雙語詩歌·鼙鼓聲聲

鼙鼓聲聲

Drum-taps

惠特曼

Walt Whitman

一

1

哦，歌兒呵，先來一個序曲，

FIRST O songs for a prelude,

我們城里的驕傲和喜悅，輕輕地在繃緊的鼓皮上敲出，

Lightly strike on the stretch'd tympanum pride and joy in my city,

這座城的女護神領(lǐng)導別人向戰(zhàn)爭——她教別人以方法，

How she led the rest to arms, how she gave the cue ,

她帶著輕快的手腳躍起，一分鐘也不等；

How at once with lithe limbs unwaiting a moment she sprang,

（哦，宏大的城！哦，曼哈頓，我自己的、無敵的城！

(O superb! O Manhattan, my own, my peerless!

哦，你呵，在危急存亡的關(guān)頭最堅強的城呵！哦，比鋼鐵更堅貞的城呵?。?/p>

O strongest you in the hour of danger, in crisis! O truer than steel!)

你躍起了！你用決斷的手把和平的服裝拋棄了；

How you sprang—how you threw off the costumes of peace with indifferent hand,

你那柔曼的歌劇音樂改變了，換了鼓和笛的聲音了；

How your soft opera-music changed, and the drum and fife were heard in their stead,

你領(lǐng)導一切向戰(zhàn)爭，（那將作為我們的序曲，戰(zhàn)士的歌，）

How you led to the war, (that shall serve for our prelude, songs of soldiers,)

曼哈頓的鼙鼓聲聲領(lǐng)導著一切。

How Manhattan drum-taps led.

二

2

我在這城中看見兵士的行列已經(jīng)有四十年了；

Forty years had I in my city seen soldiers parading,

四十年作為一個輝煌的行列——直到，不知不覺地，這擁擠而騷動的城市的女神，

Forty years as a pageant, till unawares the lady of this teeming and turbulent city,

不眠在她的船群中，和一幢幢屋子間，和計算不清的財產(chǎn)中，

Sleepless amid her ships, her houses, her incalculable wealth,

帶著她四周的千百萬個孩子——突然，

With her million children around her, suddenly,

在死寂的夜間，南方的消息一到，

At dead of night, at news from the south,

她被激怒了，以緊握著的手捶擊了路面。

Incens'd struck with clinch'd hand the pavement.

一個閃電的打擊——但夜支持了它，

A shock electric, the night sustain'd it,

直到帶著惡兆的喧噪，我們的蜂房傾注出了千萬群眾，在黎明。

Till with ominous hum our hive at daybreak pour'd out its myriads.

于是，從房屋里，從工場上，跨出一切門戶，

From the houses then and the workshops, and through all the doorways,

人們騷動地躍起了——看??！曼哈頓武裝起來了。

Leapt they tumultuous , and lo! Manhattan arming.

三

3

跟著及時的鼓聲，

To the drum-taps prompt,

青年們集合起來了，武裝起來了；

The young men falling in and arming,

機械工人武裝起來了，（泥刀，粗刨，鐵匠的錘子，都被匆促地拋在一邊了；）

The mechanics arming, (the trowel, the jack-plane, the black-smith's hammer, tost aside with precipitation,)

律師離開事務(wù)所，武裝起來了——法官離開法庭；

The lawyer leaving his office and arming, the judge leaving the court,

車夫在街上遺棄他的運貨馬車，跳下來，突然把韁繩丟在馬背上；

The driver deserting his wagon in the street, jumping down, throwing the reins abruptly down on the horses' backs,

店員離開柜臺——工頭，會計員，挑夫，都在離開原來的地方；

The salesman leaving the store, the boss, book-keeper, porter, all leaving;

用共同的意志和手臂，一小隊一小隊在各處集合了；

Squads gather everywhere by common consent and arm,

新兵們，連孩子都有——老人告訴他們怎樣佩帶配備——他們小心地扣好皮帶；

The new recruits , even boys, the old men show them how to wear their accoutrements, they buckle the straps carefully,

在戶外武裝著——在戶內(nèi)武裝著——毛瑟槍筒的閃光；

Outdoors arming, indoors arming, the flash of the musket-barrels,

白色的篷帳在營地群集——四周有武裝的哨兵——太陽升起時的大炮，還有日落時的大炮，

The white tents cluster in camps, the arm'd sentries around, the sunrise cannon and again at sunset,

每天有武裝的軍團到來，穿過這城市，在碼頭上登船；

Arm'd regiments arrive every day, pass through the city, and embark from the wharves ,

（當他們流著汗，肩上扛著槍枝，大踏步向河岸走去的時候，他們看來多么善良呵！

(How good they look as they tramp down to the river, sweaty, with their guns on their shoulders!

