讀點好英文:Paradise Lost 失樂園節(jié)選

Paradise Lost 失樂園節(jié)選

John Milton

Nine times the space that measures day and night

To mortal men, he with his horrid crew

Lay vanquished, rolling in the fiery gulf

Confounded though immortal. But his doom

Reserved him to more wrath；for now the thought

Both of lost happiness and lasting pain

Torments him；round he throws his baleful eyes，

That witnessed huge affliction and dismay，

Mixed with obdurate pride and steadfast hate.

At once, as far as angels ken, he views

The dismal situation waste and wild.

A dungeon horrible, on all sides round

As one great furnace flamed；yet from those flames

No light, but rather darkness visible

Served only to discover sights of woe，

Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace

And rest can never dwell, hope never comes

That comes to all, but torture without end

Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed

With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed：

Such place Eternal Justice had prepared

For those rebellious；here their prison ordained

In utter darkness and their portion set

As far removed from God and light of Heaven

As from the centre thrice to th'utmost pole.

O how unlike the place from whence they fell！

There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelmed

With floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire，

He soon discerns；and, weltering by his side，

One next himself in power, and next in crime，

Long after known in Palestine, and named

Beelzebub. To whom th'arch-enemy，

And thence in Heaven called Satan, with bold words

Breaking the horrid silence thus began：

“If thou beest he but O how fallen！how changed

From him who in the happy realms of light

Clothed with transcendent brightness didst outshine

Myriads, though bright！if he whom mutual league，

United thoughts and counsels, equal hope

And hazard in the glorious enterprise，

Joined with me once, now misery hath joined

In equal ruin；into what pit thou seest

From what height fallen, so much the stronger proved

He with his thunder：and till then who knew

The force of those dire arms?Yet not for those，

Nor what the potent Victor in his rage

Can else inflict, do I repent or change，

Though changed in outward luster, that fixed mind

And high disdain, from sense of injured merit，

That with the Mightiest raised me to contend，

And to the fierce contention brought along

Innumerable force of spirits armed，

That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring，

His utmost power with adverse power opposed

In dubious battle on the plains of Heaven，

And shook his throne. What though tile field be lost?

All is not lost：the unconquerable will，

And study of revenge, immortal hate，

And courage never to submit or yield：

And what is else not to be overcome?

That glory never shall his wrath or might

Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace

With suppliant knee, and deify his power

Who from the terror of this arm so late

Doubted his empire that were low indeed；

That were an ignominy and shame beneath

This downfall；since by fate the strength of gods

And this empyreaI substance cannot fail；

Since, through experience of this great event，

In arms not worse, in foresight much advanced，

We may with more successful hope resolve

To wage by force or guile eternal war，

Irreconcilable to our grand Foe，

Who now triumphs, and in th'excess of joy

Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven.”

So spake th'apostate angel, though in pain，

Vaunting aloud, but racked with deep despair.

