這是一點兒說在前面的話。
筆者是一位在美國念書的熱愛文學的高中生。最早打算盡量平均一天讀一首詩的初衷,是想培養(yǎng)一下自己的英文詩閱讀能力,為下學期學習AP English Literature and Composition做準備。后來開始翻譯的原因,一方面是喜歡,一方面是覺得翻譯是檢驗詩歌理解的最好的方式。
嗯,因為這里收入的譯文都是筆者翻譯的(我想網(wǎng)上可能不缺艾米麗狄金森詩集的各種翻譯吧),所以很多都是根據(jù)個人的理解,倘若理解有誤,還請指出(原文附在后面)。這里謝謝大家了。
第一卷 生活
I. LIFE
這是一封給世界寫的信
——那不曾寫信于我的世界
我收到的 唯有自然的只言片語
以及她那纖弱的壯麗
她的信息 盡掌握在
那我不能看見的手里
親愛的同胞啊
看在對她的愛的份上
裁決我時,還請憐惜
This is my letter to the world,
That never wrote to me, --
The simple news that Nature told,
With tender majesty
Her message is committed
To hands I cannot see;
For love of her, sweet countrymen,
Judge tenderly of me!
(1)成功
對于從未經(jīng)歷成功之人
成功最甜蜜
只是? 了解著佳釀的美味
還需疼痛的磨礪
那些高貴的人
揮舞著今日勝利的大旗
卻依舊無法確切地解釋
成功的含義
唯有當他被打敗? 垂死之際
在他那已然死寂的耳里
傳來遠方勝利的號角
支離破碎? 卻痛苦而清晰
I. SUCCESS
SUCCESS is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag to-day
Can tell the definition,
So clear, of victory,
As he, defeated, dying,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Break, agonized and clear
(2)
(ps:這就屬于按照我的水平翻譯時,什么都讀得懂,又不大知道它在說什么的詩了)
我們共同忍受一份黑夜
亦共享一片黎明
我們還需填充一份快樂
而冷漠亦同樣缺席
這一顆星,那一顆星,
總有一些迷掉了方向。
這也是霧,那也是霧,
走過之后,總能看見陽光!
II.
OUR share of night to bear,
Our share of morning,
Our blank in bliss to fill,
Our blank in scorning.
Here a star, and there a star,
Some lose their way.
Here a mist, and there a mist,
Afterwards -- day!
(3)紅與黑
靈魂啊,你還會迷失嗎?
畢竟這個時代如此兇險。
失敗的靈魂 成百上千
卻有十個大獲全勝
天使靜默地投票
為的是留下你的痕跡
惡魔激烈地爭論
為的是奪下你的靈魂
III. ROUGE ET NOIR
SOUL, wilt thou toss again?
By just auch a hazard
Hundreds have lost, indeed,
But tens have won an all.
Angels' breathless ballot
Lingers to record thee;
Imps in eager caucus
Raffle for my soul.
(4)
如此喜悅,如此歡愉!
倘若失敗,將是多么凄慘的遭遇!
然而,落魄如我
也曾孤注一擲——
然后收獲頗份。是的!
也曾猶豫不定,卻終獲勝利。
生只是生,死亦只是死而已
祝福只是祝福,呼吸只是呼吸而已
倘若? 最終真的一無所獲
至少也嘗到了潦倒的甜蜜!
被打倒? 也只是被打倒而已
還有什么悲慘的結(jié)局!
倘若我真的賭贏——啊,海上的槍聲
塔尖的鈴? ? 勝利的聲音
一開始請慢慢地擊!
畢竟天堂 是截然不同的東西
察覺之時 如夢方醒之際
怕是無法承受太大的打擊!
IV. ROUGE GAGNE.
'T IS so much joy! 'T is so much joy!
If i shoud fail, what poverty!
And yet, as poor as I
Have ventured all upon a throw;
Have gained! Yes!hesitated so
This side the victory!
Life is but life, and death but death!
Bliss is but bliss, and breath but breath!
And if, indeed, i fail,
At least to know the worst is sweet.
Defeat means nothing but defeat.
No drearier can prevail!
And if I gain, --oh, gun at sea,
Oh, bells that in the steeples be,
At first repeat it slow!
For heaven is a different thing
Conjectured, and waked sudden in,
And might o'erwhelm me so!
(5)
歡呼呵!暴風雨終于結(jié)束了
四艘船終得以回歸陸地
而四十艘? 一并永遠地
沉沒于滾燙的沙粒
鳴鈴呵!為救贖之稀微!
敲鐘呵!為靈魂之凈美!
鄉(xiāng)鄰,親友,還有新郎
一起在淺灘上旋轉(zhuǎn) 歡歌!
只是 冬日搖晃著門的時候,
他們該如何將災(zāi)難出口?
直到孩子問,“那么,他們呢?
那四十艘船,還曾回否?”
于是,故事只剩下沉默,
以及講述者嚴重的柔和
孩子們也不再提問
回應(yīng)的只余茫茫水波
V.
GLEE! The great storm is over!
Four have recovered the land;
Forty gone down together
Into the boiling sand.
Ring, for the scant salvation!
Toll, for the Bonnie souls, --
Neighbor and friend and bridegroom,
Spinning upon the shoals!
How they will tell the shipwreck
When winter shakes the door,
Till the children ask, "But the forty?
Did they come back no more?"
Then a silence suffuses the story,
And a softness the teller's eye;
And the children no further question,
And only the waves reply.