ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNlNG
伊麗莎白·巴萊特·布朗寧
（1806—1861）

【作者與作品簡介】

飛白

The Cry of the Children

Do ye hear the children weeping，O my brothers，

　Ere the sorrow comes with years？¹

They are leaning their young heads against their mothers，

　Andthat cannot stop their tears.

The young lambs are bleating² in the meadows，

　The young birds are chirping in the nest，

The young fawns are playing with the shadows，³

　The young flowers are blowing toward the west —

But the young，young children，O my brothers，

　They are weeping bitterly！

They are weeping in the playtime of the others，

　In the country of the free.

Do you question the young children in the sorrow

　Why their tears are falling so？

The old man may weep for his tomorrow

　Which is lost in Long Ago.

The old tree is leafless in the forest，

　The old year is ending in the frost，

The old wound，if stricken，is the sorest，

　The old hope is hardest to be lost：

But the young，young children，O my brothers，

　Do you ask them why they stand

Weeping sore before the bosoms of their mothers，

　In our happy Fatherland？

They look up with their pale and sunken faces，⁴

　And their looks are sad to see，

For the man's hoary anguish draws and presses

　Down the cheeks of infancy；⁵

“Your old earth” they say，“is very dreary，”

　“Our young feet，” they say，“are very weak；

Few paces have we taken，yet are weary —

　Our grave-rest is very far to seek：⁶

Ask the aged why they weep，and not the children，

　For the outside earth is cold，

And we young ones stand without，in our bewildering，

　And the graves are for the old.⁷”

“True，” say the children，“it may happen

　That we die before our time：⁸

Little Alice died last year，her grave is shapen

　Like a snowball，in the rime.⁹

We looked into the pit¹⁰ prepared to take her：

　Was no room for any work in the close clay！¹¹

From the sleep wherein she lieth none will wake her，

　Crying，‘Get up，little Alice！ it is day.’

If you listen by that grave，in sun and shower，

　With your ear down，little Alice never cries；

Could we see her face，¹² be sure we should not know her，

　For the smile has time for growing in her eyes：

And merry go her moments，¹³ lulled and stilled in

　The shroud by the kirk-chime！¹⁴

It is good when it happens，” say the children，

　“That we die before our time.”

Alas，alas，the children！ they are seeking

　Death in life，as best to have：

They are binding up their hearts away from breaking，

　With a cerement from the grave.¹⁵

Go out，children，from the mine and from the city，

　Sing out，children，as the little thrushes¹⁶ do.

Pluck you handfuls of the meadow-cowslips pretty.

　Laugh aloud，to feel your fingers let them through！

But they answer，“Are your cowslips¹⁷ of the meadows

　Like our weeds anear¹⁸ the mine？

Leave us quiet in the dark of the coal-shadows，

　From your pleasure fair and fine！

“For oh，” say the children，“we are weary，

　And we cannot run or leap；

If we cared for any meadows，it were merely

　To drop in them and sleep.

Our knees tremble sorely in the stooping，¹⁹

　We fall on our faces，trying to go；

And，underneath our heavy eyelids drooping，

　The reddest flower would look as pale as snow.

For，all day，we drag our burden tiring

　Through the coal-dark，underground；

Or，all day，we drive the wheels of iron

　In the factories，round and round.

“For all day the wheels are droning，turning；

　Their wind²⁰ comes in our faces，

Till our hearts turn，our heads²¹ with pulses burning，

　And the walls turn in their places：

Turns the sky²² in the high window blank and reeling，

　Turns the long light that drops adown the wall，

Turn the black flies that crawl along the ceiling，

　All are turning，all the day，and we with all.

And all day the iron wheels are droning，

　And sometimes we could pray，

‘O ye wheels’ （breaking out in a mad moaning）²³

　‘Stop！ be silent for to-day！’”

Ay！ be silent！ Let them hear each other breathing

　For a moment，mouth to mouth！

Let them touch each other's hands，in a fresh wreathing

　Of their tender human youth！²⁴

Let them feel that this cold metallic motion²⁵

　Is not all the life God fashions or reveals：

Let them prove their living souls against the notion

　That they live in you，or under you，²⁶ O wheels！

Still，all day，the iron wheels go onward，

　Grinding life down from its mark；

And the children's souls，which God is calling sunward，

　Spin on blindly in the dark.²⁷

Now tell the poor young children； O my brothers，

　To look up to Him²⁸ and pray；

So the blessèd One²⁹ who blesseth all the others，

　Will bless them another day.

