爱华网一首非常值得一读的英语经典诗歌：《乡村墓园挽歌》
Elegy
----Written in a Country Churchyard
Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
Thecurfew tolls the knell of parting day,
Thelowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
Theplowman homeward plods his weary way,
Andleaves the world to darkness and to me.
Nowfades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
Andall the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his droningflight,
Anddrowsy tinklings lull the distant folds1;
Save that from yonder ivy-mantledtower
Themoping owl does to the moon complain
Ofsuch, as wandering near her secret bower,
Molest her ancient solitary reign.
Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree'sshade,
Where heaves the turf in many a moulderingheap,
Each in his narrow cell forever laid,
Therude2forefathers of the hamletsleep.
Thebreezy call of incense-breathing Morn,
Theswallow twittering from the straw-built shed,
Thecock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn3,
Nomore shall rouse them from their lowly bed.
Forthem no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
Orbusy housewife ply her evening care;
Nochildren run to lisp their sire's return,
Orclimb his knees the envied kiss to share.
Oft4 did the harvest to their sickleyield,
Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe hasbroke5;
Howjocund did they drive their team afield!
Howbowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
Letnot Ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys, and destinyobscure;
NorGrandeur hear with a disdainful smile
Theshort and simple annals of the poor.
Theboast of heraldry6,the pomp of power,
Andall that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike th' inevitable hour.
Thepaths of glory lead but to the grave.
Noryou, ye proud, impute to these the fault,
IfMemory o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
Where through the long-drawn and frettedvault
Thepealing anthem swells the note of praise.
Canstoried urn or animated bust7
Back to its mansion call the fleetingbreath?
CanHonor's voice provoke8 the silentdust,
OrFlatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death?
Perhaps in this neglected spot islaid
Some heart once pregnant with celestialfire;
Hands that the rod of empire might haveswayed,
Orwaked to ecstasy the living lyre.
ButKnowledge to their eyes her ample page
Rich with the spoils of time did ne'erunroll;9
Chill Penury repressed their noblerage,
Andfroze the genial current of the soul.
Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
Thedark unfathomed caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blushunseen,
Andwaste its sweetness on the desert air.
Some village Hampden10,that with dauntless breast
Thelittle tyrant of his fields withstood;
Some mute inglorious Milton here mayrest,
Some Cromwell guiltless of his country'sblood.
Th'applause of list'ning senates to command,
Thethreats of pain and ruin to despise,
Toscatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
Andread their hist'ry in a nation's eyes,
Their lot forbade11:nor circumscribed alone
Their growing virtues, but their crimesconfined;
Forbade to wade through slaughter to athrone,
Andshut the gates of mercy on mankind,
Thestruggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,
Toquench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
Orheap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
With incense kindled at the Muse'sflame.
Farfrom the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes never learned tostray;
Along the sequestered vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor12 of theirway.
Yeteven these bones from insult to protect
Some frail memorial still erectednigh,
With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpturedecked,
Implores the passing tribute of asigh.
Their name, their years, spelt by the unletteredmuse,
Theplace of fame and elegy supply:
Andmany a holy text around she strews,
That teach the rustic moralist todie.
Forwho to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,
This pleasing anxious being e’erresigned,
Left the warm precincts of the cheerfulday,
Norcast one longing lingering look behind?
Onsome fond breast the parting soul relies,
Some pious drops the closing eyerequires;
Ev’n from the tomb the voice of Naturecries,
Ev’n in our ashes live their wontedfires.
Forthee13,who mindful of the unhonored dead
Dost in these lines their artless talerelate,
Ifchance14,by lonely contemplation led,
Some kindred spirit shall inquire thyfate,
Haply some hoary-headed swaim maysay,
“Oft have we seen him at the peep ofdawn
Brushing with hasty steps the dewaway
Tomeet the sun upon the upland lawn.
“There at the foot of yonder noddingbeech
That wreathes its old fantastic roots sohigh,
Hislistless length at noontide would he stretch,
Andpore upon15 the brook that babblesby.
“Hard by yon wood, now smiling as inscorn,
Muttering his wayward fancies he wouldrove,
Nowdrooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,
Orcrazed with care, or crossed in hopeless love.
