记得有位著名翻译家曾说过——译诗是一件费力不讨好的事。的确如此，有时为了几个单词还得推敲半天，还不知符不符合作者的原意。还有就是地域文化和风俗习惯的差异，也给翻译带来了麻烦。一句话，翻译其实就是二次创作，译者只能尽力而为之。

                                                 ——笔者注

 

原文                                        译文(楚屹立译)

The Daffodils                  水仙花

 

William Wordsworth                    威廉·华兹华斯（英）

 

I wander’d lonely as a cloud                       我像一朵独自徘徊的白云

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,          漫游深谷和山巅

When all at once I saw a crowd,                     我一瞬间仿佛看见一群群

A host , of golden daffodils;                       金黄色的女仙

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,                 在湖旁，在树荫下面

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.               起舞随风翩跹 

 

Continuous as the stars that shine                  正如明亮的星星明亮的眼

And twinkle on the Milky way,                       闪烁在银河的水面

They stretch’d in never-ending line                那没有尽头的路子

Along the margin of a bay:                          沿着港湾的边缘

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,                     上万颗星星向我闪着波光

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.             摇动着脑袋快活地把舞姿翩跹 

 

The waves beside them danced;but they               波光的舞姿靓丽，但水仙她们

Outdid the sparking waves in glee;                  更加兴奋和浪漫

A poet could not but be gay,                        诗人不能不满面春风

In such a jocund company!                           与它们相伴为舞

E gaze –and gazed –but little thought             这如此美景就这样赋予我

What wealth the show to me had brought:             让我长久对之企盼 

 

For oft, when on my couch I lie                     每当我躺在床上失眠

In vacant or in pensive mood,                       有时静静沉思亦或心情茫然

They flash upon that inward eye                     它们就常在眼前出现

Which is the bliss of solitude;                     给我的孤独送来祝福

And then my heart with pleasure fills,              让我的心充满活力

And dances with the daffodils.                      和它们一同把舞姿翩跹

 

原文                                       译文(楚屹立译) 

Paradise                  天堂

 

Christina rossetti                     克里斯蒂娜•罗塞蒂 [英]

 

Once in a dream I saw the flowers             我曾经在梦里走进天堂

  That bud and bloom in Paradise;               见到鲜花，还有蓓蕾也正含苞欲放

  More fair they are than waking eyes           她们的美丽比起我所见的世间花来

Have seen in all this world of ours.          真难以想象

And faint the perfume-bearing rose,           比蔷薇还香

  And faint the lily on its stem,               比悬崖高处的百合还靓

And faint the perfect violet                  比起紫罗兰来

      Compared with them.                       更具有完美的模样

I heard the songs of Paradise:                  我听见歌声也响彻天堂

Each bird sat singing in his place;             那是每只鸟儿在自己的家园歌唱

  A tender song so full of grace                温柔的曲子是那么婉转优扬

It soared like incense to the skies.          像那天空中的熏香，余音绕梁

Each bird sat singing to his mate             那是痴情鸟儿在为心中的另一半歌唱

  Soft cooing notes among the trees:            脆柔的嗓音回荡在树丛中央

The nightingale herself were cold             只有夜莺一点也没有声响

      To such as these.                         沉默地处在如此景象

 

 

注：

1．威廉·华兹华斯 (1770-1850)是英国浪漫主义运动的领袖，是著名的英国湖畔诗人，他与另一浪漫主义巨擘柯勒律治合作，于1798年出版了《抒情歌谣集》，拉开了英国诗歌浪漫主义革命的序幕。

2．克里斯蒂娜·罗塞蒂（Christina Rossetti, 1830-1894），英国女诗人、画家。罗塞蒂可以说出生在一个诗歌之家——她的父亲伽伯律勒·罗塞蒂（Gabriele Rossetti）就是一位诗人，而她母亲的兄弟是大诗人Byron的朋友，她的两个哥哥和一个姐姐也都分别成为了诗人和作家。罗塞蒂作为家中最小的孩子，从小耳濡目染，还未学会写字就把她创作的第一个小说献给了妈妈。她在妈妈的教导下完成了由宗教作品、古典文学、童话和小说构成早期教育，并度过了快乐的童年。她的诗歌《天堂》共六节，这里由于工作忙，暂时译了一、二节，后面的四节以后完成，现将全诗原作附于下。

 

Paradise：in a Dream

 

Christina Rossetti

 

Once in a dream I saw the flowers

  That bud and bloom in Paradise;

  More fair they are than waking eyes

Have seen in all this world of ours.

And faint the perfume-bearing rose,

  And faint the lily on its stem,

And faint the perfect violet

      Compared with them.

 

I heard the songs of Paradise:

  Each bird sat singing in his place;

  A tender song so full of grace

It soared like incense to the skies.

Each bird sat singing to his mate

  Soft cooing notes among the trees:

The nightingale herself were cold

      To such as these.

 

I saw the fourfold River flow,

  And deep it was, with golden sand;

  It flowed between a mossy land

With murmured music grave and low.

It hath refreshment for all thirst,

  For fainting spirits strength and rest:

Earth holds not such a draught as this

      From east to west.

 

The Tree of Life stood budding there,

  Abundant with its twelvefold fruits;

  Eternal sap sustains its roots,

Its shadowing branches fill the air.

Its leaves are healing for the world,

  Its fruit the hungry world can feed,

Sweeter than honey to the taste

      And balm indeed.

 

I saw the gate called Beautiful;

  And looked, but scarce could look, within;

  I saw the golden streets begin,

And outskirts of the glassy pool.

Oh harps, oh crowns of plenteous stars,

  Oh green palm-branches many-leaved—

Eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard,

      Nor heart conceived.

 

I hope to see these things again,

  But not as once in dreams by night;

  To see them with my very sight,

And touch, and handle, and attain:

To have all Heaven beneath my feet

  For narrow way that once they trod;

To have my part with all the saints,

      And with my God.