雙語詩歌·孩子們的哭聲

孩子們的哭聲

The Cry of the Children

伊麗莎白·巴瑞特·布朗寧

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

伊麗莎白·巴瑞特·布朗寧（Elizabeth Barrett Browning，1806-1861），英國維多利亞時期有影響的女詩人。她小時天真、活潑，15歲時墜馬受傷，長期臥床。養(yǎng)病期間，她博覽群書，寫作詩歌。1844年，她的詩集出版，獲得成功，成為當(dāng)時著名的詩人。后與布朗寧相識，產(chǎn)生真摯的愛情，秘密結(jié)婚，移居意大利。她的病也因愛情的力量逐漸好轉(zhuǎn)?！镀咸蜒廊耸男性姟肥撬龑懡o丈夫的愛情詩，真摯動人，語言優(yōu)美，才華橫溢。她關(guān)心社會，《孩子們的哭聲》對童工的苦難生活表示極大同情，對資本主義社會發(fā)出強(qiáng)烈抗議。

一

1

你們聽到孩子們在哭泣嗎，我的兄弟？

Do ye hear the children weeping, O my brothers,

他們還沒到發(fā)愁的年歲！

Ere the sorrow comes with years?

他們把幼小的頭兒靠在媽媽的懷里，

They are leaning their young heads against their mothers,

這也止不住他們流淚。

And that cannot stop their tears.

幼小的羔羊在草地上咩咩叫，

The young lambs are bleating in the meadows,

幼小的鳥雀在窩里嘰嘰唱，

The young birds are chirping in the nest,

幼小的鹿在跟影子嬉鬧，

The young fawns are playing with the shadows ,

幼小的花朵正向西方開放——

The young flowers are blowing toward the west—

可是幼小的、幼小的孩子們，我的兄弟呵，

But the young, young children, O my brothers,

他們正在苦苦地哭泣！

They are weeping bitterly !

當(dāng)別的孩子們游戲的時候他們哭泣呵，

They are weeping in the playtime of the others,

在這個屬于自由人的國度里。

In the country of the free.

二

2

你們可曾問問這些傷心的孩子

Do you question the young children in the sorrow

為什么這樣地止不住流淚？

Why their tears are falling so?

老人會為了自己的明天而哭泣——

The old man may weep for his to-morrow

他們的明天遠(yuǎn)不能追回；

Which is lost in Long Ago;

老樹在林子里失落了一身綠葉，

The old tree is leafless in the forest,

老邁的一年結(jié)束在漫天的冰雪，

The old year is ending in the frost,

老傷口受到觸擊疼得最劇烈，

The old wound, if stricken , is the sorest,

老盼著的希望破滅了感到最痛切。

The old hope is hardest to be lost:

可是幼小的，幼小的孩子們，我的兄弟呵，

But the young, young children, O my brothers,

你們不問問他們?yōu)槭裁?/p>

Do you ask them why they stand

在自己媽媽的懷里還這樣苦苦地哭泣呵——

Weeping sore before the bosoms of their mothers,

在我們這個幸福的祖國？

In our happy Fatherland ?

三

3

他們仰望著，雙頰下陷，面色蒼白，

They look up with their pale and sunken faces,

那神態(tài)叫人看了悲傷，

And their looks are sad to see,

因為成年人久積的痛苦已深深刻畫在

For the man's hoary anguish draws and presses

他們童年的面頰之上。

Down the cheeks of infancy ;

他們說：“你們這古老的大地非常陰暗，

Your old earth, they say, "is very dreary,"

我們幼小的腳呵非常虛弱！

Our young feet, they say, "are very weak;

我們只走了幾步，就感到疲倦——

Few paces have we taken, yet are weary—

休息的墓地又太遠(yuǎn)，真難覓得。

Our grave-rest is very far to seek:

去問老人為什么哭泣吧，別問孩子們；

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

墳?zāi)雇饷娴氖澜缣淇幔?/p>

For the outside earth is cold,

我們孩子們站在墓外，困惑不明，

And we young ones stand without, in our bewildering ,

而墳?zāi)怪辉试S老人進(jìn)入?！?/p>

And the graves are for the old."

四

4

孩子們說道：“真的，這完全可能，

True, say the children, "it may happen

時候沒到我們就死亡；

That we die before our time:

小阿麗絲去年死了——她的墳堆成

Little Alice died last year, her grave is shapen

一個雪球，蒙上了白霜。

Like a snowball , in the rime.

我們探望過那準(zhǔn)備埋她的土坑：

We looked into the pit prepared to take her:

粘結(jié)的泥土里沒干活的地方！

Was no room for any work in the close clay!

她躺下安睡了，沒人再把她喚醒，

From the sleep wherein she lieth none will wake her,

叫‘天亮了，阿麗絲趕快起床！’

Crying, 'Get up, little Alice! it is day.'

