雙語詩歌·嘆息之橋

嘆息之橋

The Bridge of Sighs

托瑪斯·胡德

Thomas Hood

托瑪斯·胡德（Thomas Hood，1799-1845），英國詩人、幽默作家。他一生多病，生活貧困，這使他接觸到下層人民，對勞動者和社會地位低下的人們產(chǎn)生同情?！兑r衫之歌》、《嘆息之橋》、《勞動者之歌》等是他的代表作，對英國資本主義社會可怕的不公正狀況進行了嚴肅的抗議。《嘆息之橋》寫一個沉淪風塵的少女被社會逼得走投無路，終至跳河自殺。胡德在詩中對她充滿人道主義的同情，對社會進行悲憤的控訴，詩中感情真摯而深沉，韻律凄切動人。

又一個人呵，不幸的，

One more Unfortunate

厭倦了呼吸，

Weary of breath,

輕率而又任性地

Rashly importunate,

走向滅寂！

Gone to her death!

輕輕地抬她上來，

Take her up tenderly,

小心地把她舉起；

Lift her with care;

這樣窈窕的身材，

Fashion'd so slenderly ,

又這樣年輕，美麗！

Young, and so fair!

瞧她那一身衣服

Look at her garments

緊貼著身體像尸布；

Clinging like cerements ,

而河水在不斷地

Whilst the wave constantly

從她的衣服上滴下；

Drips from her clothing;

該立刻把她抬起，

Take her up instantly,

愛護她，不要嫌棄她。

Loving, not loathing .

不要輕蔑地碰到她；

Touch her not scornfully;

應(yīng)該悲切地念叨她，

Think of her mournfully ,

溫和地，有人性地；

Gently and humanly;

別想到她的罪孽，

Not of the stains of her—

留在她身上的一切

All that remains of her

現(xiàn)在都純?nèi)皇桥缘摹?/p>

Now is pure womanly.

不要去刻意深究

Make no deep scrutiny

她的叛逆而又

Into her mutiny

不守本分的行為：

Rash and undutiful :

洗去了一切羞恥，

Past all dishonour ,

在她的身上，死

Death has left on her

留下的只有美。

Only the beautiful.

不管她有多少過錯，

Still, for all slips of hers,

她仍然是夏娃的后人——

One of Eve's family—

請揩干她那可憐的

Wipe those poor lips of hers

滴著黏水的嘴唇。

Oozing so clammily .

把她的鬈發(fā)扎起來，

Loop up her tresses

那滑出梳子的鬈發(fā)，

Escaped from the comb,

美麗的褐色頭發(fā)；

Her fair auburn tresses;

而驚奇的人們在猜：

Whilst wonderment guesses

哪兒是她的家？

Where was her home?

誰是她的父親？

Who was her father?

她的母親是誰？

Who was her mother?

她有沒有弟兄？

Had she a sister?

她有沒有姊妹？

Had she a brother?

她有沒有一個人

Or was there a dearer one

比一切別人都更可親，

Still, and a nearer one

都更可貴？

Yet, than all other?

唉！基督的慈善

Alas! for the rarity

可真稀罕，

Of Christian charity

在太陽底下！

Under the sun!

哦！這太可憐了：

O! it was pitiful !

全城都填滿了，

Near a whole city full,

她卻沒有家！

Home she had none.

姊妹的、弟兄的、

Sisterly, brotherly,

父親的、母親的

Fatherly, motherly

感情都已經(jīng)改變：

Feelings had changed:

愛神，分明得可驚地，

Love, by harsh evidence ,

已經(jīng)從高位上被趕走；

Thrown from its eminence,

仿佛連上帝的護佑

Even God's providence

也已經(jīng)離得遠遠。

Seeming estranged .

遠遠地在河上

Where the lamps quiver

燈火閃動的地方，

So far in the river,

散出多少光輝——

With many a light

從窗槅和窗欞，

From window and casement ,

從地室到樓頂；

From garret to basement ,

而她站著，迷亂又心驚，

She stood, with amazement ,

夜深了，無家可歸。

Houseless by night.

不是陰暗的橋拱，

The bleak wind of March

也不是漆黑的河流，

Made her tremble and shiver ;

而是三月的凄風

But not the dark arch,

使她戰(zhàn)栗震抖：

Or the black flowing river:

一生的遭際使她瘋癲，

Mad from life's history,

死的神秘引她狂歡，

Glad to death's mystery

迅速地縱身向前——

Swift to be hurl'd—

隨便哪兒，隨便哪兒，

Any where, any where

只要離開這人間！

Out of the world!

她勇敢地縱身，

In she plunged boldly,

不管有多么寒冷，

No matter how coldly

那洶涌的河流——

The rough river ran,

去河邊橋頭，

Over the brink of it, —

做一番想象、思索吧，

Picture it, think of it,

不道德的男人呵！然后，

Dissolute Man!

用這河水洗澡、解渴吧，

Lave in it, drink of it

要是你能夠！

Then, if you can!

輕輕地抬她上來，

Take her up tenderly,

小心地把她舉起；

Lift her with care;

這樣窈窕的身材，

Fashion 'd so slenderly,

又這樣年輕，美麗！

Young, and so fair!

趁她的手腳還不曾

Ere her limbs frigidly

冷得太僵硬，

Stiffen too rigidly,

請合乎禮節(jié)地，和善地

Decently, kindly,

把她的四肢舒展，放平；

Smooth and compose them;

請合攏她那茫然地

And her eyes, close them,

睜著的眼睛！

Staring so blindly!

目光刺透了泥污，

Dreadfully staring

嚴峻地，她睜著眼珠，

Thro' muddy impurity ,

仿佛在絕望的時候，

As when with the daring

用最后大膽的凝眸

Last look of despairing

向未來盯住。

Fix'd on futurity.

悲慘地滅亡：

Perishing gloomily,

被迫于侮辱，

Spurr'd by contumely ,

非人的冷酷

Cold inhumanity,

和燃燒的瘋狂，

Burning insanity ,

去奔赴安眠?！?/p>

Into her rest.

請把她的手謙遜地、

—Cross her hands humbly,

像做無言的祈禱似地、

As if praying dumbly,

交叉在胸前！

Over her breast!

承認她的弱點，

Owning her weakness,

她的失檢的行為，

Her evil behaviour ,

然后，溫和地讓上天

And leaving, with meekness,

來評判她的罪！

Her sins to her Saviour !