They answer，“Who is God that He should hear us，

　While the rushing of the iron wheels is stirred？

When we sob aloud，the human creatures near us

　Pass by，hearing not，or answer not a word.

Andwehear not （for the wheels in their resounding）

　Strangers speaking at the door.

Is it likely God，with angels singing round Him，

　Hears our weeping any more？

Two words，indeed，of praying we remember，

　And at midnight's hour of harm，

“Our Father，” looking upward in the chamber，

　We know no other words except “Our Father，”³⁰

And we think that，in some pause of angels' song，

　We say softly for a charm.³¹

God may pluck them with the silence sweet to gather，

　And hold both within His right hand which is strong.

“Our Father！” If He heard us，He would surely

　（For they call Him good and mild）

Answer，smiling down the steep world³² very purely，

　“Come rest with me my child.”

“But，no！” say the children，weeping faster，

　“He is speechless as a stone：

And they tell us，of His image is the master

　Who commands us to work on.

Go to！”³³ say children，—“up in Heaven，

　Dark，wheel-like，turning clouds are all we find.

Do not mock us； grief has made us unbelieving：

　We look up of God，but tears have made us blind.”

Do you hear the children weeping and disproving，

　O my brothers，what ye preach？³⁴

For God's possible is taught by His world's loving，³⁵

　And the children doubt of each.

And well may the children weep before you！

　They are weary ere they run.

They have never seen the sunshine，nor the glory³⁶

　Which is brighter than the sun.

They know the grief of man，without his wisdom.³⁷

　They sink in man's despair，without its calm；³⁸

Are slaves，without the liberty in Christdom，

　Are martyrs，by the pang without the palm：³⁹

Are worn，⁴⁰ as if with age，yet unretrievingly

　The harvest of its memories cannot reap，—

Are orphans of the earthly love and heavenly.⁴¹

　Let them weep！ let them weep！

They look up with their pale and sunken faces，

　And their look is dread to see，

For they mind⁴² you of the angels in high places，

　With eyes turned on Deity.

“How long，” they say，“how long，O cruel nation，

　Will you stand，to move the world，on a child's heart，—

Stifle down with a mailed heel⁴³ its palpitation，

　And tread onward to your throne amid the mart？⁴⁴

Our blood splashes upward，O gold-heaper，⁴⁵

　And your purple shows your path！

But the child's sob in the silence curses deeper

　Than the strong man in his wrath.”

【題解】

布朗寧夫人的詩代表了維多利亞時期英國詩歌的風(fēng)格和藝術(shù)水準(zhǔn)：結(jié)構(gòu)的嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)平衡，音韻的優(yōu)美和遣詞的精準(zhǔn)。也正是這些特點，她遭到了二十世紀(jì)現(xiàn)代主義的貶斥。但是，藝術(shù)欣賞標(biāo)準(zhǔn)一時的變化卻不能動搖她在英國詩壇上永久的地位。其實，布朗寧夫人關(guān)心的不只是詩藝和技巧，她更關(guān)心社會問題，以時弊作為她詩歌創(chuàng)作的題材。1843年，英國議會了解到煤礦和其他工礦企業(yè)殘酷地剝削和壓榨童工，委托何恩（R.H. Horne）寫了一份調(diào)查報告。布朗寧夫人讀了這份報告之后，義憤填膺，寫下了《孩子們的哭聲》這首詩。詩中許多內(nèi)容都來自她的朋友何恩的這份調(diào)查報告。

【注釋】

1.Ere the sorrow comes with years：與年老俱來的悲哀尚未到來之前； Ere：before.