無論晴天雨天，如果在墳旁

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

你側(cè)耳傾聽，阿麗絲從不哭叫；

With your ear down, little Alice never cries;

如果見到她，一定認(rèn)不出她的模樣，

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

因為她的眼睛里顯出了微笑：

For the smile has time for growing in her eyes:

她過得挺愉快，裹著布，聽教堂的鐘聲

And merry go her moments, lulled and stilled in

給她安寧，為她唱催眠曲！”

The shroud by the kirk chime!

孩子們這樣說，“那將是一件好事情，

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

如果我們早早地死去?！?/p>

That we die before our time.

五

5

可悲呵，可嘆，孩子們！他們在追尋

Alas, alas, the children! they are seeking

生中之死，當(dāng)作最好的慰藉；

Death in life, as best to have:

他們用墳?zāi)估锩娴墓脊o

They are binding up their hearts away from breaking,

自己的心，免得心兒碎裂。

With a ceremen from the grave.

走出去，孩子們，走出礦井和城市吧，

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

唱起來，孩子們，像小畫眉一樣歌唱；

Sing out, children, as the little thrushes do;

大把采摘草地上漂亮的櫻草花吧，

Pluck your handfuls of the meadow-cowslips pretty,

大聲笑，讓櫻草花從指縫里撒到地上！

Laugh aloud, to feel your fingers let them through!

可是他們回答說：“你們草地上的櫻草花

But they answer, "Are your cowslips of the meadows

像不像我們礦井附近的野草？

Like our weeds anear the mine?

讓我們安靜地呆在煤層的陰影下吧，

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

哪管你們的歡樂有多么美好！”

From your pleasures fair and fine!

六

6

“因為呵，”孩子們說，“我們已經(jīng)太累，

For oh, say the children, "we are weary,

沒力氣奔跑也不能蹦跳；

And we cannot run or leap;

要是我們想著草地，那只是因為

If we cared for any meadows, it were merely

可以在那里躺倒，睡覺。

To drop down in them and sleep.

我們彎腰，膝蓋就酸疼發(fā)顫，

Our knees tremble sorely in the stooping,

我們想走，卻撲面摔倒在地上；

We fall upon our faces, trying to go;

在我們沉重下垂的眼皮下面，

And, underneath our heavy eyelids drooping,

最紅的花兒蒼白得像霜雪一樣；

The reddest flower would look as pale as snow;

因為，我們整天吃力地拖運(yùn)重?fù)?dān)，

For, all day, we drag our burden tiring

穿過地下黑暗的煤礦巷道——

Through the coal-dark, underground;

要不，我們就整天在廠房里運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)

Or, all day, we drive the wheels of iron

鐵的輪子，轉(zhuǎn)得沒完沒了。

In the factories, round and round.

七

7

“因為，鐵輪整天轉(zhuǎn)著，隆隆地叫——

For, all day, the wheels are droning, turning, —

卷起的風(fēng)吹向我們的臉，——

Their wind comes in our faces, —

直到我們的心發(fā)慌，頭發(fā)暈，脈搏燃燒，

Till our hearts turn, our heads with pulses burning,

四面的墻壁也在晃動打旋：

And the walls turn in their places:

高窗外茫茫的天空在動蕩搖擺，

Turns the sky in the high window blank and reeling,

射到墻上的長長的光線在搖曳，

Turns the long light that drops adown the wall,

天花板上爬著的黑蒼蠅都轉(zhuǎn)了起來，

Turn the black flies that crawl along the ceiling,

一切都在轉(zhuǎn)，整天轉(zhuǎn)，我們和一切。

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

整天，鐵輪子發(fā)出隆隆的響聲，

And all day, the iron wheels are droning,

有時候我們會這樣祈禱，

And sometimes we could pray,

‘輪子呵！’（我們迸發(fā)出瘋狂的悲鳴）

'O ye wheels.' (breaking out in a mad moaning)

‘停下！安靜一天吧，至少！’”

'Stop! be silent for to-day!'

八

8

是的，安靜！讓他們聽見彼此呼吸，

Ay, be silent! Let them hear each other breathing

哪怕一會兒，一口口氣息相通！

For a moment, mouth to mouth!

讓他們手觸著手，在這少年時期，

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

純潔溫柔的人情水乳交融！

Of their tender human youth!

讓他們感到這里鋼鐵的冷酷運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)

Let them feel that this cold metallic motion

并不是上帝塑造揭示的全部人生：

Is not all the life God fashions or reveals:

讓他們活生生的靈魂表明否定這概念：

Let them prove their living souls against the notion

他們只是在輪子里、輪子下生存！——

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

鋼鐵的輪子依然整天在滾動奔忙，

Still, all day, the iron wheels go onward,

把生活碾得粉碎，落入底層；

Grinding life down from its mark;

孩子們的靈魂呵，盡管上帝召喚向太陽，

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

仍在黑暗中盲目地沖撞不停。

Spin on blindly in the dark.

九

9

我的兄弟呵，請你們囑咐可憐的孩子們

Now tell the poor young children; O my brothers,

抬頭看上帝，向他祈求；

To look up to Him and pray;

慈悲的上帝既然降福給一切別的人，

So the blessed One who blesseth all the others,

也總會給他們降福保佑。

Will bless them another day.

