这是一点儿说在前面的话。
笔者是一位在美国念书的热爱文学的高中生。最早打算尽量平均一天读一首诗的初衷,是想培养一下自己的英文诗阅读能力,为下学期学习AP English Literature and Composition做准备。后来开始翻译的原因,一方面是喜欢,一方面是觉得翻译是检验诗歌理解的最好的方式。
嗯,因为这里收入的译文都是笔者翻译的(我想网上可能不缺艾米丽狄金森诗集的各种翻译吧),所以很多都是根据个人的理解,倘若理解有误,还请指出(原文附在后面)。这里谢谢大家了。
第一卷 生活
I. LIFE
这是一封给世界写的信
——那不曾写信于我的世界
我收到的 唯有自然的只言片语
以及她那纤弱的壮丽
她的信息 尽掌握在
那我不能看见的手里
亲爱的同胞啊
看在对她的爱的份上
裁决我时,还请怜惜
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
对于从未经历成功之人
成功最甜蜜
只是 了解着佳酿的美味
还需疼痛的磨砺
那些高贵的人
挥舞着今日胜利的大旗
却依旧无法确切地解释
成功的含义
唯有当他被打败 垂死之际
在他那已然死寂的耳里
传来远方胜利的号角
支离破碎 却痛苦而清晰
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:这就属于按照我的水平翻译时,什么都读得懂,又不大知道它在说什么的诗了)
我们共同忍受一份黑夜
亦共享一片黎明
我们还需填充一份快乐
而冷漠亦同样缺席
这一颗星,那一颗星,
总有一些迷掉了方向。
这也是雾,那也是雾,
走过之后,总能看见阳光!
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)红与黑
灵魂啊,你还会迷失吗?
毕竟这个时代如此凶险。
失败的灵魂 成百上千
却有十个大获全胜
天使静默地投票
为的是留下你的痕迹
恶魔激烈地争论
为的是夺下你的灵魂
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)
如此喜悦,如此欢愉!
倘若失败,将是多么凄惨的遭遇!
然而,落魄如我
也曾孤注一掷——
然后收获颇份。是的!
也曾犹豫不定,却终获胜利。
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 最终真的一无所获
至少也尝到了潦倒的甜蜜!
被打倒 也只是被打倒而已
还有什么悲惨的结局!
倘若我真的赌赢——啊,海上的枪声
塔尖的铃 胜利的声音
一开始请慢慢地击!
毕竟天堂 是截然不同的东西
察觉之时 如梦方醒之际
怕是无法承受太大的打击!
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)
欢呼呵!暴风雨终于结束了
四艘船终得以回归陆地
而四十艘 一并永远地
沉没于滚烫的沙粒
鸣铃呵!为救赎之稀微!
敲钟呵!为灵魂之净美!
乡邻,亲友,还有新郎
一起在浅滩上旋转 欢歌!
只是 冬日摇晃着门的时候,
他们该如何将灾难出口?
直到孩子问,“那么,他们呢?
那四十艘船,还曾回否?”
于是,故事只剩下沉默,
以及讲述者严重的柔和
孩子们也不再提问
回应的只余茫茫水波
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.