Paradise Lost(Excerpt)
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 center 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 know 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 contentions 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 thought the 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 empyreal 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 rackt with deep despare:
大約九天九夜,那是根據(jù)人間的計(jì)算,
他和他那一伙可怕的徒眾,
雖屬不死之身,卻與死者無(wú)異,
沉淪輾轉(zhuǎn)在烈火的深淵中;
這個(gè)刑罰卻反激起他更深的憤怒,
既失去了幸福,又飽受無(wú)盡痛苦的折磨。
當(dāng)他抬起憂(yōu)慮的雙眼,環(huán)顧四周,
伴隨他的是莫大的隱憂(yōu)和煩惱,
交織著頑固的傲氣和難消的仇恨。
霎時(shí)間,他竭盡天使的目力,
望斷天涯,但見(jiàn)悲風(fēng)彌漫,縹紗無(wú)垠,
可怕的地牢從四面八方圍著他
像一個(gè)洪爐的烈火四射,
但那火焰只是朦朦朧朧的一片,并不發(fā)光,
但能辨認(rèn)出那兒的苦難情景,
悲慘的境地和凄愴的暗影。
和平和安息從不在此駐扎,
希望無(wú)所不到,這里卻是個(gè)例外。
只有無(wú)窮無(wú)盡的苦難步步相跟
永燃的硫磺不斷地添注,
不滅的火焰有如洪水向他們滾滾逼來(lái)。
正義之神為那些叛逆者準(zhǔn)備的,正是這個(gè)地方。
這個(gè)在天外的冥荒中為他們?cè)O(shè)置的牢獄。
那個(gè)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(jiǎn)直有天壤之別呀!
和他一起墜落的伙伴們
V1:背叛的天使雖忍痛說(shuō)出豪言壯語(yǔ),
心卻為深沉的失望所苦,但他這樣說(shuō)。
淹沒(méi)在烈火的洪流和旋風(fēng)之中,
他依稀可辨,在他近旁?huà)暝模?br />
論權(quán)力和罪行都僅次于他的神魔,
后來(lái)在巴勒斯坦得知他名叫別西卜。
這個(gè)在天上叫做撒旦的首要神敵,
以豪壯的言語(yǔ)打破可怕的沉寂,
這樣向他的伙伴說(shuō)道:
V2:依照人間的計(jì)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,卻象死者一樣橫陳,
但這個(gè)刑罰反激起他更大的忿怒,
既失去了幸福,又受無(wú)窮痛苦的煎熬。
他抬起憂(yōu)慮的雙眼,環(huán)視周遭,
擺在眼前的是莫大的隱憂(yōu)和煩惱,
頑固的傲氣和難消的憎恨交織著。
霎時(shí)間,他竭盡天使的目力,望斷
際涯,但見(jiàn)悲風(fēng)彌漫,浩渺無(wú)垠,
四面八方圍著他的是個(gè)可怕的地牢,
象一個(gè)洪爐的烈火四射,但那火焰
卻不發(fā)光,只是灰蒙蒙的一片,
可以辨認(rèn)出那兒的苦難景況,
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(wú)所不到,唯獨(dú)不到那里。
只有無(wú)窮無(wú)盡的苦難緊緊跟著
永燃的硫磺不斷地添注,不滅的
火焰,洪水般向他們滾滾逼來(lái)。
這個(gè)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?cè)O(shè)置的牢獄,那個(gè)地方
離開(kāi)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
比起來(lái)是何等的不同呀!
和他一起墜落的伙伴們
掩沒(méi)在猛火的洪流和旋風(fēng)之中,
他辨認(rèn)得出,在他近旁?huà)暝模?br />
論權(quán)力和罪行都僅次于他的神魔,
后來(lái)在巴勒斯坦知道他的名字叫
別西卜。這個(gè)在天上叫做撒但的
首要神敵,用豪言壯語(yǔ)打破可怕的
沉寂,開(kāi)始向他的伙伴這樣說(shuō)道,
V1:“是你??;這是何等的墜落!
何等的變化呀!
