-
The Canterbury Tales
When the sweet showers of
April
fall and shoot
当四月带来它那甘美的骤雨，
Down through the drought of March to
pierce the root,
让三月里的干旱湿到根子里，
Bathing every vein in liquid power
让浆汁滋润每棵草木的茎脉，
From which there springs the
engendering of the flower,
凭其催生的力量使花开出来；
When also Zephyrus with his sweet
breath
当和风甜美的气息挟着生机，
Exhales an air in every grove and heath
吹进树林和原野上的嫩芽里，
Upon the tender shoots, and the young
sun
年轻的太阳也已进入白羊座，
His half-course in the sign of the Ram
has run,
已把白羊座一半的路程走过，
And the small fowls are making melody
而小鸟小雀唱着各自的曲调
—
That sleep away the night with open eye
整夜里它们都睁着眼睛睡觉
—
(So nature pricks them and their heart
engages)
这是大自然拨弄着它们心声）；
The people long to go on pilgrimages
这时候人们也就渴望去朝圣，
And
palmers long to seek the stranger strands
游方僧也就渴望去异地他乡，
Of
far-off saints, hallowed in sundry lands,
去各地知名于世的神龛圣堂。
And
specially, from every
shire
’
s end
无论英格兰各郡的东西南北，
In
England, down to Canterbury they wend
人们尤其要去的是坎特伯雷，
To
seek the holy blissful martyr, quick
去拜谢恩泽万民的殉难圣徒，
In
giving help to them when they were sick.
因为人们有病时他给予救助。
Shall I compare thee to a
summer
’
s day?
Thou art more lovely and more
temperate.
Rough winds do shake the
darling buds of May,
And
summer
’
s lease hath all too
short a date.
能否把你比作夏日璀璨？
你却比炎夏更可爱温存；
狂风摧残五月花蕊娇妍，
夏天匆匆离去毫不停顿。
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven
shines
And often is his gold complexion
dimmed;
And every fair from fair
sometime declines,
By chance, or
nature
’
s changing course,
untrimmed:
苍天明眸有时过于灼热，
金色脸容往往蒙上阴翳；
一切优美形象不免褪色，
偶然摧折或自然地老去。
But
thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor
lose possession of that fair thou
ow
’
st;
Nor shall
death brag thou wander
’
st in
his shade,
When in eternal lines to
time thou grow
’
st.
So long as men can breathe
or eyes can see,
So long lives this,
and this gives life to thee.
而你如仲夏繁茂不凋谢，
秀雅风姿将永远翩翩；
死神无法逼你气息奄奄，
你将永生于不朽诗篇。
只要人能呼吸眼不盲
这诗和你将千秋流芳。
Shakespeare
Sonnet 29
When, in disgrace
with fortune and men
’
s eyes,
I all alone beweep my
outcast state,
And trouble
deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
面对命运的抛弃，世人的冷眼，
我唯有独自把飘零的身世悲叹
我曾徒然地呼唤聋耳的苍天，
诅咒自己的时运，顾影自怜。
Wishing me like to one more rich in
hope,
Featured like him,
like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this
man
’
s art and that
man
’
s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
我但愿，愿胸怀千般心愿，
愿有三朋六友和美貌之颜；
愿有才华盖世，有文采斐然，
唯对自己的长处，偏偏看轻看淡。
Yet in these thoughts myself almost
despising,
Haply I think on
thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day
arising
From sullen earth,
sings hymns at heaven
’
s
gate;
For thy sweet love
remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state
with kings.
我正耽于这种妄自菲薄的思想，
猛然间想到了你，顿时景换情迁，
我忽如破晓的云雀凌空振羽，
讴歌直上天门，把苍茫大地俯瞰。
但记住你柔情招来财无限，
纵帝王屈尊就我，不与换江山。
by
辜正坤
Francis Bacon
Of Study
Studies serve for delight, for
ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for
delight, is
in privateness and
retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for
ability, is in the
judgment and
disposition of business.