2.bleating：making the natural cry of a sheep or goat，羊咩咩地叫。第5—8行描寫大自然中幼小的花草鳥獸盡情享受生活的樂趣，反襯獨有兒童在悲傷地哭泣。

3.fawns are playing with the shadows：幼鹿因好奇而試圖捕捉陰影；fawn：（未滿一歲的）幼鹿。

4.sunken faces：瘦削凹陷的臉。

5.the man's hoary anguish draws and presses ... infancy：此句意為本來是老年人遭受的苦惱，而現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)折磨兒童了。

6.Our grave-rest is very far to seek：意為兒童離死亡還很遠。

7.Ask the aged why they weep，and not the children ... old：老年人很快就可以進入墳?zāi)梗荛_寒冷的世界，所以，應(yīng)該問問他們?yōu)槭裁催€要哭呢； the outside earth：（相對于墳?zāi)箖?nèi)的）外面的大地； stand without：stand outside，站在墳?zāi)雇饷娴牡厣稀?/p>

8.die before our time：夭折。

9.rime：frost.

10.the pit：墓穴。

11.Was no room for any work in the close clay：there was no room etc.，在這狹窄的土坑里沒有干活的余地，指Alice死后不必再干苦役了。

12.Could we see her face：if we could see her face.

13.merry go her moments：她日子過得很快活。

14.kirk-chime：教堂的鐘聲； kirk：（Scottish ） church.

15.They are binding up their hearts away from breaking ... grave：他們用墳?zāi)怪械膲垡掳研陌饋?，免得破碎；cerement：shroud.

16.thrushes：畫眉鳥，歌喉優(yōu)美 （any of numerous small or medium-sized birds of an oscine family which are mostly of a plain color often with spotted underparts and many of which are excellent singers）。

17.cowslips：a common European primrose with fragrant yellow flowers，玄金花。

18.anear：near.

19.knees tremble sorely in the stooping：因在礦里彎腰屈背勞動而雙膝顫抖。

20.Their wind：輪子轉(zhuǎn)動時發(fā)出的風(fēng)。

21.our hearts turn，our heads：心跳頭暈。

22.Turns the sky：the sky turns，以下兩行的結(jié)構(gòu)相同。

23.breaking out in a mad moaning：瘋狂痛苦地喊叫起來。

24.touch each other's hands，in a fresh wreathing ... youth：讓他們攜起手來，使幼弱的青春結(jié)合成鮮艷的花環(huán)。

25.this cold metallic motion：冰冷的機器的轉(zhuǎn)動。

26.prove their living souls against the notion ... you：證明他們活生生的靈魂并不是要生活在機器輪子之中，或被壓在底下。

27.Spin on blindly in the dark：（兒童的靈魂）在黑暗中隨著機器盲目地轉(zhuǎn)動。

28.Him：指上帝。

29.the blessèd One：神圣者，亦指上帝。

30.Father：上帝，（三位一體中的）圣父。

31.for a charm：（呼吁上帝）作為消除痛苦的符咒。

32.the steep world：陡峭的世界，喻人世道路巉巖，難以登天。

33.Go to：（archaic ）去你的！

34.what ye preach：what do you preach.

35.God's possible is taught by His world's loving：that God's possible is taught etc.，上帝的世界賜以的仁愛，使人們相信上帝的存在是可能的。換言之，兒童既得不到愛，也就自然而然地懷疑上帝的存在。

36.the glory：the presence of God，the manifestation of God to the blessed in heaven，上帝的顯形，天國之福。此句為兒童在礦井里勞動見不到陽光，更得不到比太陽更光彩奪目的上帝的賜福了。

37.They know the grief of man，without his wisdom：他們懂得成人的悲哀，卻沒有應(yīng)對哀傷的智慧； his：指grief。兒童不知道如何經(jīng)受和減輕他們的悲哀。

38.They sink in man's despair，without its calm：他們陷于成人的絕望之中，卻沒有真正絕望時的那種平靜； its：指despair。

39.by the pang without the palm：殉道者遭受苦難，卻沒有榮譽； palm：象征勝利或榮譽的棕櫚葉。

40.Are worn：（they are） worn out.

41.Are orphans of the earthly love and heavenly：they are orphans of the earthly love and heavenly love，他們是人間之愛和天堂之愛的孤兒。

42.mind：remind.

