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賞析朗費羅的《我逝去的青春》
賞析朗費羅的《我逝去的青春》 [摘要]本文扼要介紹朗費羅生平,賞析了他著名的短詩《我逝去的青春》。在詩中朗氏回憶了故鄉(xiāng)波特蘭市和在那里度過的少年時光,往事歷歷在目,夢縈魂繞的故鄉(xiāng)舊時情景躍然紙上,詩人渴望自由與充滿幻想的青春在腦際回蕩;在青少年時代的夢想和愿望中找到了逝去的青春。本文除了將英文詩漢譯外,還分析了英詩各小節(jié)的藝術(shù)特色。
[關(guān)鍵詞] 朗費羅 逝去的青春 少年
亨利?沃茲沃斯?朗費羅 (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow),1807年2月 22日生于美國緬因州波特蘭市(Portland)一個幸福的律師家庭,1882年3月24日卒于馬薩諸塞州劍橋市(Cambridge),是美國十九世紀最著名的浪漫主義詩人。倫敦威斯敏斯特教堂詩人之角安放了他的胸像,他是獲得這種尊榮的第一位美國詩人。
1849年,已人到中年的詩人喪失了父親,次年又失去了兄長,1851年母親離世。1854年他辭去教授職位,專事文學創(chuàng)作。1846年詩人曾經(jīng)重回故里,后來回憶說他曾漫步于曼喬伊山(Munjoy’s hill),徜徉于海邊的勞倫斯堡壘(Fort Lawrence),他匍匐在一個射擊孔上,聆聽著腳下波濤輕輕拍打著海岸的聲音。在這風和日麗的下午,港灣里片片白帆來往穿梭。詩人沉浸在這座古堡里,有意要把故鄉(xiāng)寫進詩里,因無人曾經(jīng)寫過,但是這愿望直到1855年3月29日在劍橋鎮(zhèn)的家中才實現(xiàn)。他在日記中寫到“一天的辛勞,圍在火旁;入夜后,當我躺在床上,一首記憶中的波特蘭—我的故鄉(xiāng)—一座美麗的海濱城市的詩涌現(xiàn)于腦際�！痹娭�48歲的詩人回憶了波特蘭和在那里度過的少年時光,往事歷歷在目,夢縈魂繞的故鄉(xiāng)舊時情景躍然紙上,詩人渴望自由與充滿幻想的青春在腦際回蕩。在青少年時代的夢想和愿望中找到了逝去的青春。該詩最早發(fā)表于1855年8月的《匍南月刊》(Putnam’s Monthly Magazine)第六期,后來又收錄并重發(fā)表于《邁爾斯?斯坦狄什的求婚》(The Courtship of Miles Standish, 1858)。
全詩共有十節(jié),每節(jié)有九行,詩歌押韻工整,韻式為abaabcdde,充滿了樂感,讀來朗朗上口;每節(jié)詩以一首拉普蘭歌曲中的副歌結(jié)尾“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長”,更突出強調(diào)了青少年時代的詩人對生活和未來充滿憧憬與幻想、渴望無拘無束、毫無羈絆的自由。正如他所說的那樣,詩歌的目的就是要給人以快感和美感,要創(chuàng)造一個超越現(xiàn)實生活的理想世界。
在《我逝去的青春》中,詩人達到了這個目標。以下是該詩的英詩全文,筆者把它翻譯成中文,并進行逐節(jié)賞析,以饗讀者。
My Lost Youth《我逝去的青春》
Often I think of the beautiful town那美麗的小城常讓我懷想
That is seated by the sea;它就座落在大海邊上;
Often in thought go up and down多少次,我神游于故鄉(xiāng)
The pleasant streets of that dear old town,那些可愛的街衢,
And my youth comes back to me.儼然又回到了年少的時光。
And a verse of a Lapland song那首拉普蘭歌曲的詩句,
Is haunting my memory still:一直在我記憶里回蕩:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長。”
【評注】在首節(jié)中,詩人告訴讀者故土難忘,那里曾留下青春的足跡,濃濃的鄉(xiāng)情時�？M繞心扉。最后兩行疊句是詩人把John Scheffer的《拉普蘭的歷史》(The History of Laplan,1674)中的詩句改編過來:“A youth’s desire is the desire of the wind,/All his essaies/Are long delaies,/No issue can they find(青年的愿望就是風的愿望,他所有的愿望被長久拖延,總難實現(xiàn))。”改編之后仍然沿用該隱喻或暗喻(metaphor),但是增加了首字母韻(alliteration)“w”,更富有樂感。
I can see the shadowy lines of its trees,
我望見排排蔥蘢的樹木,
And catch, in sudden gleams,
還瞥見了遠處環(huán)抱的海洋,
The sheen of the far-surrounding seas,
發(fā)出的閃閃波光,
And islands that were the Hesperides
那些島嶼,就像是極樂仙境,
Of all my boyish dreams.
