好的诗歌就是诗人用文字构成的意境（意象）、节奏和韵律真挚地表现自己的情绪。其中节奏、韵律是诗歌有别于小说和散文的独有特征。
诗歌、小说和散文里的意境达到绘画的效果，而节奏和韵律达到音乐的效果。
埃德加 爱伦 坡的《乌鸦》一诗是欣赏和学习英诗音乐美的最佳范本之一。
欣赏者本人亲自翻译原著是欣赏和学习的最好方法。
此诗韵律用的是扬抑格，是八部格、七步格和四部格的混合体，韵脚是AA，B，CC，CB，B，B (包括腹韵)。
此诗的发表使爱伦 坡一夜成名。但同时代及其后来的评论对其褒贬不一。译者朗读后的感觉是，诗人自己营造的低回往复音乐感， 产生一种催眠效果，或者就是诗中提到的忘忧水的效果。诗人用了数年时间润色这首诗，润色的过程就是制造和啜饮这种忘忧水的过程啊。
The Raven
乌鸦
By Edgar Allan Poe
作者： 埃德加 爱伦 坡
翻译： 秋子树
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore —
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door —
Only this and nothing more."
午夜沉闷，我独自思忖，黯然伤神，
思忖着许多被人忘却的知识学问 –
正当我要昏昏入睡，传来一阵轻敲，
像有人轻轻地、轻轻地在敲我的房门。
“有人来访，”我嘟囔着，“在敲我的房门 –
仅此而已，别无他人。”
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; — vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow — sorrow for the lost Lenore —
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore —
Nameless here for evermore.
啊，我记得清楚 那十二月份的凄楚；
余火欲休，化成地板上的魅影。
我盼着天亮；-- 我已徒劳地想借书本释放
我的悲伤 – 悲伤我的丽诺尔爱人
天使们称她为丽诺尔的少女，光艳绝伦 –
如今飘然而逝，无声无闻。
And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me — filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
"'Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door —
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door; —
This it is and nothing more."
丝质窗帘紫色，惨戚之声瑟瑟
我一脸疑惑 – 从未有过的恐惧流遍周身；
为了平息我的恐惧，我站起来不断自语
“有人拜访想进屋，所以敲我门 –
迟到的来访者想进屋，所以敲我门； –
仅此而已，别无他人。”
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you" — here I opened wide the door; ——
Darkness there and nothing more.
不久我不再迟疑，心里有了底气，
“先生”我说，“或夫人，请你千万别多心；
我刚才已有睡意，而你的敲声又那样细，
模糊不清地轻叩，轻叩我的门，--
我几乎听不到你的敲门声” --于是我打开门；--
外面一遍黑，五指都不分。
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!" —
Merely this and nothing more.
黑暗深深望不尽，我伫立着胆战又心惊，
惶恐中坠入那凡人不敢想象的梦境；
仍是死一般的寂，莫名其妙的静，
“丽诺尔？”我自己的窃窃私语是唯一的声音，
然后就是一声“丽诺尔！”长长的回音。
仅此而已，再无他声。
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore —
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
'Tis the wind and nothing more!"
掉转头，回房间，我燃烧的灵魂冒火焰，
拍打之声又再现，比先前大一点的拍打声。
“肯定，”我说，“我敢肯定，有谁在拍打我的窗棂；
我要醒醒神看个究竟，这到底是什么声音 –
我要定下心弄个究竟，这到底是什么声音 –
是风而已，别无他声！”
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door —
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door —
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
我猛地推开窗，听到扑棱一阵响，
一只乌鸦，相貌奇古，堂而皇之走进门；
对我不恭亦不敬，只是来回走不停；
立在门上方，像淑女般展风韵 –
立在门上方的一尊胸像上，那是帕拉斯女神 –
然后坐下来，不动不出声。
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore —
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."
因为它肃穆满脸，神态庄严，
黑檀木似的鸟使我想笑出声，
“虽然你的头秃了，顶露了，”我说，“你绝对不是平常鸟，
这样的冷酷、古渺，你一定逍遥飞自夜之滨 –
告诉我，在那黑暗的冥王之岸你叫什么名？”
乌鸦回答：“永无再生。”
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning — little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door —
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."
