓美德
Their lot forbade: nor circumscribed alone
充分地發(fā)展，也不叫罪惡滋長；
Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined;
不允許通過屠殺而登上王座，
Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,
從而對人類把仁慈的大門關(guān)上；
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,
不允許掩蓋良心承受的巨創(chuàng)，
The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,
不允許隱藏天真純樸的羞慚，
To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
不許拿繆斯的圣火點燃薰香
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
去塞滿供奉“驕奢”“淫逸”的神龕。
With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.
遠(yuǎn)離著瘋狂塵世的爾虞我詐，
Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
他們的意志清醒，決不入歧途；
Their sober wishes never learned to stray;
沿著人生的幽靜從容的山洼，
Along the cool sequestered vale of life
他們默默地走著自己的道路。
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
可為了使這些骨殖免受輕侮，
Yet even these bones from insult to protect
旁邊還是有粗拙的墓碑豎立，
Some frail memorial still erected nigh,
點綴著蹩腳的詩文、走樣的雕塑，
With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture decked,
請求過往的路人送一聲嘆息。
Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.
淺陋的詩人拼寫的姓名、年份
Their name, their years, spelt by the unlettered Muse,
彌補了空缺的赫赫名聲和挽詞：
The place of fame and elegy supply:
碑上還留下不少圣經(jīng)的引文，
And many a holy text around she strews,
教導(dǎo)著鄉(xiāng)野賢士怎樣對待死。
That teach the rustic moralist to die.
是啊，誰愿被沉默的“遺忘”擄去，
For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,
永遠(yuǎn)舍棄這亦喜亦憂的平生，
This pleasing anxious being e'er resigned,
離開這風(fēng)和日麗的溫馨地域，
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
而不戀戀不舍地回頭望一程？
Nor cast one longing lingering look behind?
將離的靈魂依戀著深情的胸脯，
On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
欲閉的眼睛需要真誠的淚水；
Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
即使從墳里也響起“天性”的高呼，
Even from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
他們的烈焰點燃著我們的塵灰。
Even in our ashes live their wonted fires.
至于你，掛念著這些無名的死者，
For thee, who mindful of the unhonored dead
用詩行陳述他們質(zhì)樸的事跡；
Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;
假如，憑個人偶然的深沉思索，
If chance, by lonely contemplation led,
另一位詩人來詢問你的遭際——
Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,
或許有一位白發(fā)鄉(xiāng)下人會講，
Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,
“在黎明時刻我們見到他時常
Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn
急匆匆走去把露珠拂落在一旁，
Brushing with hasty steps the dews away
踏上高高的草場去迎接朝陽；
To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.
“那邊有一株搖擺的老樹山毛櫸，
There at the foot of yonder nodding beech
它奇形怪狀的根株糾結(jié)著隆起，
That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,
午時在樹腳他躺下慵倦的身軀，
His listless length at noontide would he stretch,
凝視著旁邊潺潺流過的清溪。
And pore upon the brook that babbles by.
“他漫步到林邊，笑著，像是在嘲訕，
Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,
他自言自語，抒發(fā)著奇思異想，
Muttering his wayward fancies he would rove,
有時他神情沮喪，似孤立無援，
Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn ,
有時他困于失戀，或狂于憂傷。
Or crazed with care, or crossed in hopeless love.
“有一天早上，在他常去的山巔，
One morn I missed him on the customed hill,
杜鵑前，他愛的樹下，不見他影蹤；
Along the heath and near his favorite tree;
第二天早上，無論是沿著溪澗，
Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
上草地，過樹林，仍不見他的音容。
Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;
“第三天，我們見到了送葬的隊伍
The next with dirges due in sad array
唱哀歌，抬著他緩緩地走向教堂，——
Slow through the churchway path we saw him borne.
那邊有碑銘，傍著古老的山楂樹，
Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay,
你識字，就請你上前讀讀那詩行?！?/p>
Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn.
墓 銘
The Epitaph
這里有一位青年頭枕著大地，
Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth
他從未受到“財富”和“名聲”的青睞；
A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
“知識”卻沒有小看他卑微的門第，
Fair Science frowned not on his humble birth,
“憂郁”選中他，給予特殊的寵愛。
And Melancholy marked him for her own.
他待人慷慨大方，他秉性真率，
Large was his bounty , and his soul sincere,
上天也給他同樣慷慨的報酬：
Heaven did a recompense as largely send:
對“苦難”，他給予全部所有：一掬淚，
He gave to Misery all he had, a tear,
從上天他得了全部所求：好朋友。
He gained from Heaven ('twas all he wished) a friend.
再不用試圖去表彰他的功德，
No farther seek his merits to disclose ,
也別從黑穴里把他的弱點揭開，
Or draw his frailties from their dread abode
（兩者都在顫抖的希望中歇著，） ?
(There they alike in trembling hope repose),
那黑穴就是天父和上帝的胸懷。
The bosom of his Father and his God.
