爱华网Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Came
罗兰少爷临于黑暗塔下
或（罗兰少爷在去黑暗塔的终途）
Write by Robert Browning
作者：罗伯特•布朗宁
(1812-1889)
Translate by Sacro Rampart
译者：萨苛•兰帕德
（1991-）
1 I.
My first thought was, he lied in every word,
我的第一个念头便是，他未有一句真实的话语
That hoary cripple, with malicious eye
那头发灰白的跛子，双眼透着恶毒之意
Askance to watch the working of his lie
请对他的谎言所造就的一切保持应有的怀疑
On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford
在我心底看来装腔作势实不足以得到施予
Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored
他掩饰住心底的窃喜，露出那皱眉和伤淤
Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby.
仿佛因此在那刃口上，又搭上了一个牺牲品
2 II.
What else should he be set for, with his staff?
还有什么应该让他和他那根破拐杖决定？
What, save to waylay with his lies, ensnare
还有什么埋藏在他的谎言之下？除圈套外
All travellers who might find him posted there,
所有的旅人会在彼地感悟他的消息之灵通
And ask the road? I guessed what skull-like laugh
至于问路？我猜颅骨们会对其报以空洞的讥笑
Would break, what crutch 'gin write my epitaph
支起罗网的撑架将被破除——只不过是镌在我的墓志铭上
For pastime in the dusty thoroughfare,
留在满是尘埃的大道上任人消遣
3 III.
If at his counsel I should turn aside
倘若听从他的劝诫我应当偏离正道
Into that ominous tract which, all agree,
进入那不祥的地域，那儿的事物一致，
Hides the Dark Tower. Yet acquiescingly
将黑暗塔深深遮掩。在我心默许之下，
I did turn as he pointed: neither pride
我转向了他所指的路径，但我明悉：既不是骄傲
Nor hope rekindling at the end descried,
亦不是希望最终将远征的意志重燃
So much as gladness that some end might be.
而是那结局兴许会带来无尽的欢愉
4 IV.
For, what with my whole world-wide wandering,
那么，我携着什么在整个世界游走徘徊，
What with my search drawn out thro' years, my hope
是什么支持着我的搜寻——哪怕年复一年，是我的希望
Dwindled into a ghost not fit to cope
它却缩减为一个幻影，难以应付未来的艰险
With that obstreperous joy success would bring,
成功的到来往往伴随着喧闹的欢喜
I hardly tried now to rebuke the spring
如今我难以试图斥责春日
My heart made, finding failure in its scope.
我心已定，要在它的范围内搜寻失败者的足印
5 V.
As when a sick man very near to death
当死神向一个虚弱的人靠近之时
Seems dead indeed, and feels begin and end
他看上去确是了无气息，却在感受着开始与终结
The tears and takes the farewell of each friend,
那泪滴，那所得，那与每个挚友的道别
And hears one bid the other go, draw breath
听见他们逐个地被命令离开，深深地呼吸
Freelier outside, (``since all is o'er,'' hesaith,
意识更散漫地游离，（“直到一切结束，”他喃喃道，
``And the blow falIen no grieving can amend;'')
没有谁的哀号能挽回那风暴中的狂坠；“）
6 VI.
While some discuss if near the other graves
当人们在一座墓穴旁高谈阔论
Be room enough for this, and when a day
为此留下足够的空间吧，而有朝一日
Suits best for carrying the corpse away,
马革裹尸，被运往无人知晓的地方
With care about the banners, scarves and staves:
请留意那旗帜，围巾与棍棒
And still the man hears all, and only craves
直到那人听完所有，唯余恳求
He may not shame such tender love and stay.
他或许不会为如此温柔的爱而羞耻——而决意停留
7 VII.
Thus, I had so long suffered in this quest,
至此，我为搜寻黑暗塔忍受了长久的时光
Heard failure prophesied so oft, been writ
如此多次，听别人失败的预告，以至那套言辞已成令状
So many times among ``The Band'' ---to wit,
如此多次，坐在“那群人“之间——也就是说，
The knights who to the Dark Tower's searchaddressed
那些搜寻黑暗塔的骑士全都无功而返
Their steps---that just to fail as they, seemedbest,
他们的道路——与他们一样惨遭失败，似乎都是最好的
And all the doubt was now---should I be fit?
如今的问题在于——我会适合这事业吗？
8 VIII.
So, quiet as despair, I turned from him,
经过绝望般的死寂，我向他示以拒绝
That hateful cripple, out of his highway
那可憎的跛子，我走出他鼓吹的大道
Into the path he pointed. All the day
走进他指出的小径。整整一天
Had been a dreary one at best, and dim
这小径充其量是一条沉闷的路，而暗淡却
Was settling to its close, yet shot one grim
在它的尽头沉淀下来，露出斑驳而无情的本色。
Red leer to see the plain catch its estray.
血目扫视着那荒原，寻捕着迷途的旅人
9 IX.
For mark! no sooner was I fairly found
因为那标记！一瞬间我清楚地明白
Pledged to the plain, after a pace or two,
你必须发誓征服荒原，就在踏出一两步之后
Than, pausing to throw backward a last view
然后，停下来向往路掷出最后一眼
O'er the safe road, 'twas gone; grey plain allround:
安全的路途已告终，四至是灰白的荒原
Nothing but plain to the horizon's bound.
在视野中除了灰白别无他物
I might go on; nought else remained to do.
我也许得继续前行，否则就要在此逗留
10 X.
So, on I went. I think I never saw
于是，在路上，我想我从未见过
Such starved ignoble nature; nothing throve:
如此苍凉凋敝的情景；只剩下枯萎：
For flowers---as well expect a cedar grove!
那花朵——如同预期的一样，如同罗汗柏林一般！
But cockle, spurge, according to their law
而杂草与大戟 ，却遵从着自己生长的规律
Might propagate their kind, with none to awe,
无与畏惧地繁衍生息着
You'd think; a burr had been a treasure-trove.
你会认为，一只刺果已是此地的珍宝
11 XI.
No! penury, inertness and grimace,
不！这贫瘠，颓唐，伛偻，
In some strange sort, were the land's portion.``See
这种奇怪的类型似乎就是这土地的命运。“观望，
``Or shut your eyes,'' said nature peevishly,
抑或合上你的双眼，”周遭急躁地喝道，
``It nothing skills: I cannot help my case:
“那根本无路可寻：我对我的现状无能为力：”
``'Tis the Last judgment's fire must cure thisplace,
“只有末日审判的烈焰能改变这里的面貌，”
``Calcine its clods and set my prisoners free.''
“直到那土块被煅成石灰，囚禁在此的幽魂才得解脱。“
12 XII.
If there pushed any ragged thistle-stalk
如果有粗糙的蓟梗冒出——
Above its mates, the head was chopped; the bents
遮掩了它的同族，尖头就会被砍下；即便那倾斜的样子
Were jealous else. What made those holes and rents
也会被同族所嫉妒。什么致使了那破洞和裂缝
In the dock's harsh swarth leaves, bruised as tobaulk
在那野株粗糙的方叶上，肆虐由此仿佛戛然而止
All hope of greenness?'tis a brute must walk
至于所有青葱的希望？’都在那牲口的必然远离中破灭
Pashing their life out, with a brute's intents.
于那牲口的意图，不过是远走他乡另寻生活