……

失樂園節(jié)選

約翰·彌爾頓

根據(jù)人間的計算，大約九天九夜，

他和他那一伙可怕的徒眾，

沉淪輾轉(zhuǎn)在烈火的深淵中。

雖屬不死之身，卻與死者無異；

但這個刑罰反激起他更大的憤怒，

既失去了幸福，又飽受無窮痛苦的折磨。

當(dāng)他抬起憂慮的雙眼，環(huán)視周遭，

擺在眼前的是莫大的隱憂和煩惱，

交織著頑固的傲氣和難消的憎恨。

霎時間，他竭盡天使的目力，

望斷際涯，但見悲風(fēng)彌漫，浩渺無垠，

可怕的地牢從四面八方圈著他，

像一個洪爐的烈火四射，但那火焰

卻不發(fā)光，只是灰蒙蒙的一片，

但能辨認(rèn)出那兒的苦難情景，

悲慘的境地和凄愴的暗影。

和平和安息絕不在那兒停留，

希望無所不到，唯獨不到那里。

只有無窮無盡的苦難步步相跟

永燃的硫璜不斷地添注，

不滅的火焰，洪水般向他們滾滾逼來。

這個地方，就是正義之神為那些

叛逆者準(zhǔn)備的，在天外的冥荒中

為他們設(shè)置的牢獄，那個地方

遠(yuǎn)離天神和天界的亮光，

相當(dāng)于天極到中心的三倍那么遠(yuǎn)。

啊，這里和他所從墜落的地方

簡直有天壤之別呀！

和他一起墜落的伙伴們

淹沒在烈火的洪流和旋風(fēng)之中，

他依稀可辨，在他近旁掙扎的，

論權(quán)力和罪行都僅次于他的神魔，

后來在巴勒斯坦知道他的名字叫別西卜。

這個在天上叫做撒旦的首要神敵

以豪壯的言語打破可怕的沉寂，開始向他的伙伴這樣說道：

“是你啊；這是何等的墜落！

何等的變化呀！你原來住在光明的樂土，

全身披覆著無比的光輝，

勝過群星的燦爛：

你曾和我結(jié)成同盟，同心敵愾，

搏擊于光榮的大事業(yè)中

現(xiàn)在，我們是從高高在上的天界

沉淪到了不可測的深淵呀！他握有雷霆，

確是強大，誰知道這兇惡的

武器竟有那么大的威力呢？

可是，那威力，那強有力的

勝利者的狂暴，都不能

叫我沮喪，或者叫我改變初衷，

雖然外表的光環(huán)消失了，

但堅定的心志和岸然的驕矜

決不轉(zhuǎn)變；由于真價的受損，

激動了我，決心和強權(quán)決一勝負(fù)，

率領(lǐng)無數(shù)天軍投入劇烈的戰(zhàn)斗，

他們都厭惡天神的統(tǒng)治而來擁護(hù)我，

拿出全部力量跟至高的權(quán)力對抗，

在天界疆上做一次冒險的戰(zhàn)斗，

動搖了他的寶座。我們損失了什么？

并非一無所剩：堅定的意志、

熱切的復(fù)仇心、不來的憎恨，

以及永不屈服、永不退讓的勇氣，

還有什么比這些更難戰(zhàn)勝的嗎？

他的暴怒也罷，威力也罷，

絕不能奪去我這份光榮。

經(jīng)過這一次慘烈的戰(zhàn)爭，

好容易才使他的政權(quán)動搖；

這時還要卑躬屈膝，

向他哀求憐憫，拜倒在他的權(quán)力之下，

那才真正是卑鄙、可恥，

比這次的沉淪還要卑賤。

因為我們具有與生俱來的神力，

賦有輕清的靈質(zhì)，不能朽壞，

又因這次大事件的教訓(xùn)，

我們要準(zhǔn)備更好的武器，

更遠(yuǎn)的預(yù)見，更有成功的希望，

以暴力或智力向我們的大敵

挑起不可調(diào)解的持久戰(zhàn)爭。

他現(xiàn)在正沉湎于成功，得意忘形，

獨攬大權(quán)，在天上掌握虐政呢?！?/p>

背叛的天使忍痛說出豪言壯語

心卻為深沉的失望所苦。

……

實戰(zhàn)提升

背景知識

約翰·彌爾頓（John Milton），生于倫敦一個富裕的清教徒家庭，在劍橋大學(xué)求學(xué)時和畢業(yè)后一個時期，鉆研古代和文藝復(fù)興時期文學(xué)，深受人文主義思想熏陶。1638年他旅行意大利，訪問過被天主教會關(guān)在獄里的伽利略，并和意大利的文人學(xué)者交往。1639年，英國革命形勢緊張，他回國參加反對國王和國教的斗爭。他因積勞過度，雙目失明，但仍堅持斗爭。王朝復(fù)辟后，他受到迫害，著作被焚毀，生活極其貧困。就在這個時期，他完成了三部杰作：《失樂園》、《復(fù)樂園》和《力士參孫》。

《失樂園》以史詩一般的磅礴氣勢揭示了人的原罪與墮落。詩中叛逆之神撒旦，因為反抗上帝的權(quán)威被打入地獄，卻毫不屈服，為復(fù)仇尋至伊甸園。亞當(dāng)與夏娃受被撒旦附身的蛇的引誘，偷吃了上帝明令禁吃的知識樹上的果子。最終，撒旦及其同伙遭譴全變成了蛇，亞當(dāng)與夏娃被逐出了伊甸園。該詩體現(xiàn)了詩人追求自由的崇高精神，是世界文學(xué)史、思想史上的一部極重要的作品！

單詞注解

vanquish['v??kwi?]征服，擊敗

ken[ken]視野，眼界

furnace['f?：nis]火爐，熔爐

fierce[fi?s]兇猛的；殘酷的

empyreaI[，empai'ri：?l]最高天的；太空的

名句誦讀

Nine times the space that measures day and night To mortal men, he with his horrid crew Lay vanquished, rolling in the fiery gulf Confounded though immortal.

At once, as far as angels ken, he views The dismal situation waste and wild.

So spake th'apostate angel, though in pain, Vaunting aloud, but racked with deep despair.