“One morn I missed him on the customedhill,
Along the heath and near his favoritetree;
Another came16;nor yet beside the rill,
Norup the lawn, nor at the wood was he;
“The next17 with dirges due in sadarray
Slow through the church-way path we saw himborne.
Approach and read (for thou can’st read) thelay18,
Graved on the stone beneath yon agedthron.”
TheEpitaph
Here rests his head upon the lap ofearth
Ayouth to fortune and to fame unknown.
Fair Science19 frowned not on his humblebirth,
AndMelancholy marked him for her own.
Large was his bounty, and his soulsincere,
Heaven did a recompense as largelysend:
Hegave to Misery all he had, a tear,
Hegained from Heaven ('twas all he wished) afriend.
Nofarther seek his merits to disclose,
Ordraw his frailties from their dread abode,
(There they alike in tremblinghope repose) 20
Thebosom of his Father and his God.
乡村墓园挽歌
托马斯·格雷
晚钟为告别的白昼敲起丧钟，
咩咩羊群在草地上慢慢盘桓，
农夫疲惫地蹒跚在回家途中，
把整个世界留给了我与黑暗
此刻的大地闪着微光慢慢消退，
四周弥漫着一片寂静和庄严，
只听见甲壳虫在空中嗡嗡乱飞，
沉沉铃声为远处的羊圈催眠。
只听见那边披着常春藤的塔楼上
有只忧郁的猫头鹰对月抱怨，
怨有人在她秘密的深闺附近游逛，
打扰了她古老而幽静的庭院。
老苍的榆树下，紫杉的荫影里，
许多荒冢在烂草堆中高高隆起，
一个个在小窖里永远躺下躯体，
村里的先辈大老粗们在此安息。
芬芳四溢的晨风轻轻的呼唤，
茅草棚上面燕子的细语呢喃，
回荡的号角，或公鸡的高声鸣啼
再也不能把他们从床上唤起。
熊熊炉火再也不会为他们燃烧，
主妇们夜里再也不会为他们操劳，
孩子不再喊着跑去迎接爸爸回家，
不再趴到膝上去抢着亲吻撒娇。
昔日，他们用镰刀去夺取丰收，
板结的土块被犁成一条条垄沟；
赶着牲口下地，他们何等欢欣！
有力的砍伐使一根根树木低头！
别让“雄心”嘲笑他们有用的辛劳，
家常的欢乐，和默默无闻的命运；
也别让“华贵”带着蔑视的冷笑
来倾听穷人们简朴而短暂的生平。
炫耀的门第，显赫的权势，
美和财富赋予的一切事物,
都同样等待着不可避免之时：
光辉的道路终将导致坟墓。
傲慢者，你们别把过错归于他们，
假如“怀念”未在他们墓前立碑，
也没有让那悠扬洪亮的赞美歌声
响彻长廊和雕饰拱顶把他们赞美。
铭刻生平的骨灰瓮或栩栩的塑像
岂能把瞬逝的气息唤回到它的宅邸？
“荣誉”之声岂能唤醒沉默的尘灰？
“谄媚”岂能把死神的冷耳安慰？
或许在这个被人疏忽的地方
埋着某颗曾经怀有圣火的心，
或有可能执掌帝国王笏的手一双
或拨响令人心醉神迷的七弦琴。
但是“知识”从不在他们眼前展开
充满着时间战利品的丰厚书卷，
“贫寒”压制了他们的高尚情怀，
冻结了从灵俯流出的天才流泉。
世上有多少纯净明媚的玉石，
淹没在深不可测的幽幽海底；
有多少花儿显艳吐芳无人得知，
只让清香在沙漠中白白浪费。
村里或许有某个无畏的汉普敦，
他曾经抵御过当地的小暴君；
有个弥尔顿在此安息，沉默寡闻，
有个克伦威尔，但无辜于国人。
赢得议员们阵阵掌声和喝彩，
无视痛苦和毁灭的各种威逼，
济贫救苦让祖国大地开怀，
在国人眼里读他们的史绩——
他们命运不济：不让他们发挥
美德，但也不让他们作恶犯罪；
还禁止他们通过屠杀涉登王位，
然后把仁慈的大门关向人类。