他們回答說，“上帝是誰？鐵輪在滾轉(zhuǎn)，

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

轟響，我們的話他聽得出來？

While the rushing of the iron wheels is stirred?

我們高聲哭訴，可人類從我們身邊

When we sob aloud, the human creatures near us

走過，充耳不聞，根本不理睬。

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

我們聽不見（因為鐵輪在隆隆地響）

And we hear not (for the wheels in their resounding)

陌生人在門邊說什么話語。

Strangers speaking at the door:

那么上帝，既然有天使圍著他歌唱，

Is it likely God, with angels singing round Him,

還能再聽到我們的泣訴？

Hears our weeping any more?

十

10

“禱詞中只有兩個字我們記得，

Two words, indeed, of praying we remember,

在午夜那個兇險的時刻，

And at midnight's hour of harm,

‘父親，’我們在房里輕輕地這樣說，

'Our Father,' looking upward in the chamber ,

像念咒語，我們向上望著。

We say softly for a charm.

除了‘父親’，我們不知道說別的什么，

We know no other words except 'Our Father',

我們想，有時候天使們暫停歌頌，

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

上帝會摘取這兩個字和溫柔的沉默，

God may pluck them with the silence sweet to gather,

把兩者握在他有力的右手掌中。

And hold both within His right hand which is strong.

‘父親！’如果他聽見了，他必定會應(yīng)聲

'Our Father!' If He heard us, He would surely

（因為人們說他慈祥和藹）

(For they call Him good and mild)

帶著真情的微笑，俯視險峻的紅塵：

Answer, smiling down the steep world very purely,

‘孩子，跟我一同休息吧，快來。’

'Come and rest with me, my child.'

十一

11

“但是，不！”孩子們說，哭得更厲害，

But, no!" say the children, weeping faster,

“上帝像石頭一樣不言不語；

He is speechless as a stone:

有人告訴我們，上帝的形象實在

And they tell us, of His image is the master

就是命令我們拼命干活的廠主。

Who commands us to work on.

算了吧！”孩子們說，——“就是在天堂

Go to! say the children, —"up in Heaven,

也只能找到輪子般轉(zhuǎn)動的黑云。

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

別嘲弄我們了；苦難使我們失去了信仰——

Do not mock us; grief has made us unbelieving :

我們仰望上帝，卻已經(jīng)哭瞎了眼睛。”

We look up for God, but tears have made us blind."

哦，我的兄弟呵，你們可聽見孩子們

Do you hear the children weeping and disproving,

在哭泣，在駁詰你們宣講的教義？

O my brothers, what ye preach?

上帝的博愛教人信奉上帝的萬能，

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

這兩者孩子們都不再深信不疑。

And the children doubt of each.

十二

12

在你們面前，孩子們哭泣，這很自然！

And well may the children weep before you!

他們還沒有奔跑就已經(jīng)疲憊；

They are weary ere they run;

他們從沒見過太陽光，更不曾看見

They have never seen the sunshine, nor the glory

比太陽更燦爛的天國光輝。

Which is brighter than the sun.

他們有成人的悲傷，缺乏成人的智力；

They know the grief of man, without its wisdom ;

陷入成人的絕望，沒有成人的鎮(zhèn)靜；

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

是奴隸，沒有基督教世界的自由權(quán)利，

Are slaves, without the liberty in Christdom,

是殉難者，極度痛苦，卻毫無榮名，——

Are martyrs, by the pang without the palm:

仿佛老人耗盡了精力，卻無法回顧，

Are worn as if with age, yet unretrievingly

不能收獲多少回憶的產(chǎn)物，——

The harvest of its memories cannot reap, —

他們是被剝奪了塵世和天堂之愛的遺孤。

Are orphans of the earthly love and heavenly.

讓他們啼哭吧！讓他們啼哭！

Let them weep! let them weep!

十三

13

他們蒼白而凹陷的面孔向上仰視，

They look up with their pale and sunken faces,

那些臉都顯出駭人的模樣，

And their look is dread to see,

他們使你想起他們的守護(hù)天使

For they mind you of their angels in high places,

在天上抬眼向上帝凝望！——

With eyes turned on Deity.

他們說，“殘酷的國家呵，為了推動地球，

How long, they say, "how long, O cruel nation,

你將多久地踏在孩子的心上？

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

還將扼殺孩子的心跳，任鐵蹄馳驟。

Stifle down with a mailed heel its palpitation ,

帶你走向王座，在市場中央？

And tread onward to your throne amid the mart?

我們的鮮血迸濺著！堆積金元的人呵，

Our blood splashes upward, O gold-heaper,

紫衣華袞表明了你們的道路！

And your purple shows your path!

但是靜寂中孩子的哭泣卻詛咒得深呵，

But the child's sob in the silence curses deeper

遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過了壯漢的沖天暴怒。”

Than the strong man in his wrath."