(续前)

Can storied urn or animated bust                                塑像栩栩略瓮碑，

Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?                   逝者岂能魂来还？

Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,                    “荣誉”之声醒死灰？

Or Flattery soothe the dull cold ear of Death?                 “献媚”死神耳根软？

 

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid                          荒冢之地无人顾，

Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;                   许是灵焰一颗心；

Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd,                本可手握帝国芴，

Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre:                            出神入化七弦琴。

 

But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page,                     知识日积满书卷，

Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unroll;                 未曾大度书页展；

Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,                        “贫寒”抑制高贵襟，

And froze the genial current of the soul.                       凝固灵府天才泉。

 

Full many a gem of purest ray serene                            玉石晶莹明媚多，

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:                        淹没幽海不见底；

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,                     花鲜香飘无人见，

And waste its sweetness on the desert air.                      皆因沙漠花香溢。

 

Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breast                村有无畏汉普顿，

The little tyrant of his fields withstood,                      勇抵本地小暴君；

Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,                      安息此处米尔顿，

Some Cromwell, guiltless of his country's blood.                克伦威尔为国殉。

 

Th' applause of list'ning senates to command,                   博得元老齐喝彩，

The threats of pain and ruin to despise,                        痛苦死亡何所惧；

To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,                          散尽财富乐土欢，

And read their history in a nation's eyes,                      留得青史照人宇。

 

Their lot forbad: nor circumscribed alone                       命运不济才无用，

Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined;               德勿彰现恶不为；

Forbad to wade through slaughter to a throne,                   屠戮禁止登王位，

And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,                         仁慈之门闭人类。

 

The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,                良知阵痛勿须隐，

To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,                       真情羞愧尽露显；

Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride                          供奉奢侈骄傲龛，

With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.                       香火燃自谬斯焰

 

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,                   远离尘嚣纷争乱，

Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;                     清醒愿望勿迷途；

Along the cool sequester'd vale of life                        人生谷地冷与清，

They kept the noiseless tenour of their way.                   无声无语行正路。

 

Yet e'en these bones from insult to protect                    尸骨既寒勿糟蹋，

Some frail memorial still erected nigh,                        脆弱碑牌零星立；

With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd,            拙劣韵语凌乱划，

Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.                        恳求路人捐叹息。

 

Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd Muse,         村野谬斯注生辰，

The place of fame and elegy supply:                            替代碑铭与挽诗；

And many a holy text around she strews,                        四周撒播圣经文，

That teach the rustic moralist to die.                         告知土绅如何死。

 

For who, to dumb forgetfulness a prey,                         喜忧交织是人生，

This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,                     谁愿牺牲被人忘；

Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,                   风和日暖谁不念，

Nor cast one longing lingering look behind?                    待到离别回头望。

 

On some fond breast the parting soul relies,                   出窍灵魂别依依，

Some pious drops the closing eye requires;                     闭眼盼求亲泪挥；

E'en from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,                  即或坟冢天性声

E'en in our ashes live their wonted fires.                     不灭烈焰燃新灰

 

For thee, who, mindful of th' unhonour'd dead,                 勿忘墓中无名人，

Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;                 质朴故事诗句诉；

If chance, by lonely contemplation led,                        幽思牵引偶缘分，

Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,                    询汝身世皆亲属。

 

Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,                         白头乡佬或然曰，

Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn                       晨曦未破君常见；

Brushing with hasty steps the dews away,                       步履匆忙露珠掠，

To meet the sun upon the upland lawn;                          原上邀约朝阳现。        

 

'There at the foot of yonder nodding beech                     山毛榉树婆娑舞，

That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high.                 树脚隆起盘根错；

His listless length at noontide would he stretch,              君体闲散躺眠午，

And pore upon the brook that babbles by.                       细察涓涓溪姿娑。

 

'Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,                   转游林间笑中嘲，

Muttering his wayward fancies he would rove;                  倔强无礼言怪异；

Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,                   时而垂头无依靠，

Or crazed with care, or cross'd in hopeless love.             忧心忡忡爱失意。

 

'One morn I miss'd him on the custom'd hill,                  清晨未见君山头，

Along the heath, and near his favourite tree;                 灌木爱树君未现； 

Another came; nor yet beside the rill,                        翌日涓涓溪边走，

Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;                      原上林间君不见。   

 

 'The next with dirges due in sad array                       次日突闻挽歌咽，

Slow through the church-way path we saw him borne,            送葬队列坟场去；

Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay               老荆刺下有碑碣，

Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn.'                  若识字词吟诗句。

 

The Epitaph                                                        墓铭

Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth                     高枕地膝一青年，

A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.                       命运不济无名气；

Fair Science frowned not on his humble birth,                “知识”未嫌其身贱，

And Melacholy marked him for her own.                        “忧郁”标记其知己。

 

Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,                    慷慨大方诚无伪，

Heaven did a recompense as largely send:                       上苍动情施慷酬；

He gave to Misery all he had, a tear,                          君施“坎坷”一滴泪，

He gained from Heaven ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.          上苍施君一朋友。

 

No farther seek his merits to disclose,                        何须深处寻功绩，

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode                   暗窖找寻其过错；

(There they alike in trembling hope repose),                   (颤栗希望悄然息，)

The bosom of his Father and his God.                           天父上帝怀住所。

 

                                                       译于2008年8月19日狮子山怡然斋