增添我多少童年夢想!
And the burden of that old song,
那首古老歌曲的復(fù)調(diào)
It murmurs and whispers still:
依舊在耳邊喃喃吟唱:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長�！�
【評注】本節(jié)書寫了詩人少年時記憶中的故鄉(xiāng)風景,表現(xiàn)詩人充滿浪漫幻想�！皹O樂仙境”(the Hesperides)是希臘神話中,吃后能使人長生不老的金蘋果生長的地方。第七行中“it murmurs and whispers still”是擬人修辭手法,“it”指上一行中的 “the burden of that old song”。
I remember the black wharves and the slips,
我記得烏黑的碼頭和船臺,And the sea-tides tossing free;
海上恣意奔騰的波浪;
And Spanish sailors with bearded lips,
滿嘴胡須的西班牙水手,
And the beauty and mystery of the ships,
一艘艘船舶的壯麗與神奇,
And the magic of the sea.
茫茫大海迷人的魔力。
And the voice of that wayward song
那縈回不去的執(zhí)拗歌聲
Is singing and saying still:
仍然在又講又唱:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長�！�
【評注】該節(jié)反映了波特蘭作為國際海港的一面,輪船與大海在少年詩人稚嫩的心靈里充滿神奇與磁力。第六至七行中“the voice of that wayward song/ Is singing and saying still”
是擬人修辭手法。
I remember the bulwarks by the shore,
我記得岸邊的防御工事,
And the fort upon the hill;
記得山頭聳立的碉樓;
The sunrise gun, with its hollow roar,
朝陽的大炮隆隆怒吼,
The drum-beat repeated o'er and o'er,
鼙鼓喧天響不休,
And the bugle wild and shrill.
號角激昂銳利地吹奏。
And the music of that old song
那首老歌的悠揚曲調(diào)
Throbs in my memory still:
依然跳動在我的心頭:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長。”
【評注】在歷史上波特蘭曾幾經(jīng)戰(zhàn)火洗禮,在1812-1815年的英美戰(zhàn)爭中,1813年在該市附近海域,美國的“企業(yè)”號與英國的“拳擊師”號戰(zhàn)艦發(fā)生激戰(zhàn),雙方艦長均陣亡,后并排葬于曼喬伊山公墓;該市至今仍存有戰(zhàn)場部分遺跡。后一節(jié)里的海戰(zhàn)就指本次戰(zhàn)役。第六至七行中“the music of that old song / Throbs in my memory still”采用了擬人修辭手法。
I remember the sea-fight far away,
我記得那次遠處的海戰(zhàn),
How it thundered o’er the tide!
炮聲在滾滾海浪上震蕩;
And the dead captains, as they lay
兩位犧牲的艦長,在墓中安躺,
In their graves, o’erlooking the tranquil bay,
俯看著寧靜的海灣Where they in battle died.
那就是他們戰(zhàn)死的沙場。
And the sound of that mournful song
那哀怨的歌聲,
Goes through me with a thrill:
震顫我的心房: “A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長�！�
I can see the breezy dome of groves,
我看見微風里搖曳的樹林,
The shadows of Deering’s Woods;
熟悉的婆娑樹影;
And the friendships old and the early loves
舊日的友誼,早年的戀情Come back with a Sabbath sound, as of doves
以安適的聲音回到我心靈,
In quiet neighborhoods.