我好诧异，丑陋的乌鸦说得如此清晰，
尽管它的回答没啥意义，且不对上文；
我们不得不同意，没有谁
有这样的好运气，看到鸟立在他的房门 –
立在他房门的雕像上，那尊智慧女神，
并声称自己是“永无再生。”
But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered — not a feather then he fluttered —
Till I scarcely more than muttered "Other friends have flown before —
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said "Nevermore."
半身像显得平静，上面的乌鸦孤零零，
说了仅一个词，就好像吐露出他的整个灵魂。
没有再吐一言 – 连羽毛也没再抖落一片 –
直到我低声抱怨：“以前曾有其他朋友飞来的踪影 –
次日又飞离，像飞去的希望踪影。”
于是乌鸦说“永无再生。”
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore —
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never — nevermore'."
我惊愕已打破的寂静，被这恰如其分的回应，
“毫无疑问，”我说，“这个词，它唯一的拿手本领，
来自它某个倒霉的主人，主人命运乖蹇
厄运连连，最后变成他的歌声 –
直到他魂归西天，成为他希望的挽歌声
“永无 – 永无再生！”
But the Raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore —
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
乌鸦让我苦脸转笑颜，
我挪张软椅在他和门边胸像前；
坐进绒椅，我冥思又苦虑
浮想连绵，苦虑这凶兆鸟为何发此声—
这又凶又笨、阴森憔悴的凶兆鸟为何发此声
为何呱呱叫“永无再生”？
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
我这样坐着揣度着，但一句话也没说
鸟的双眼里有燃烧的火焰烧到了我的胸中；
就这样我更多地推测，我的头舒服地斜躺在一侧
灯光心满意足地照射，我斜躺在天鹅绒椅垫，
但是有灯光浸染的紫罗兰天鹅绒椅垫
她还会躺吗？啊，永无再生！
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee — by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite — respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."
这时，空气变得稠密，有无形的香炉散发着香气
提着香炉的六翼天使，走在植绒的地板上发出环佩声。
“可怜人啊，”我喊道，“是上帝让天使派遣你
送来镇痛药 – 镇痛药和忘忧水，忘掉失去丽诺尔的悲情；
痛饮，啊痛饮这忘忧水，好忘掉失去丽诺尔的悲情！”
乌鸦回应“永无再生。”
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! — prophet still, if bird or devil! —
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted —
On this home by Horror haunted — tell me truly, I implore —
Is there — is there balm in Gilead? — tell me — tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."
“先知！”我说，“罪恶！—你仍是先知，无论是鸟是魔！--
不论你是撒旦派来的，还是被暴风雨冲上了海滨，
孑孓相吊而无畏，流连荒地如着魅 –
在这鬼影憧憧的屋内 – 如实告诉我， 我恳请--
基列那里有忘忧水吗？-- 告诉我 – 我恳请！”
乌鸦回答：“永无再生。”
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! — prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us — by that God we both adore —
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore —
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."
“先知！”我说，“罪恶！—你仍是先知，无论是鸟是魔！
看在我们头顶的天庭，看在我们共同仰慕的神，
说说这悲伤纠集的魂 是否在遥远的伊甸，
它会抱紧一位圣女，丽诺尔是天使给她取的名 –
抱紧丽诺尔，天使这样称她，光艳绝伦。”
乌鸦回答：“永无再生。”
"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting —
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! — quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."
“是鸟是魔？就用你那话作为告别词！”我站起来尖叫，力竭声嘶 –
“马上给我滚到暴风雨中去，滚回到黑暗的冥界之滨！
半片羽毛都别留，那是你灵魂说谎的外露！
别打断我的孤独！-- 离开我的胸像，我的房门！
别再啄我的心，快飞离我的胸像，我的房门！”
乌鸦说：“永无再生。”
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted — nevermore!
乌鸦仍收紧双翅，呆坐如斯，呆坐如斯
在惨白的帕拉斯胸像上，在我的房门；
他双眼露出凶相，像魔鬼的模样，
如水泻地的灯光下是他的阴影；
浮在地板上的阴影，阴影覆盖着我的魂灵
覆盖着 – 永无再生！
附：原文和评价链接http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raven
| 听雨潇潇 (2011-12-19 09:15:45) |
|
欣赏！ |
| 天地一弘 (2011-12-19 11:40:41) |
|
影的告别！ |
| 飘尘永魂 (2011-12-20 00:19:57) |
|
谢谢分享，跟着学习。 |