07 羅伯特·彭斯致埃莉森·貝格比 Robert Burns to Ellison Begbie

羅伯特·彭斯(Robert Burns)

名人檔案

羅伯特·彭斯(1759—1796)，蘇格蘭詩人，自幼受家庭熏陶，熱愛本民族及其古老的傳說。在他的搜集和整理下，蘇格蘭民歌得以大量保存。此外，他自己也嘗試用蘇格蘭方言創(chuàng)作詩歌，其中最著名的有《一朵紅紅的玫瑰》、《致山中雛菊》和《致虱子》等。他的詩歌富有音樂性，多數(shù)歌頌了勞動者之間純樸的友誼和愛情。另外值得一提的是，其創(chuàng)作的蘇格蘭民歌《友誼地久天長》，借由電影《魂斷藍橋》的傳播，已經(jīng)成為全世界人民廣為傳唱的歌謠。

簡介與鑒賞

彭斯給埃莉森小姐寫信，表達自己的愛慕之情，并坦誠自己正陷入愛情的窘境之中，不知道如何下筆。在這封寫給埃莉森小姐的求愛信中，彭斯不是其詩歌中慣常描寫的那種豪放甚至有點魯莽的情人形象，相反，他不知如何恰當(dāng)?shù)乇磉_自己的感情，顯得笨嘴拙腮：“不論是與您相處或坐下來給您寫信，總是很擔(dān)心，前思后想，不知道怎么說、怎么寫。”出現(xiàn)在讀者腦中的是一個窘迫的、小心翼翼的、笨拙得有點可愛的小伙子形象。

面對突如其來的愛情，即便是善于舞文弄墨的文學(xué)家，也難免退化成笨拙訥言。把這封信和彭斯那首著名的《一朵紅紅的玫瑰》對照來讀，讀者自會體會到差異所帶來的趣味：“一朵紅紅的玫瑰。啊，我的愛人像朵紅紅的玫瑰，六月里迎風(fēng)初開。啊，我的愛人像支甜甜的曲子，奏得合拍又和諧。我的好姑娘，多么美麗的人兒！請看我，多么深摯的愛情！親愛的，我永遠愛你……”

英文正文

March 3rd, 1785

Dear Ellison,

I have often thought it a peculiarly1unlucky circumstance2in love, that though in every other situation in life telling the truth is not only the safest, but actually by far the easiest way of proceeding3, a lover is never under greater difficulty in acting, nor ever more puzzled for expression than when his passion is sincere and his intentions honorable.

I do not think that it is very difficult for a person of ordinary capacity to talk of love and fondness4which are not felt, and to make vows of constancy5and fidelity6which are never intended to be performed, if he be villain enough to practice such detestable7conduct; but to a man whose heart glows with the principles of integrity and truth, and who sincerely loves a woman of amiable8person, uncommon refinement of sentiment, and purity of manners, from my own feelings at this present moment, courtship is a task indeed. There is such a number of foreboding fears and distrustful anxieties crowd into my mind when I am in your company, or when I sit down to write to you, that what to speak or what to write I am altogether at a loss.

There is one rule which I have hitherto practised and which I shall invariably keep with you and that is, honestly to tell you the plain truth. There is something so mean and unmanly in the arts of dissimulation9and falsehood10that I am surprised they can be acted by any one in so noble, so generous a passion as virtuous love. No, my dear E., I shall never endeavour to gain your favour by such detestable practices. If you will be so good and so generous as to admit me for your partner, your companion, your bosom friend11through life, there is nothing on this side of eternity shall give me greater transport, but I shall never think of purchasing12your hand by any arts unworthy of a man—and, I will add—of a Christian.

There is one thing, my dear, which I earnestly request of you and it is this, that you should soon either put an end to my hopes by a peremptory13refusal or cure me of my fears by a generous consent14.

It would oblige me much if you would send me a line or two when convenient15. I shall only add further that if a behaviour regulated16(though perhaps but very imperfectly) by the rules of honour and virtue of a heart devoted to love and esteem17you, and an earnest endeavour to promote your happiness—if these are qualities you would wish in a friend, in a husband, I hope you shall ever find them in your real friend and sincere lover.

Robert Burns

經(jīng)典語句

I have often thought it a peculiarly unlucky circumstance in love, that though in every other situation in life telling the truth is not only the safest, but actually by far the easiest way of proceeding, a lover is never under greater dif？ culty in acting, nor ever more puzzled for expression than when his passion is sincere and his intentions honorable.

There is one thing, my dear, which I earnestly request of you and it is this, that you should soon either put an end to my

hopes by a peremptory refusal or cure me of my fears by a generous consent.

單詞/詞組

1 peculiarly⁶adv. 特別；古怪地；奇怪地

2 circumstance⁴n. 環(huán)境，情況；境遇

3 proceeding⁶n. 進行；程序

4 fondness⁶n. 愛好；溺愛

5 constancy⁶n. 堅定不移；恒久不變

6 fidelity⁴n.忠誠

7 detestable⁶adj. 可憎的，可惡的；嫌惡的

8 amiable⁶adj. 和藹可親的，親切的

9 dissimulation⁸n.掩飾；虛偽

10 falsehood⁴n. 說謊；假話；虛偽

11 bosom friend⁶phr.知己；知心朋友；契友

12 purchase⁴vt. 贏得

13 peremptory⁶adj. 強制的；斷然的；專橫的

14 consent⁴n. 同意；(意見等的)一致；贊成

15 convenient⁴adj. 方便的

16 regulate⁴vt. 調(diào)節(jié)，規(guī)定

17 esteem⁴vt. 尊敬；尊重

中文譯文

親愛的埃莉森：

我常常想，陷入愛情的人雖然情深意切，卻不知怎樣用行動來表達愛意。這是情場上才有的尷尬局面。而在其他一些情況下，講真話不僅是明智之舉，而且肯定最能解決麻煩。

我認為，一個普通人，如果存心要做虧心事，也不難口是心非地談?wù)搻矍楹脱瞿剑膊浑y假惺惺地海誓山盟。但對于一個誠實的男人來說，愛上了一位聰慧秀麗、單純可愛的女子，求愛絕不是一件容易的事，現(xiàn)在我就有這種感覺。不論是與您相處或坐下來給您寫信，總是很擔(dān)心，前思后想，不知道怎么說、怎么寫。

我向來遵循一條誠實的準(zhǔn)則，對您也是一樣。說實話，耍弄虛偽和欺騙的伎倆是非常卑劣和怯懦的表現(xiàn)，但居然有人將這種手段用在純潔的愛情這種高尚無私的感情上，實在讓人驚訝。不，我親愛的埃，我永遠不會用這種低劣的手段博得您的歡心。如果您能慷慨地答應(yīng)與我終生為伴，成為朋友或知音，這世上再無其他什么東西更能使我狂喜，但我永遠不會想到用一個男子漢——補充一句——和基督徒不屑一顧的手腕向您求婚。

親愛的，我只求您一件事：要么干脆利落地拒絕，讓我徹底失望；要么慨然答應(yīng)，免得我惶恐不安。

如果您方便親賜只言片語，我將萬分感激。我只想再補充一句，我所做的一切均出自對您的愛慕和尊重，并全身心地愿您更幸福，而且，這顆裝滿榮譽感和美德概念的心支配著我(也許沒有完全支配)——如果這些是您期望一個朋友和丈夫所具有的品質(zhì)，我想您會永遠在您忠實的朋友和真摯的愛慕者身上找到。

羅伯特·彭斯

1785年3月3日