王佐良
:
语言之有魅力，
风格之值得研究，
主要是因为后面有一个大的精神世界：
< br>但这两者又必须艺术地融合在一起，
因此语言表达力同思想洞察力又是互相促进<
/p>
的。读书足以怡情，足以傅彩，足以长才。其怡情也，最见于独处幽居之时；其
傅彩也，最见于高谈阔论之中；其长才也，最见于处世判事之际。
For expert men can execute,
and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but
the
general counsels, and the plots and
marshalling of affairs, come best from those that
are learned.
To
spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use
them too much for
ornament, is
affectation; to make judgement wholly by their
rules, is the humour of a
scholar.
练达之士虽能分别处理细事或一一判别枝节，
然纵观统筹，
全局策划，
则舍好学
深思者莫属。
< br>读书费时过多易惰，
文采藻饰太盛则矫，
全凭条文断事乃
学究故态。
They
perfect nature, and are perfected by experience:
for natural abilities are like
natural
plants, that need proyning by study; and studies
themselves do give forth
directions too
much at large, except they be bounded in by
experience.
读书补天然之不足，
经验又补读书之
不足，
盖天生才干犹如自然花草，
读书然后
知如何修剪移接，而书中所示，如不以经验范之，则又大而无当。
Crafty men contemn studies,
simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for
they teach not their own use; but that
is a wisdom without them, and
above
them, won by observation. Read not to contradict
and confute; nor to believe
and take
for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but
to weigh and consider.
有一技之长者鄙读书，
无知者羡读书，
唯明智之士用读书，
然书并不以用处
告人，
用书之智不在书中，而在书外，全凭观察得之。读书时不可存心诘难读者，不可<
/p>
尽信书上所言，亦不可只为寻章摘句，而应推敲细思。
Some books are to be
tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be
chewed and
digested; that is, some
books are to be read only in parts; others to be
read, but not
curiously; and some few
to be read wholly, and with diligence and
attention.
Some
books also may be read by deputy, and
extracts made of them by others; but that
would be only in the less important
arguments, and the meaner sort of books; else
distilled books are, like common
distilled waters, flashy things.
书有可浅尝者
，有可吞食者，少数则须咀嚼消化。换言之，有只需读其部分者，
有只须大体涉猎者，少
数则须全读，读时须全神贯注，孜孜不倦。书亦可请人代
读，
取
其所作摘要，
但只限题材较次或价值不高者，
否则书经提炼犹如
水经蒸馏，
淡而无味。
Reading maketh a full man; conference a
ready man; and writing an exact man. And
therefore, if a man write little, he
had need have a great memory; if he confer little,
he
had need have a present wit; and if
he read little, he had need have much cunning, to
seem to know that he doth not.
< br>读书使人充实，
讨论使人机智，
笔记使人准确。
因此不常做笔记者须记忆力特强，
不常讨论者须天生聪颖，不常读书者须
欺世有术，始能无知而显有知。
Histories make men wise; poets witty;
the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy
deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric
able to contend.
Abeunt
studia in morse.
读史使人明智，
读诗使人
灵秀，
数学使人周密，
科学使人深刻，
伦理学使人庄重，
逻辑修辞之学使人善辩；凡有所学，皆成性格。
Nay there is no stand or
impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by
fit studies:
like as diseases of the
body may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is
good for the
stone and reins; shooting
for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the
stomach;
riding for the head; and the
like.
人之才智但有滞碍，<
/p>
无不可读适当之书使之顺畅，
一如身体百病，
皆可借相宜之
运动除之。滚球利睾肾，射箭利胸肺，慢步利肠胃，骑术利头脑，诸如
此类。
So if a
man's wit be wandering, let him study the
mathematics; for in demonstrations,
if
his wit be called away never so little, he must
begin again.
If his wit be
not apt to
distinguish or find
differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they
are cymini
sectores.
If he be not apt to beat over matters,
and to call up one thing to prove and
illustrate another, let him study the
lawyers' cases.
So every
defect of the mind may
have a special
receipt.