43.a mailed heel：戴上鎧甲的腳跟。

44.tread onward to your throne amid the mart：在商業(yè)市場上獨霸一切。

45.gold-heaper：黃金的積聚者，和上文cruel nation同指剝削壓迫童工的統(tǒng)治階級。

FromSONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE

1

I thought once how Theocritus¹ had sung

Of the sweet years，the dear and wished-for years，

Who each one in a gracious hand appears

To bear a gift for mortals，old or young：

And，as I mused it in his antique tongue，²

I saw，in gradual vision through my tears，³

The sweet，sad years，the melancholy years，

Those of my own life，⁴ who by turns had flung

A shadow across me. Straightway I was 'ware，⁵

So weeping，how a mystic Shape⁶ did move

Behind me，and drew me backward by the hair；

And a voice said in mastery，⁷ while I strove，—

“Guess now who holds thee？”— “Death，” I said. But，there，

The silver answer rang，— “Not Death，but Love.”⁸

10

Yet，love，mere love，is beautiful indeed

And worthy of acceptation. Fire is bright，

Let temple burn，or flax；¹ and equal light

Leaps in the flame from cedar-plank or weed：²

And love is fire. And when I say at need³

I love thee... mark！ ...I love thee — in thy sight

I stand transfigured，glorified aright，

With conscience of the new rays that proceed

Out of my face toward thine.⁴ There's nothing low

In love，when love the lowest：⁵ meanest creatures

Who love God，God accepts⁶ while loving so.

And what Ifeel，across the inferior features

Of what Iam，⁷ doth flash itself，and show

How that great work of Love enhances Nature's.⁸

21

Say over again，and yet once over again，

That thou dost love me.¹ Though the word repeated

Should seem “a cuckoo song”，² as thou dost treat it，

Remember，never to the hill or plain，

Valley and wood，without her cuckoo-strain

Comes the fresh Spring in all her green completed.³

Belovèd，I，amid the darkness greeted

By a doubtful spirit-voice，in that doubt's pain，

Cry，“Speak once more — thou lovest！”⁴ Who can fear

Too many stars，though each in heaven shall roll，⁵

Too many flowers，though each shall crown the year？

Say thou dost love me，love me，love me — toll

The silver iterance！⁶— only minding，Dear，

To love me also in silence with thy soul.

43

How do I love thee？ Let me count the ways.¹

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach，when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.²

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need，by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely，as men strive for Right；³

I love thee purely，as they turn from Praise.⁴

I love thee with a passion put to use

In my old griefs，⁵ and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints，— I love thee with the breath，

Smiles，tears，of all my life！ — and，if God choose，

I shall but love thee better after death.⁶

【題解】

《葡萄牙十四行詩》是布朗寧夫人假托從葡萄牙文翻譯過來的，其實是她真正心靈的寫照。在這四十四首詩中，她傾注了全部感情，記錄了她和羅伯特·布朗寧歷久彌深的愛情。布朗寧夫人從小受過良好的教育，但是，得不到真情。其父過于嚴(yán)酷，死死地看護著他的十一個孩子，都不讓他們結(jié)婚。伊莉莎白·巴萊特·布朗寧從小體弱，久病在家，對愛情本無指望。愛情的突然到來，她始料未及，她甚至誤認(rèn)為是死亡將她拖離人世（第1首）。病體使她多少有一點自卑感，故她安慰自己只要是火焰，不管來自何種燃燒物，都是光輝耀眼的（第10首）。愛的表示雖然顯得單調(diào)而重復(fù)，但是催成春滿人間的杜鵑，其歌聲豈不也是如此（第21首）。她表達愛的八種方式，是她感情最強烈的表露（第43首）。也許只有久病不愈而突然枯木逢春的心靈才會有這樣熾烈的情感。布朗寧夫人不見得是唯一有此經(jīng)歷的人，但她是絕無僅有的詩才，能將深切的體會和迸發(fā)的愛情訴諸筆端，留給后人。

