雷丁监狱之歌

雷丁监狱之歌（瑞丁监狱之歌）

The Ballad of Reading Gaol

by

Oscar Wilde

In Memoriam

C.T.W.

Sometime Trooper of

The Royal Horse Guards.

Obiit H.M. Prison, Reading, Berkshire,

July 7th, 1896

I.

第一部分

He did not wear his scarlet coat,

他没有穿他的猩红外套，

For blood and wine are red,

因为血液和葡萄酒是红的，

And blood and wine were on his hands

血与酒在他双手之上，

When they found him with the dead,

当他们发现他在死者身旁，

The poor dead woman whom he loved,

他爱着的死去的可怜妇人，

And murdered in her bed.

被杀害于她的床边。

He walked amongst the Trial Men

他走到审判人当中，

In a suit of shabby grey;

身着一套简陋的灰衣

;

A cricket cap was on his head,

一顶板球帽子戴在头顶，

And his step seemed light and gay;

和着他轻盈虚浮的脚步；

But I never saw a man who looked So wistfully at the day.

过去我不曾见过一个人渴望得那么深刻。

I never saw a man who looked With such a wistful eye

我从未见过谁的眼中会有这样幽邃的渴望。

Upon that little tent of blue Which prisoners call the sky,

把囚犯称为天空的幕布审视得是那样心无旁骛

And at every drifting cloud that went With sails of silver by.

眼见每片飘过的浮云展现出银帆般的丰韵。

I walked, with other souls in pain,

我离开，与其他伤痛的灵魂

Within another ring,

进入另一个圈牢，

And was wondering if the man had done

怀疑那个人犯过的

A great or little thing,

是重罪或无关紧要的小事，

When a voice behind me whispered low,

一个声音在我身后低低耳语，

那家伙脖子上要套绳索

Dear Christ! the very prison walls

万能的主！高高的牢狱之墙

Suddenly seemed to reel

似乎突然间摇摇晃晃

And the sky above my head

我头顶上高远的苍穹

became Like a casque of scorching steel;

犹如滚钢铸造的盔帽；

And, though I was a soul in pain,

即使我是一个痛苦的囚犯，

My pain I could not feel

我已不能感受自己的痛苦

I only knew what hunted thought

我仅仅明白是什么诡怪的念头

Quickened his step, and why

加快了他的步伐，

He looked upon the garish day

他面对这俗丽的一天

With such a wistful eye;

为何有这样神往的眼神

The man had killed the thing he loved

男人杀了他的所爱

And so he had to die.

迎来他必须的死宴（为此他只得以命相抵。）

Yet each man kills the thing he loves

可每个人都将钟情杀死

By each let this be heard,

你不妨听听每人的方式

Some do it with a bitter look,

一些使用恶毒的尖眼，

Some with a flattering word,

一些使用阿谀的巧言，

The coward does it with a kiss,

懦夫凑上轻轻的一吻

The brave man with a sword!

勇者挥出尖利的刀锋

Some kill their love when they are young,

有人毁所爱时尚且年少，

And some when they are old;

有人毁所爱时已然年老；

Some strangle with the hands of Lust,

有人用欲望之手扼杀，

Some with the hands of Gold

有人靠金钱之手屠戮：

The kindest use a knife, because

仁慈的人才使用利刃，

The dead so soon grow cold.

使得死者可以瞬间冰冷，

Some love too little, some too long,

有人爱得太深有人太浅，

Some sell, and others buy;

有人用钱买有人把钱换；

Some do the deed with many tears,

有人毁所爱时泪水涟涟，

And some without a sigh:

有人却务须长吁短叹：

For each man kills the thing he loves,

虽然每个人都在毁灭所爱，

Yet each man does not die.