如智力不集中，可令读数学，盖演题需全神贯注，稍有分散即须重演
；如不能辩
异，可令读经院哲学，盖是辈皆吹毛求疵之人；如不善
求同
，不善以一物阐证另
一物，可令读律师之案卷。如此头脑
中凡有缺陷，皆有特效可医。
To Mr. Cyriack Skinner upon his
Blindness
Cyriack, this
three years day these eyes, though clear,
To outward view, of blemish or of spot;
Bereft of light their seeing have
forgot,
Nor to their idle orbs doth
sight appear
西里克，看我这眼睛，外表虽清明，
看不出瑕疵或损伤，却整整三年
不曾见光明，忘掉了视查的能力，
在茫茫岁月里，我这无用的双眼，
Of Sun, or Moon, or Star, throughout
the year,
Of man, or woman. Yet I
argue not
Against
heaven
’
s hand or will, nor
bate a jot
Of heart or hope; but still
bear up and steer
再也瞧不见太阳，月亮和星星，
男人和女人。然而我并不抱怨
神的安排或意旨，我依然充满了
热情与信心。我还能勇往直前，
Right onward. What supports me, dost
thou ask?
The conscience, Friend, to
have lost them overplied
In liberty
’
s
defence, my noble task,
Of which all
Europe talks from side to side.
This
thought might lead me through the world's vain
mask
Content though blind, had I no
better guide.
忍受着一切。你要问什么在支撑我？
朋友，是一种认识：为保卫自由，
为完成这全欧闻名的崇高任务，
我才累得失明。即使我没有
更好的指引，就这种思想已足以
支持我了此尘缘，虽失明而无疚。
Letter to the Right
Honourable the Earl of Chesterfield
Samuel Johnson
By
王佐良
伯爵大人阁下：
近承世界报社长见告
，介绍拙编字典之两篇文字乃出自阁下之手笔。
愚过去从无受名公巨卿垂青之经验，
今遇此殊荣，
诚不知如何接受，
何辞以谢也。
忆昔
在轻微鼓励之下，初趋崇阶，余与世人无异，窃为阁下之风度所倾倒，不禁
沾沾自喜，自
以为
“
世界之征服者之征服者
”
亦不过如是矣
;
举世竞求之恩宠，余
从此可以获得矣
;
但余之趋侯似不受欢迎，自尊
与谦逊之心均不许我继续造次。
昔曾公开致书阁下，
竭布衣之士所能有之一切伎俩以相奉承。
余
已尽余之所能为
;
纵微屑不足道，但任何人皆不愿见其奉承之遭
人轻蔑也。
阁下乎，自余在尊府
外室听候召见，或尝受闭门羹之滋味以来，已七年于兹矣
!
在此
期间，余备尝艰苦，努力推进余之工作，终于将近杀青，曾无一臂之助，无
一言温勉，无
一笑之宠。此种遭遇非余始料所及。因余以前从无保护人也。
维吉尔诗中之牧羊人终于认识爱情之真面目，发现爱情乃如山居野人一般之残
酷。所谓
保护人者，阁下乎，岂见人溺水作生命挣扎而无动于衷，方其抵岸乃援
以手耶
?
今谬承关注余之艰苦工作，设能早日来到，
则余受惠不浅矣。但迟迟不来，今则
余已不复加以重视，无从享受
;
余已丧偶，无人分享
;
余己略有声
名，不再需要。
对于不曾从中受益之事不表感激，
关于上天助我独力完成之事不愿世人误为得力
于保护人，此种态度似不能视
为狂傲无礼也。
余既已进行工作
至此阶段，
曾无任何学术文人眷顾，
则于完成工作之际如遭受更
少之眷顾，
假使其为可能，
余亦将不觉
失望
;
因余已自大梦初醒，
不复怀有希
望，
如往昔之怀抱满腔热望，自命为阁下之最低微最忠顺之门下士
约翰逊
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard
The curfew tolls the knell
of parting day,
The lowing
herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
The ploughman
homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the
world to darkness and to me.
乡村墓地挽歌
丰华瞻译
晚钟殷殷响，夕阳已西沉。
群牛呼叫归，迂回走草径。
农人荷锄犁，倦倦回家门，?
惟我立
旷野，
独自对黄昏
。
For them no more the
blazing hearth shall burn,
Or busy housewife ply her evening care:
No children
run to lisp their sire's return,
Or climb his knees the envied kiss to
share.
熊熊炉中火，不为先人焚。
不复有主妇，殷勤理家政。
无复小儿女，趋奔迎父亲，
竞上慈父膝，偎爱又接吻。
Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathomed caves
of ocean bear:
Full many a
flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert
air.