【注釋】

第1首

1.Theocritus：忒奧克托斯（310？—250BC），古希臘詩人，流傳下來的詩作中最主要的有三十首《田園詩》（Idylls ），帶有自然主義的傾向?！短飯@詩》第十五首的第103—104行的英譯文為：Tardiest of Immortals are the beloved Hours，but eagerly looked — for do they come，ever bringing some gift to all mortals. 在希臘神話中，Hours是三位女神，司一年四季之變遷，守護并給人的勞動帶來成果。本詩中the years即為三女神，故用who 作為years的關(guān)系代詞。

2.mused it in his antique tongue：沉思于忒奧克托斯古老的原著之中。

3.in gradual vision through my tears：淚眼朦朧中逐漸看清。

4.Those of my own life：即以上所說的the sweet，sad years，the melancholy years不同于那位古希臘人所描繪的years，而是詩人自己生活的歲月。

5.'ware：aware.

6.a mystic Shape：一個神秘的幽靈。此處暗示詩人早年生活不幸福，而現(xiàn)在又感到一種神秘的力量要把她拖回到當(dāng)年。

7.And a voice said in mastery：一個威嚴(yán)的聲音說。

8.The silver answer rang，—“Not Death，but Love”：詩人以為是死神揪住她的頭發(fā)，把她拖離人世，但是，原來是愛情要讓她恢復(fù)青春；The silver answer和a voice said in mastery恰成對比。

第10首

1.Let temple burn，or flax：Let temple or flax burn，不管是神圣的殿堂，還是平凡的亞麻，都讓它們燒吧！

2.and equal light ... weed：雪松板或雜草，價值不同，但燃燒時的火焰是一樣的。

3.at need：at thy need，in answer to thy urgings，應(yīng)你的要求。

4.I stand transfigured，glorified aright ... thine：此三行意為我一旦說出 “I love thee”，我在你的心目中立刻出現(xiàn)了一種光輝的形象，意識到自己臉上發(fā)出新的光芒射向你的臉上； aright：rightly； conscience：consciousness.

5.when love the lowest：even when the lowest love，此處 love為動詞，主語是the lowest。

6.God accepts：賓語是meanest creatures.

7.what Ifeel，the inferior features ...am ：詩人自慚形穢，認(rèn)為自己容貌平平，但自己的情感熾烈。

8.that great work of Love enhances Nature's：愛情的偉力使大自然給予的容貌變得更加美麗。

第21首

1.thou dost love me：you do love me.

2.a cuckoo song：杜鵲的歌聲，重復(fù)單調(diào)的聲音。

3.never to the hill or plain ... completed：the fresh Spring in all her green completed neven comes to the hill or plain，valley or wood，without her cuckoo strain； strain：曲調(diào)；in all her green completed：通體披上綠裝。

4.thou lovest：you love.

5.roll：（星星的）循環(huán)運行。

6.toll ... iterance：用銀鈴般的噪音再說一遍； silver：表示聲音如銀鈴般清脆，如上面第1首 The silver answer rang。

第43首

1.Let me count the ways：讓我來點數(shù)愛你的各種方式。以下列舉八種I love thee的方式，感情熾烈。

2.feeling out of sight ... Being：groping into infinity to find the purpose of the Universe，在冥冥之中探求宇宙的目標(biāo)； out of sight：在視程之外； the ends of Being：宇宙存在的目的；ideal Grace：理想（上天的）的恩惠。

3.I love thee freely，as men strive for Right：據(jù)惠勒（C.B. Wheeler）注：the efforts of those who are working “to make the crooked straight” are prompted by no outside compulsion，but are the service freely given at the dictates of their own hearts. 意為人們追求正直是出于內(nèi)心自發(fā)的力量，布朗寧夫人的愛情也不是來自任何外力。

4.I love thee purely，as they turn from Praise：愛得純潔，因而不求得到對方的贊揚，不求報酬。

5.with a passion put to use griefs：用我過去悲傷時所發(fā)泄的那種強烈的感情（來愛你）；put to use：使用。此行意為愛情和悲傷的強烈程度是一樣的。

6.I shall but love thee better after death：此行總結(jié)以上八個I love thee，表明布朗寧夫人死而愛情彌堅的強烈感情。