雙語詩歌翻譯|袁枚-《祭妹文》

《祭妹文》是清代文學家袁枚的一篇散文，是中國古代文學史上哀祭散文的珍品。這篇祭文從兄妹之間的親密關(guān)系著眼，選取自己所見、所聞、所夢之事，對妹妹袁機的一生做了繪聲繪色的描述，滲透著濃厚的哀悼、思念以及悔恨的真摯情感。文章記述袁機在家庭生活中扶持奶奶，辦治文墨，寫她明經(jīng)義，諳雅故，表現(xiàn)出妹妹的德能與才華。寫的雖然都是家庭瑣事，卻描述得“如影歷歷”，真切可信。

袁枚 《祭妹文》

乾隆丁亥冬，葬三妹素文于上元之羊山，而奠以文曰：

嗚呼！汝生于浙而葬于斯；離吾鄉(xiāng)七百里矣。當是時雖觭夢幻想；寧知此為歸骨所耶？

汝以一念之貞，遇人仳離，致孤危托落。雖命之所存，天實為之。然而累汝至此者，未嘗非予之過也。予幼從先生授經(jīng)，汝差肩而坐，愛聽古人節(jié)義事；一旦長成，遽躬蹈之。嗚呼！使汝不識詩書，或未必艱貞若是。

余捉蟋蟀，汝奮臂出其間。歲寒蟲僵，同臨其穴。今予殮汝葬汝，而當日之情形，憬然赴目。予九歲憩書齋，汝梳雙髻，披單縑來，溫《緇衣》一章。適先生奓戶入，聞兩童子音瑯瑯然，不覺莞爾，連呼則則。此七月望日事也。汝在九原，當分明記之。予弱冠粵行，汝掎裳悲慟。逾三年，予披宮錦還家，汝從東廂扶案出，一家瞠視而笑；不記語從何起，大概說長安登科，函使報信遲早云爾。凡此瑣瑣，雖為陳跡，然我一日未死，則一日不能忘。舊事填膺，思之凄梗，如影歷歷，逼取便逝?；诋敃r不將嫛婗情狀，羅縷紀存。然而汝已不在人間，則雖年光倒流，兒時可再，而亦無與為證印者矣。

汝之義絕高氏而歸也，堂上阿奶，仗汝扶持；家中文墨，目失汝辦治。嘗謂女流中最少明經(jīng)義，諳雅故者；汝嫂非不婉嫕，而于此微缺然。故自汝歸后，雖為汝悲，實為予喜。予又長汝四歲，或人間長者先亡，可將身后托汝，而不謂汝之先予以去也。前年予病，汝終宵刺探，減一分則喜，增一分則憂。后雖小差，猶尚殗碟，無所娛遣，汝來床前，為說稗官野史可喜可愕之事，聊資一歡。嗚呼！今而后，吾將再病，教從何處呼汝耶!

汝之疾也，予信醫(yī)言無害，遠吊揚州。汝又慮戚吾心，阻人走報；及至綿惙已極，阿媽問望兄歸否？強應曰：“諾”。已予先一日夢汝來訣，心知不詳，飛舟渡江。果予以未時還家，而汝已辰時氣絕。四肢猶溫，一目未瞑，蓋猶忍死待予也。嗚呼痛哉！早知訣汝，則予豈肯遠游？即游，亦尚有幾許心中言，要汝知聞，共汝籌畫也。而今已矣！除吾死外，當無見期；吾又不知何日死，可以見汝；而死后之有知無知，與得見不得見，又卒難明也。然則抱此無涯之憾，天乎，人乎，而竟已乎！

汝之詩，吾已付梓；汝之女，吾已代嫁；汝之生平，吾已作傳；惟汝之窀穸，尚未謀耳。先塋在杭，江廣河深，勢難歸葬，故請母命而寧汝于斯，便祭掃也。其旁葬汝女阿印；其下兩冢，一為阿爺侍者朱氏，一為阿兄侍者陶氏。羊山礦渺，南望原隰，西望棲霞，風雨晨昏，羈魂有伴，當不孤寂。所憐者，吾自戊寅年讀汝哭侄詩后，至今無男，兩女牙牙，生汝死后，才周晬耳。予雖親在未敢言老，而齒危發(fā)禿，暗里自知，知在人間，尚復幾日！阿品遠官河南，亦無子女，九族無可繼者。汝死我葬，我死誰埋？汝倘有靈，可能告我？

嗚呼！身前既不可想，身后又不可知；哭汝既不聞汝言，奠汝又不見汝食。紙灰飛揚，朔風野大，阿兄歸矣，猶屢屢回頭望汝也，嗚呼哀哉！嗚呼哀哉！

Lament for My Younger Sister
Yuan Mei

In the winter of the year Dinghai of the Qianlong period, I buried my third younger sister Suwen on Mount Yangshan of Shangyuan County and consecrated the burial with this threnodical writing:

Alas! You, born in Zhejiang, are buried here, separated from our native place by seven hundred li. Although I like to dream and fancy, how could I know that this world be the burial ground of your remains?

Dictated by your idea of chastity and fidelity, you married an unworthy husband, and having been deserted by him, led a precarious, helpless and lonely life. Destined by fate, it was in fact the handiwork of Providence. But after all, I could hardly avoid the blame for having brought you to this pass. In my childhood I was instructed by my tutor in Confucian scriptures. During the lessons you sat with me shoulder to shoulder, and were fond of listening to the stories about the heroic and righteous martyrdom of the ancients. Having grown up, you hastened to follow their examples. Alas, supposing that you had been ignorant of the scriptures, you might not have carried your chastity and fidelity to such a degree!

Once when I was catching a cricket, you flung your little arms about and helped me gladly with my effort. In the winter the insect became stiff and dead, we buried it in its tiny grave. Now I am laying you out and burying you, the scenes of that day are conjured up vividly before my eyes. One day when I was only nine, I was taking a rest in my study when you came in with your double chignons and in your sateen robe. Then we reviewed the passage of Ziyi in the Book of Odes. At that moment our tutor opened the door and heard us uttering some reading aloud; he could not help smiling and uttering some praises. This happened on the fifteenth of the seventh month and must be fresh in your memory even in the netherworld. When I had come of age and was leaving for Canton, you tugged my dress and showed unfeigned grief. Three years later I returned with a Jinshi rank, and you, leaning on a table, came out of the east chamber. The whole family stared at me and then beamed with a smile. I do not remember whence the conversation began—probably from my obtaining the exalted rank in the capital and the courier's reporting it timely or not. All these trivialities, though things of the past, I shall never forget so long as I am alive. Filled with such recollections, my heart is choked with sorrow. For they are like a shadow which, h