你原來(lái)住在光明的樂(lè)土,
渾身披蓋著無(wú)比的光輝,
勝過(guò)群星的璀璨你曾和我結(jié)盟,
同仇敵愾,搏擊于光榮的大事業(yè)之中。
現(xiàn)在,我們是從高高在上的天界上,
沉淪到了不可測(cè)的深淵呀!
他握有雷霆,確實(shí)強(qiáng)大,
誰(shuí)知道這兇惡的武器竟威力無(wú)比呢?
可是,那強(qiáng)有力的威力,
那勝利者的狂暴,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,
但不移的信念和岸然的驕矜決不轉(zhuǎn)變;
武力的受損,激動(dòng)了我,
決心率領(lǐng)無(wú)數(shù)天軍投入劇烈的戰(zhàn)斗,
和強(qiáng)權(quán)一決高低,
他們都厭惡天神的統(tǒng)治而來(lái)?yè)碜o(hù)我,
拼盡全力同至高的權(quán)力抗衡
在天界疆場(chǎng)上做一次冒險(xiǎn)的戰(zhàn)斗,
震撼了他的寶座。我們損失了什么?
并不是一無(wú)所剩:
堅(jiān)定的意志、熱切的復(fù)仇心、不滅的憎恨,
以及永不屈服、永不退讓的勇氣,
難道還有比這些更難戰(zhàn)勝的嗎?
我這份光榮絕不能被奪走,
不管是他的暴怒,還是威力。
經(jīng)過(guò)這一次慘烈的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng),
好容易才使他的政權(quán)動(dòng)搖;
若是這時(shí)還要卑躬屈膝,
向他乞求哀憐,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?yàn)槲覀兙哂信c生俱來(lái)的神力,
賦有輕清的靈質(zhì),不能朽壞,
還因這次事件的教訓(xùn),
我們要準(zhǔn)備更優(yōu)良的武器,
更高明的遠(yuǎn)見(jiàn),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(zhēng)。
V2:“是你啊;這是何等的墜落!
何等的變化呀!你原來(lái)住在
光明的樂(lè)土,全身披覆著
無(wú)比的光輝,勝過(guò)群星的燦爛,
你曾和我結(jié)成同盟,同心同氣,
同一希望,在光榮的大事業(yè)中
和我在一起?,F(xiàn)在,我們是從
何等高的高天上,沉淪到了
何等深的深淵呀!他握有雷霆,
確是強(qiáng)大,誰(shuí)知道這兇惡的
武器竟有那么大的威力呢?
可是,那威力,那強(qiáng)有力的
勝利者的狂暴,都不能
叫我懊喪,或者叫我改變初衷,
雖然外表的光彩改變了,
但堅(jiān)定的心志和岸然的驕矜
決不轉(zhuǎn)變,由于真價(jià)值的受損,
激動(dòng)了我,決心和強(qiáng)權(quán)決一勝負(fù),
率領(lǐng)無(wú)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(lái)?yè)碜o(hù)我,
拿出全部力量跟至高的權(quán)力對(duì)抗,
在天界疆場(chǎng)上做一次冒險(xiǎn)的戰(zhàn)斗,
動(dòng)搖了他的寶座。我們損失了什么了
并非什么都丟光:不撓的意志、
熱切的復(fù)仇心、不滅的憎恨,
以及永不屈服、永不退讓的勇氣,
還有什么比這些更難戰(zhàn)勝的呢?
他的暴怒也罷,威力也罷,
絕不能奪去我這份光榮。
經(jīng)過(guò)這一次戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的慘烈,
好容易才使他的政權(quán)動(dòng)搖,
這時(shí)還要彎腰屈膝,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?yàn)槲覀兩哂猩窳Γ?br />
秉有輕清的靈質(zhì),不能朽壞,
又因這次大事件的經(jīng)驗(yàn),
我們要準(zhǔn)備更好的武器,
更遠(yuǎn)的預(yù)見(jiàn),更有成功的希望,
用暴力或智力向我們的大敵
挑起不可調(diào)解的持久戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。
他現(xiàn)在正自夸勝利,得意忘形,
獨(dú)攬大權(quán),在天上掌握虐政呢。”
V1:背叛的天使雖忍痛說(shuō)出豪言壯語(yǔ),
心卻為深沉的失望所苦,但他這樣說(shuō)。