多少珍宝石，灿烂放光芒，
埋藏大海底，美好无人赏。
多少鲜花朵，开在荒原上，
娇艳无人
见，
空自扬芬芳
。
Far from the madding crowd's ignoble
strife,
Their sober wishes
never learned to stray;
Along the cool sequestered vale of life
They kept the noiseless
tenor of their way.
岂似市朝人，纷争似癫狂。
淳朴爱宁静，安分守规章。
闲居幽谷中，穷乡又僻壤。
孤陋寡见闻，默默度时光。
Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,
Brushing with hasty steps the dews away
To meet the sun upon the
upland lawn.
“
东方天欲晓，山头频见君。
足履青草露，快步向前行。
登上小山丘，来把朝阳迎。
That wreathes its old fantastic roots
so high,
His listless
length at noontide would he stretch,
And pore upon the brook that babbles
by.
“
山上有老树，枝叶迎风摇。
树根成怪形，蜷曲又盘绕。
日中君困
倦，
树荫卧逍遥
。
静看小溪水，潺潺起浪涛。
Muttering his
wayward fancies he would rove,
Now drooping, woeful wan, like one
forlorn,
Or crazed with
care, or crossed in hopeless love.
“
山麓树林畔，时时独遨游。
遐想露笑容，低吟乐悠悠。
有时怀忧伤，面容见消瘦。
偷弹相思泪，黯黯怀春愁。
Along the heath
and near his favourite tree;
Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
Nor up the lawn, nor at
the wood was he;
“
某日晨光中，不见君行踪。
草原无人影，树下亦空空。
今日复明日，河边不相逢。
山上人杳然，不见入林中。
Slow through the
church-way path we saw him borne.
Approach and read (for thou can'st
read) the lay,
Graved on
the stone beneath yon aged thorn.
“
亲友穿丧服，徐向教堂行。
作诗寄哀伤，送君入坟茔。
墓地老树下，黄土石碑新。
行人请一读，碑上有姓名。
London
I wander thro' each
charter'd street.
Near
where the charter'd Thames does flow
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of
woe.
By
王佐良
我走过每条独占的街道，
徘徊在独占的参晤士河边。
我看见每个过往的行人
有一张衰弱、痛苦的脸。
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infants cry of fear,
In every voice: in every
ban,
The mind-forg'd
manacles I hear
每个人的每声呼喊，
每个婴孩害始的号叫，
每句话，每条禁令。
都响着心灵铸成的镣铐。
How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church
appalls,
And the hapless
Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood
down Palace walls
多少扫烟囱孩子的喊叫
震惊了每座熏黑的教堂，
不幸士兵的长叹
像鲜血流下了宫墙。
But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots
curse
Blasts the new-born
Infants tear
And blights
with plagues the Marriage hearse
最怕是深夜的街头
又听年轻妓女的诅咒
!
它骇住了初生儿的眼泪
又带来瘟疫、使婚车变成灵柩。
Tyger
Tyger!
Tyger! Burning bright
In the forests of
the night,
What immortal
hand or eye
Could frame thy
fearful symmetry?
by
卞之琳
老虎！老虎！火一样辉煌，
烧穿了黑夜的森林和草莽，
什么样非凡的手和眼睛
能塑造你一身惊人的匀称？
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine
eyes?
On what wings dare he
aspire?
What the hand dare
seize the fire?
什么样遥远的海底、天边
烧出了做你眼睛的火焰？
跨什么翅膀它胆敢去凌空？
凭什么铁掌抓一把火种？
And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of
thy heart?
And when thy
heart began to beat,
What
dread hand? and what dread feet?
什么样功夫，什么样胳膊
拗得成你五脏六腑的筋络？
等到你的心一开始蹦跳
什么样惊心动魄的手、脚？
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy
brain?
What the anvil? what
dread grasp
Dare its deadly
terrors clasp?
What the
hammer? What the chain?
什么样铁链？什么样铁锤？
什么样熔炉里炼你的脑髓？
什么样铁砧？什么样猛劲
一下子掐住了骇人的雷霆？
When the stars threw down their
spears
And water'd heaven with their
tears
,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the
Lamb
make thee?
