John Donne

丧钟为谁而鸣

约翰 唐恩

谨以此译文献给因天灾人祸而死去的年轻学生。------Eugene

Now, this Bell tolling softly for another, saies to me, Thou must die.

PERCHANCE hee for whom this Bell tolls, may be so ill, as that he knowes not it tolls for him; And perchance I may thinke my selfe so much better than I am, as that they who are about mee, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for mee, and I know not that. The Church is Catholike, universall, so are all her Actions; All that she does, belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concernes mee; for that child is thereby connected to that Head which is my Head too, and engraffed into that body, whereof I am a member. And when she buries a Man, that action concernes me: All mankinde is of one Author, and is one volume; when one Man dies, one Chapter is not torne out of the booke, but translated into a better language; and every Chapter must be so translated; God emploies several translators; some peeces are translated by age, some by sicknesse, some by warre, some by justice; but Gods hand is in every translation; and his hand shall binde up all our scattered leaves againe, for that Librarie where every booke shall lie open to one another: As therefore the Bell that rings to a Sermon, calls not upon the Preacher onely, but upon the Congregation to come; so this Bell calls us all: but how much more mee, who am brought so neere the doore by this sicknesse.

这口轻柔地为别人鸣响的丧钟， 此刻正对我说， 你也必死。

也许， 丧钟为之鸣响的这个人， 他病得如此厉害， 以至于不知道丧钟正是为他而鸣； 也许， 尽管沉疴在身， 我却自觉甚佳， 可是我周遭的人深知我病危， 已经令人为我鸣响丧钟， 而我却浑然不知。

本教堂面向万千信众， 服务天下教徒， 教堂的一切行为亦均如此； 教堂所做一切， 均属于大家。 当教堂为一个孩子洗礼， 这个行为涉及到我；因为受洗的这个孩子已经同本堂的头颅相连， 而此头颅亦是我的头颅； 因为受洗的这个孩子也已经同本堂的身躯相接， 而我本人亦是此身躯的一部。

当教堂埋葬了一个人， 这个行为亦涉及到我：芸芸众生， 可看作一卷书籍， 其作者只有一个； 当一个人死去， 代表他的那一章并没有从书中撕去， 而是被翻译成一种更好的语言； 书中的每一章都会被这样译成更好的语言； 上帝雇佣了几个翻译家； 有的章节由“年迈” 翻译， 有的由“疾病”翻译， 有的由“战祸”翻译， 还有的由“司法”来翻译；不过在所有的译作里都看得见上帝的手；他的手 把我们全部散落的书页又重新装订在一起， 送回图书馆， 那儿， 每本书相互敞开， 一本挨着一本放好：所以， 正如宣布讲道开始的钟声不仅呼唤讲道者开讲， 也呼唤信众来听讲一样， 这口丧钟呼唤的是我们大家: 尤其是呼唤我， 呼唤我这个被疾病带到离（天堂）门口如此之近的人。

There was a contention as farre as a suite, (in which both pietie and dignitie, religion, and estimation, were mingled) which of the religious Orders should ring to praiers first   in the Morning; and it was that they should ring first that rose earliest. If we understand aright the dignitie of this Belle that tolls for our evening prayer, wee would bee glad to make it ours, by rising early, in that application, that it might bee ours, as wel as his, whose indeed it is. The Bell doth toll for him that thinkes it doth; and though it intermit againe, yet from that minute, that that occasion wrought upon him, hee is united to God. Who casts not up his Eye to the Sunne when it rises? but who takes off his Eye from a Comet when that breakes out? Who bends not his eare to any bell, which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell, which is passing a peece of himselfe out of this world?

曾经有过这样的争论， 以至最终发展成诉讼（牵涉到虔诚，尊严， 宗教， 与敬重等互为表里的问题）教堂里应由圣职的哪一级在清晨第一个为早祷敲钟，后来的决定是谁最早起谁敲钟。 如果我们对晚祷钟的尊严有正确的理解， 我们都会愿意早起敲钟，以获此尊严，使此尊严不仅是他的------的确本是他的，也可能成为我们的。

丧钟是为那些自忖为己而鸣的人而鸣；尽管钟声时有断续，可是从被钟声如此感应的那一刻起， 他就与上帝同在。 旭日东升，谁不抬眼注视？彗星划破夜空， 谁又能转眼他望？无论什么场合， 当钟儿鸣响的时候， 谁不侧耳倾听？丧钟鸣响， 将他自己的一部分带离尘世， 谁又能掩耳塞听？

No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

没有人是一座岛屿，孤零零形影相弔；每个人都是洲陆的一块，每个人都是大地的一角。如果海水冲走了一楞土疙瘩，欧罗巴就少了一楞土疙瘩；如果海水冲走了一块海岬，欧罗巴就少了一块海岬；如果海水冲走了朋友或自己的庄厦，欧罗巴就少了一座庄厦：别人的死都是我的损失，我同全人类相依为命；丧钟敲时不要问是谁死，丧钟正是为你而响鸣。

Neither can we call this a begging of Miserie or a borrowing of Miserie, as though we were not miserable enough of our selves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the Miserie of our Neighbours. Truly it were an excusable covetousnesse if wee did; for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured, and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction. If a man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into currant Monies, his treasure will not defray him as he travells. Tribulation is Treasure in the nature of it, but it is not currant money in the use of it, except wee get nearer and nearer our home, Heaven, by it.

Another man may be sicke too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a Mine, and be of no use to him; but this bell, that tells me of his affliction, digs out, and applies that gold to mee: if by this consideration of anothers danger, I take mine owne into contemplation, and so secure my selfe, by making my recourse to my God, who is our onely securitie.

我们也不应将这种想法叫做向别人乞讨苦难，或向别人借用苦难， 好象我们自己的苦难还不够多， 所以还得从邻居处取用， 从而承担邻人的苦难。 不过， 如果我们真的这样做了， 这种贪婪也的确可以被原谅；因为苦难是一种财富， 而几乎没人对这种财富的占有到了足够的地步。

凡人如经受足够苦难必因此而练达成熟， 必被此苦难历练有成而无愧于上帝。 如果有人携带其财富用的是金条或金块， 而没有将之铸成流通的货币， 他的财富将无法用于行旅中的开销。 苦难以其性质而言就是这样的财富， 苦难以其用途而言还不是流通的货币， 除非我们借着苦难而越来越走近我们的天国家园。

别的一个人也许也病了， 病得危在旦夕， 其苦难可能躲在他的膏肓里， 好像矿层中的金子， 对他毫无用处； 可是这口丧钟（的鸣响）， 将他的苦难对我告知， 将那金子从矿层里挖出， 并将之惠送与我；如果我以这种方式考虑别人的苦难， 并祈求我们唯一的救主上帝的保佑， 我就能将自己的苦难引进默祷， 从而获得自身的平安。