宛如幽靜鄰里的鴿鳴。
And the verse of that sweet old song,
那老歌的甜美詩句
It flutters and murmurs still:
依稀在顫動和低語不停:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長�！�
【評注】“Deering’s Woods” 是波特蘭市的一處森林公園名稱,詩人青少年時代曾常去那里玩耍,因此筆者把它意譯為“熟悉的”�！癝abbath”?本指“安息日或主日”,此處為借代或轉(zhuǎn)喻(metonymy),意指“安祥、寧靜”�！癆nd the friendships old and the early loves /Come back…as of doves/ In …”中的 “as of doves”是“半明喻(semi-simile),”為“友愛、如影隨形、難舍難分”之意。第六至七行中“the verse of that sweet old song, / It flutters and murmurs still ”采用了擬人修辭手法。
I remember the gleams and glooms that dart
我記得絲絲的亮光和暗影Across the school-boy’s brain;
閃過我稚嫩的心靈;
The song and the silence in the heart,
心底蘊藏的歌聲和寂靜,
That in part are prophecies, and in part
有幾分是預(yù)言,還有幾分Are longings wild and vain.
是狂熱而又虛幻的渴望。
And the voice of that fitful song
聽啊,那起伏不定的歌聲
Sings on, and is never still:
繼續(xù)唱著,總不平靜:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長�！�
【評注】第一行中的“gleams and glooms”該兩詞既押首韻又押尾韻,語義形成對照,意為“高興和沮喪”。第三行中兩個“part”和“prophecies”形成首字母韻(“p”)。第六至七行中“the voice of that fitful song,/Sings on,…”用了擬人修辭手法。
There are things of which I may not speak;
有一些情景我不能傾訴;
There are dreams that cannot die;
有一些夢想永不會泯滅;
There are thoughts that make the strong heart weak,
有一些心思,使堅強心靈疲弱,
And bring a pallor into the cheek,
使臉色蒼白,And a mist before the eye.
使眼睛如臨薄霧。
And the words of that fatal song
那句不祥的歌詞好像
Come over me like a chill:
一個寒顫襲過全身:“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長。”
【評注】第五行中的 “mist before the eye(眼前的薄霧)”是隱喻,暗指哭泣或傷心的淚水。第七行中的“l(fā)ike a chill”是明喻,把“the words of that fatal song(那句不祥的歌詞)”比作“(chill)寒顫”。
Strange to me now are the forms I meet
當重返我親愛的古城,When I visit the dear old town;
眼前的景象已這般陌生;
But the native air is pure and sweet,
但故鄉(xiāng)的空氣甘美而純凈,
And the trees that o’ershadow each well-known street,
熟識的街衢灑滿了樹影,As they balance up and down,
樹木輕盈搖曳,
Are singing the beautiful song,
正在唱著那美妙的歌聲,
Are sighing and whispering still:
正在低聲嘆息和耳語:“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長�！�
【評注】第四至七行中“the trees…/Are singing…,/ Are sighing and whispering”是擬人修辭手法。
And Deering’s Woods are fresh and fair,
故鄉(xiāng)的森林清新而秀麗;
And with joy that is almost pain
懷著近乎痛苦的歡喜,
My heart goes back to wander there,
我的心在那游歷;
And among the dreams of the days that were,
在重溫的繽紛舊夢里,I find my lost youth again.
我又覓回逝去的青春。
And the strange and beautiful song,
樹林還在吟唱
The groves are repeating it still:
那奇異而又迷人的歌聲:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.”
青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長�！�
【評注】第二行中 “…joy that is almost pain”采用了“矛盾修飾法(paradox)”,第六至七行中“the strange and beautiful song,/The groves are repeating it still ”采用了擬人修辭手法。
“少年的愿望就是風的愿望,青春的遐想是多么悠長悠長”在詩中被重復(fù)了十次,那風的愿望究竟是什么?在世界各地的風都應(yīng)有這樣的共性吧:任意性,來無影去無蹤,無人能擋,無人能捕捉。青春——一個火辣辣的字眼;青春年少,激情有余,理性不足,常如脫韁的野馬,與風的本性不也有驚人的相似嗎?古今中外的青春不就是這樣!
參考文獻:
[1]常耀信.美國文學史(上冊)[M].天津:南開大學出版社,1998.386-395.
[2] Hart,JamesD.,Phillip W.Leinigger,ed.The Oxford Companion to American Literature.Beijing:Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press,2005.455.
[3]吳偉仁.美國文學史與選讀[M].北京:外語教學與研究出版社,1990.258.
[4] Gottesman,Ronald,et al.The Norton Anthology of American Literature.New York: W.W.Norton & Company,Inc.,1979.1173.
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