到临了，星星扔下了金枪，
千万滴银泪洒遍了苍穹，
完工了再看看，他可会笑笑
不就是造羊的把你也造了？
Tyger, Tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the
night,
What immortal hand
or eye
Dare frame thy
fearful symmetry?
老虎！老虎！火一样辉煌，
烧穿了黑夜的森林和草莽，
什么样非凡的手和眼睛
能塑造你一身惊人的匀称？
Composed upon Westminster
Bridge
西敏寺桥上
人间没有比这更美好的景象，
它是那样庄严，又那样辉煌，
谁能经过它身边而无动于衷？
这城市此刻披着美丽的晨光，
像穿着晨衣；袒露而又安详，
那些船舶、楼阁、剧院、教堂，
直伸向田野，又深入高空；
一切在明朗的空中熠熠闪光。
璀璨的朝阳从未这样美丽地
照耀过大地上的峡谷和山冈；
我从未看到或感到这般沉静！
河水正在欢快地自由流淌。
亲爱的主啊！万物似在安睡；
那伟大的心灵也停止了跳荡！
顾子欣
译
Lines Composed a few Miles
above Tintern Abbey
丁登寺赋
顾子欣
译
五年过去了；五个夏天，连同
五个漫长的冬季！我又听到
这流水，从山泉中滚滚而来，
带着内河的潺潺细语。——我又一次
看到这陡峭的山岩，
在一片野外幽静的背景中，
使人产生更加幽远的思绪；并使这
景色与苍穹的静穆溶为一体。
这一天终于来临，我又在
这棵苍郁的槭树下栖息，并眺望
一块块的村地和一簇簇的果树，
树上的果实尚未成熟，
果林披着一片青绿，与别的灌木
相溶成一种颜色。我又看到
这些树篱——倒不如说是
恣意漫生的枝条：这些绿色一直铺到
田庐的门边；这些在寂静里
从树林中升起的袅袅炊烟！
它们的来源飘忽难辨，恍惚是
浪游者在没有屋舍的林中点燃，
或来自隐士幽居的洞穴，他正
独自坐在炉火边。
这些美景
虽然长久的分别，对我却并非
像一片风景之于盲人的眼睛：
在我蛰居喧闹的都市，感到
孤寂无聊时，正是这些美景呵
常常给我带来愉悦的心境，
它流荡在我的血液里，跳跃在心头；
并流入我被净化的脑海中，
使我恢复
恬静的心绪：
——
重新
感受到已淡忘的往日的快乐：这快乐
也许能产生不可忽视的影响，
在无形中培育善良者最美好的品德，
使他做出虽非轰轰烈烈、令人缅怀，
但却充满善意和爱的举动。同样，
我还要感谢它给予我的另一个赐予，
一个更高尚的赐予；在这幸福的心绪中，
那心灵上神秘不测的负担，
那不可理解的人世所带来的
使人厌倦的沉重的负荷
也为之减轻了
：
——
在这恬静的心绪中
那高尚的情感引导着我们，
——
使我们仿佛暂时停止了呼吸，
甚至连血液也不再流动，
我们的肉体已陷入酣睡，
我们变成了一种纯粹的精神：
和谐的力量，欢乐的深远的力量，
使我们能带着平静的眼光
去洞察事物的真谛。
如果这
只是妄想，但是，唉，多少次
在黑夜，或了无生趣的白昼间；
尘世的狂乱，无益的扰攘，
其中多少形形色色，
压得我心跳喘不过气来－－
多少次，我的心投向了你，
啊，葱翠的卫河，林中穿行者，
多少次，我的心投向了你！
如今，忆力半熄，余光无多，
好些印象已模糊不清，
想起来有一些黯然，
可是心上的图画又复活了；
我站在此地，不仅在目前
有快乐之感，而且有愉快的悬想，
目前的生活与食粮，可供
未来岁月的享用。因此我敢希望
我虽然比初到这山中的时候
改变了不少；当年象一只鹿
在山中跳跃，在深水的河流
和荒凉的小溪的两岸，
随兴之所至－－象一个
逃避恐怖的人，而不是一个