这首诗是莎士比亚的著名悲剧 《哈姆雷特》（中文曾译为：王子复仇记）中王子哈姆雷特在复仇前的一段独白，表达了哈姆雷特内心的彷徨，纷乱以及复仇的决心：
《哈姆雷特》（原作莎士比亚--绿岛阳光译）
为？还是不为？
犹豫，困惑，夜不能寐。
明知将面对明枪与暗箭
还是要勇敢地面对！
虽然会被讥笑为螳臂挡车
但无私者永远无畏！
为了正义被唤醒，
为了理想的纯粹！
死亡何足惜？
权当作又一次入睡！
生命的终结
或许仅仅是梦醒晨归？
怎能在这黑暗天地中
屈辱地偷生？
忍受着爱和理的弯曲
和法律的无声？
虽然对天国一无知晓
虽然对死亡恐惧有更
为了纠正尘世的种种烦恼
为真理而战死亡将是永恒！
决断前难免思前虑后
软弱和迟疑是懦夫的心情？
啊上帝！请您宽恕一切“为”，
或“不为”而带来的罪名！
莎士比亚原文：
HAMLET
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear
To grunt and sweat under a weary life
But that the dread of something after death
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action. - Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.
这是绿岛在另一诗坛交老师布置的作业。沙翁的英文诗太古典，绿岛读得腾云驾雾，所以就腾云驾雾地翻了出来，呵呵。
| 木桐白云 (2013-08-21 09:06:24) |
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文轩组织过大家同译莎翁一首诗，也是热闹了一阵子，http://www.overseaswindow.com/node/9514 |
| 雨林 (2013-08-21 16:57:32) |
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To be, or not to be: that is the question. 人世间的一切难题，好像都在莎翁的这个句子里。 |
| 抱峰 (2013-08-21 20:59:20) |
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想不到我们的同胞英汉水准达到了这样的地步.那末,汉译英的水准也该不错了.祝贺,问安! |
| 琴韵 (2013-08-21 23:36:37) |
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非常喜欢这个翻译。汤安在华博也有一首翻译，风格各异。 |
| 天地一弘 (2013-08-22 13:18:44) |
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上帝！请您宽恕一切“为”， 或“不为”而带来的罪名！ 只是，我想上帝会宽恕吗？ |
| 绿岛阳光 (2013-08-24 12:09:27) |
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木桐君好。我刚来文轩时看到了，但那首沙翁写给其同性恋人的情诗绿岛找不到感觉，呵呵。 |
| 绿岛阳光 (2013-08-24 12:12:36) |
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雨林说得对！这句是放之四海而皆准的经典问题，包含了人类的一切困惑和艰难选择，呵呵。 |
| 绿岛阳光 (2013-08-24 12:16:58) |
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抱峰君好！您谬赞啦！绿岛的英文其实是很差强人意，呵呵。汉译英对绿岛来说就艰难了。唯一的一首是译朋友的诗作，等那天绿岛一勇敢给贴出来，让大家拍砖，呵呵。多谢抱峰君来访留言鼓励！ |
| 绿岛阳光 (2013-08-24 12:19:35) |
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琴总裁MM好，很高兴您喜欢绿岛的这首很“革命”的译诗，呵呵。下星期龙乡开门，琴总您一定要回来哈！ |
| 绿岛阳光 (2013-08-24 12:22:40) |
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一弘好！您的问题很难回答，呵呵。不过绿岛想，如果是真正的上帝，是一定会宽恕勇士为了民众和正义而“为”所带来的一切罪名的！ |
| panda11 (2013-08-26 17:04:53) |
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欣赏绿岛君的翻译。我唯独觉得 “to be or not to be” 译成“为，还是不为” 不够好。原诗的意思应该更接近 “to live, or to die” 吧？个见。。。 |
| 绿岛阳光 (2013-08-27 14:17:07) |
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熊猫国宝MM好！多谢您来访留言雅评！“to be or not to be" 有人译为”生存，或是毁灭“。绿岛以为，这里表达的是哈姆雷特是在复仇前内心的矛盾，因为他面对的是：”不为”---苟且偷生---生存？还是”为“---复仇---毁灭！最后，他选择了后者！ |