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[读书笔记] 两只乌鸦和三只乌鸦
(2006-02-26 23:10:17)| 分类： 读书笔记 |
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王佐良先生在《英诗的境界》中开篇介绍了两篇中古时期的苏格兰民谣（Ballads），他认为民谣“艺术最简单，但又最顶事，经历了几百年上千年的考验而更加精炼，寥寥数笔，立时须眉毕现。”民谣读起来朗朗上口，常有迭句和重复结构，“故事性强，戏剧性强，音乐性也强”。这些民谣的特点，也是它们代代在民间广为传诵的原因之一。
在这两篇民谣中，我最感兴趣的是第二篇《两只乌鸦》（The Twa Corbies），“这首诗通过乌鸦的眼睛看苏格兰社会，爵士被杀之后妻走家散，只剩他的白骨暴露野地，任风吹荡，形象鲜明，寓意也甚远。” |
| The Twa Corbies | 两只乌鸦 王佐良译 |
| As I was walking all alane, I heard twa corbies makin a mane; The tane unto the ither say, "Whar sall we gang and dine the-day?" "In ahint yon auld fail dyke, I wot there lies a new slain knight; And nane do ken that he lies there, But his hawk, his hound an his lady fair." "His hound is tae the huntin gane, His hawk tae fetch the wild-fowl hame, His lady's tain anither mate, So we may mak oor dinner swate." "Ye'll sit on his white hause-bane, And I'll pike oot his bonny blue een; Wi ae lock o his gowden hair We'll theek oor nest whan it grows bare." "Mony a one for him makes mane, But nane sall ken whar he is gane; Oer his white banes, whan they are bare, The wind sall blaw for evermair." |
我在路上独自行走， 听见两只乌鸦对谈， 一只对另一只问道： “今天我们去哪儿吃饭？” “在那土堆后面， 躺着一个刚被杀的爵士， 无人知道他在那里， 除了他的鹰、狗和美丽的妻子。 “他的狗已去打猎， 他的鹰在捕捉山禽， 他的妻子跟了别人， 所以我俩可以吃个开心。 “你可以啃他的颈骨， 我会啄他好看的蓝眼珠， 还可以用他金黄的发丝 编织成我们巢上的挡风布。 “多少人在哭他， 却不知他去了何方， 不久他只剩下白骨， 任风永远吹荡。” |
As I was walking all alone,
I heard two crows (or ravens) making a moan;
One said to the other,
"Where shall we go and dine today?"
"In behind that old turf wall,
I sense there lies a newly slain knight;
And nobody knows that he lies there,
But his hawk, his hound and his lady fair."
"His hound is to the hunting gone,
His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl home,
His lady's has taken another mate,
So we may make our dinner sweet."
"You will sit on his white neck-bone,
And I'll peck out his pretty blue eyes;
With one lock of his golden hair
We'll thatch our nest when it grows bare."
"Many a one for him is moaning,
But nobody will know where he is gone;
Over his white bones, when they are bare,
The wind will blow for evermore."
They were as black as they might be.
Where shall we our breakefast take?'
There lies a knight slain under his shield.
So well they can their master keepe.
There's no fowle dare come him nie.'
As great with yong as she might goe.
And kist his wounds that were so red.
And carried him to earthen lake.
She was dead herselfe ere even-song time.
Such haukes, such hounds, and such a leman.
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Notes:
This ballad was first printed in Ravenscroft's Melismata, a
song-book of 1611, and variant versions were recorded as late as
the 19th century. It is the only English ballad in this collection.
The ballad has a refrain, "Downe a downe, hay down, hay downe",
etc. alternating with the lines.
a fallow doe: The knight's lady is meant.
lack: Pit. prime: The first hour of the day. leman: Sweetheart. |
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