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奥登:当我在某个夜晚漫步

张祈 发表于: 2008-2-22 14:00 来源: 今天

当我在某个夜晚漫步
(英)奥登

张祈 译


当我在某个夜晚漫步,
行走到布里斯托尔大街,
道路上挤满了人群,
就像小麦正待收割的田野。

紧挨着那条水波四溢的河岸,
头上是那铁路桥的桥拱,
我听见一个情人在唱歌,
他在歌唱:“爱情永无止境。

我将爱你,亲爱的,我永远爱你,
直到中国和非洲会合,
直到河水从山脉上跳越,
那鱼儿也能跑到大街上生活,

我要爱你,一直到
大海分裂,海水也变干涸,
直到七星改变了形状,
仿佛一只在天空歌唱的天鹅。

时光就像野兔一样向前飞奔,
但我的手臂间还抱着
古老的鲜花——还有
那世界上最初的爱的承诺。”

但是城市里所有的时钟
开始发出一阵阵轰鸣:
“啊,不要让时间把你欺骗,
你不可能去战胜时间。

在恶梦的洞穴深处
有的是赤裸裸的公理,
那时间在阴影中把你观察,
你想亲吻时他就咳嗽把你提示。

在你的烦恼和焦虑中,
模糊不定的生命漏渗不断,
时间只拥有它的幻想,
不管是今天还是明天。

在许多绿色的山谷,
会突然飘起雪的风暴,
时间会停止美丽的舞蹈,
也会把那飞掠者的光彩磨掉。

“啊,快把你的双手伸进水里,
让水流高高漫过你的手腕;
用你的双眼注视那水池,
你会惊讶自己把什么遗失。

冰河撞击着你的碗橱,
沙漠叹息在你的床铺,
那茶杯上的裂缝突然变大,
为你打开一条死亡之路。

在那儿乞丐中彩得了钞票
杰克被那巨奖迷惑得神魂颠倒,
那个白种男孩在疯狂咆哮,
女孩吉尔躺在地上尽情欢叫。

哦快看,快看那面镜子,
看看那镜中你脸上的忧愁;
尽管你无法去把什么祝福,
可生活还留给你一点保佑。

哦快站起来,快站到窗前
你滚烫的热泪开始流滴;
你要用你那颗扭曲的心,
去爱那些并非良善的邻居。”

已经是很深很深的夜晚,
那些情人们早已经走向远方,
那教堂的钟声停止了奏响, ,
只留下深深的水流继续流淌。

2003,5



As I walked out one evening


As I walked out one evening,
Walking down Bristol Street,
The crowds upon the pavement
Were fields of harvest wheat.

And down by the brimming river
I heard a lover sing
Under an arch of the railway:
“Love has no ending.

“I’ll love you, dear, I'll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon run in the street,

“I’ll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.

“The years shall run like rabbits
For in my arms I hold
The flower of the Ages,
And the first love of the world."

But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
“O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time.

“In the burrows of the Nightmare
Where Justice naked is,
Time watches from the shadow
And coughs when you would kiss

“In headaches and in worry
Vaguely life leaks away,
And Time will have his fancy
To-morrow or to-day.


“Into many a green valley
Drifts the appalling snow;
Time breaks the threaded dances
and the diver's brilliant bow.

“O plunge your hands in water,
Plunge them in up to the wrist;
Stare, stare in the basin
And wonder what you've missed.

The glacier knocks in the cupboard,
The desert sighs in the bed,
And the crack in the tea cup opens
A lane to the land of the dead.

Where the beggars raffle the banknotes
And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,
And the Lily-white boy is a Roarer
And Jill goes down on her back.

O look, look in the mirror,
O look in your distress;
Life remains a blessing
Although you cannot bless.

O stand, stand at window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbour
With your crooked heart."

It was late, late in the evening
The lovers they were gone;
The clocks had ceased their chiming
And the deep river ran on.

[ 本帖最后由 张祈 于 2008-2-23 08:29 编辑 ]

最新回复

戴玨 at 2008-2-23 07:04:30
The crowds upon the pavement
道路上坐满了人群,

這裏未必是說道路上“坐滿”了人群,僅是指人行道上的人群而已。管見。
张祈 at 2008-2-23 08:23:23
你的说法有道理。
我译时主要考虑了下一句。
这一句似乎可以改为拥挤的人群一类。
多谢!

[ 本帖最后由 张祈 于 2008-2-23 08:29 编辑 ]


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