命运不让他们为掩饰良知挣扎难过，
不让他们为抑制真情而羞愧难堪,
不让他们在缪斯的火焰上点燃香火
供奉“奢侈”和“骄傲”的神龛。
远离尘嚣中可耻的争权夺利，
他们清醒的欲望从不会迷途；
沿着那与世隔绝的人生谷地，
坚持不声不响地走常规正路。
为了保护他们的尸骨不受污辱，
有脆弱的纪念碑在附近竖起，
碑上刻着拙劣诗文和凌乱雕塑，
恳求过往行人献出一声叹息。
没有署名的缪斯为他们提供的
姓名和年龄代替了誄词和挽诗；
缪斯还在四周洒下了许多经文，
教乡里的道德家懂得死的价值。
因为，谁愿舍弃这忧喜交织的肉体
成为哑巴“遗忘”口里的牺牲品，
谁愿离开这片时光融融的温暖领地
而不留恋难舍，不回头顾盼频频？
离别的心灵依赖某个多情的怀抱，
闭上的眼睛要求几滴虔诚的眼泪；
甚至自然之声也会在坟墓里呼号，
甚至他们的旧火还燃着我们的新灰。
至于你，对这些无名逝者有心关注，
在这些拙劣诗行里讲述他们的故事；
假如偶然有孤思冥想为某个人引路，
某个与你同类的人问起你的身世，
或许有某个白发乡亲会对你叙述，
“过去常常见他出现在黎明时光，
迈着匆匆步伐，碰落途中露珠，
到那高地的草坪上去会见太阳。
“就在那棵摇曳的山毛榉下方，
奇形怪状的老树根高高地盘起，
中午时他倦怠的身躯躺在地上，
全神贯注着那潺潺流淌的小溪。
“在那附近林中，他时儿像在嘲笑，
喃喃自言自语，一味胡思乱想；
时儿脸色惨白，垂头丧气像无依无靠，
或忧心忡忡，像恋人失意情场。
“一天早上我没见他上他常去的山岗，
也没见他来到他喜欢的树下草地。
又过了一天，也没见他来到小溪旁；
草坪上，树林里都绝了他的踪迹。
“第三天，我们看见有人穿着丧服，
抬着他一路唱着哀歌缓缓穿过教堂。
请走近读一读（因为你识字）他的诗行，
就刻在那边古老丛林下的石头上。”
墓志名
在这大地的冷膝上枕着他的头，
一位青年，命运不济也无名气；
“知识”没对他的寒微皱过眉头，
“忧郁”把他标出，认作知己。
他慷慨大方，一颗真心赤诚无伪，
苍天给了他同样慷慨的报酬；
他给了“悲惨”一切所有，一滴泪，
从苍天他得到了所求，一位朋友。
无须深入去探明他有什么功绩，
或从他们寓所中寻找他的过错，
（他们都在恐怖的希望中憩息），
天父上帝的怀抱就是他们住所。
1 羊栏。这里指关进羊栏的羊群。
2 untaught，没有受过教育的。
3 hunter's horn，猎人的号角。
4 = often
5 stubborn glebe: solid land 坚硬的泥土。broke =broken
6 noble birth，高贵的出身。
7 storied urn : 铭刻有生平事略的骨灰瓮。animatedbust：栩栩如生的半身塑像。
8 call back to life，唤起，唤醒。
9 这两行的正常词序是：But Knowledge did n'er unroll her ample pagerich with the spoils of time to their eyes.
10 John Hampden(1594-1643)是查理一世国王统治时期的国会议员，他曾为捍卫人民权利而反对过国王不合理的纳税制度。这里是指村里或许有像Hampden那样无畏的英雄人物。下面的Milton(John Milton 1608-74) 和 Cromwell (JohnCromwell,1642-49)均指村里或许有像弥尔顿那样的大诗人，像克伦威尔那样的大革命家。
11 这里动词forbade的宾语实际上在上节中的to command the applause…, Todespise the threats…, and (to) read their history…。
12 tenor: course (as of a person’s life)
13 For thee: As for thee.这里的thee指的是诗人自己。
14 If chance: If by chance
15: : pore upon: concentrate his attention to
16 = Another day came
17 = The next day
18 lay: 这里指下面的墓志铭
19 = learning，knowledge 知识
20 这一行中的they 和上行中的their 都指merits 和 frailties。In tremblinghope：人死以后要等待最后的审判，所以说他们都“在颤抖的希望中”。