我多愛他們呵！我多想擁抱他們呵，連同他們棕色的面龐，他們?nèi)菨M塵埃的衣服和背囊?。?/p>

How I love them! how I could hug them, with their brown faces and their clothes and knapsacks cover'd with dust!)

這城市的血液沸騰了——武裝！武裝！到處是這個吶喊；

The blood of the city up—arm'd! arm'd! the cry everywhere,

旗幟躍出了，從教堂的尖頂上，從一切公共建筑上和倉庫上；

The flags flung out from the steeples of churches and from all the public buildings and stores,

眼淚縱橫的離別——母親吻兒子——兒子吻母親；

The tearful parting, the mother kisses her son, the son kisses his mother,

（母親是不愿分離的——但她不說一句話來挽留他；）

(Loth is the mother to part, yet not a word does she speak to detain him,)

喧囂的衛(wèi)護者——警士的行列在前引導，肅清道路；

The tumultuous escort , the ranks of policemen preceding, clearing the way,

爆發(fā)的熱忱——群眾對于所愛者的歡呼；

The unpent enthusiasm, the wild cheers of the crowd for their favorites,

炮兵隊——一尊尊沉默的大炮，黃金般閃光，被拉著向前，輕輕地碾過石面；

The artillery , the silent cannons bright as gold, drawn along, rumble lightly over the stones,

（沉默的大炮呵——立刻就要終止你們的沉默了！

(Silent cannons, soon to cease your silence,

立刻，從車上解了下來，就要開始那紅色的事業(yè)了；）

Soon unlimber'd to begin the red business;)

一切的準備的聲音——一切決定了的武裝；

All the mutter of preparation, all the determin'd arming,

醫(yī)院里的服務(wù)——外科用的亞麻布，繃帶，藥品；

The hospital service, the lint, bandages and medicines,

作志愿護士的女子——已經(jīng)誠懇地開始工作了——現(xiàn)在不單單是兵士的行列了；

The women volunteering for nurses, the work begun for in earnest; no mere parade now;

戰(zhàn)爭！一個武裝的種族在行進！——迎接戰(zhàn)爭——決不轉(zhuǎn)向；

War! an arm'd race is advancing! the welcome for battle, no turning away;

戰(zhàn)爭！盡管它要幾星期，幾月，甚至幾年——一個武裝的種族已經(jīng)在行進以迎接戰(zhàn)爭。

War! be it weeks, months, or years, an arm'd race is advancing to welcome it.

四

4

在行進的曼哈頓！——哦，好好地歌唱它啊！

Mannahatta a-march—and it's O to sing it well!

哦，那戰(zhàn)地上的勇士生涯！

It's O for a manly life in the camp.

還有那剛強的炮兵隊！

And the sturdy artillery,

槍炮，閃亮如黃金——巨人的工作——好好伺候槍炮；

The guns bright as gold, the work for giants, to serve well the guns,

把它們解下來！不要像過去四十年似的，只對它們行禮和致敬；

Unlimber them! (no more as the past forty years for salutes for courtesies merely,

除了火藥和填彈塞外，現(xiàn)在再放些別的東西進去吧。

Put in something now besides powder and wadding.)

五

5

而你呵，船群中的女護神！你曼哈頓！

And you lady of ships, you Mannahatta,

這驕傲的、友善的、混亂的城市的年老的保姆呵！

Old matron of this proud, friendly, turbulent city,

在和平與富足中，你常是沉思著的，或者，在你一切的孩子群中隱蔽地皺著眉的；

Often in peace and wealth you were pensive or covertly frown'd amid all your children,

但是現(xiàn)在，你因喜悅而微笑了，歡騰的老曼哈頓呵！

But now you smile with joy exulting old Mannahatta.