The Exposed Nest
By Robert Frost
You were forever finding some new play.
So when I saw you down on hands and knees
In the meadow, busy with the new-cut hay,
Trying, I thought, to set it up on end,
I went to show you how to make it stay,
If that was your idea, against the breeze,
And, if you asked me, even help pretend
To make it root again and grow afresh.
But it was no make-believe with you today,
Nor was the grass itself your real concern,
Though I found your hand full of wilted fern,
Steel-bright June-grass, and blackening heads of clovers.
It was a nest full of young birds on the ground
The cutter-bar had just gone champing over
(Miraculously without tasking flesh)
And left defenseless to the heat and light.
You wanted to restore them to their right
Of something interposed between their sight
And too much world at once--could means be found.
The way the nest-full every time we stirred
Stood up to us as to a mother-bird
Whose coming home has been to long deferred,
Made me ask would the mother-bird return
And care for them in such a change of scene
And might our meddling make her more afraid.
That was a thing we could not wait to learn.
We saw the risk we took in doing good,
But dared not spare to do the best we could
Though harm should come of it; so built the screen
You had begun, and gave them back their shade.
All this to prove we cared. Why is there then
No more to tell? We turned to other things.
I haven't any memory-—have you?-—
Of ever coming to the place again
To see if the birds lived the first night through,
And so at last to learn to use their wings.
曝 光 的 鸟 巢 覆 巢
罗伯特·弗罗斯特 罗伯特·弗罗斯特
你永远不乏新花样, 嗟尔稚龄,新奇频频
因此发现你手膝附地, 手膝据地,委其茵茵
忙着摆弄新割的干草, 拈草新刈,抚之勤勤
猜想你要让它们站起, 揣汝期期,立之欣欣
我起身告诉你怎样插植, 遂临身畔,示驻坪间
假如你想这样,迎风不倒, 尔思切切,迎风犹坚
假如你让我,哪怕是假装, 纵汝求吾,植而依依
帮它们重新扎根恢复生机, 纵汝乞吾,生而萋萋
今天没有一根能装模作样。 利刃今逢,安得芃芃
其实你的心思不在干草, 蕨拥三叶,六月菁菁
虽然目睹你满手焦尖的三叶草, 风恶同摧,顿失亭亭
枯萎的蕨菜夹着晶亮的六月草, 草虽盈握,意非残英
但你关心的是地上绒雏满巢。 鸟雏坠地,实所萦萦
刚才神奇的切割杆无需人力, 风狂谁纵,席卷巢倾
把它轰然卷起,倾覆在地, 岂知嚣嚣,何需人劳
暴露在光天化日之下毫无遮蔽。 毛茸肤嫩,安敌日焦
你急切地想让小鸟, 尔欲援即,跃跃何施
回归原生态隐现适宜, 观察遮蔽,隐现相宜
这种办法可能找到? 求其若渴,为之安得
我们每次触碰鸟巢, 覆巢每触,情兮泽泽
都惊扰一窝雏鸟争相抗议, 犹自咤叱,稚幼啼啼
鸟妈妈久久盘旋难以回巢, 母恨盘旋,归翼迟迟
唤起我叩问她可会回还, 唤吾长问,侬可归及
在如今变化的环境呵护小鸟? 怜儿护女,陌陌而栖
人们干预可会让她更加惊惶? 父汝所持,或愈惶伊
我们想要知道,刻不容缓。 忧其惴惴,心之何急
发现帮助小鸟的风险, 意出善良,鸟益魂惊
我们不敢倾尽全力, 脉脉难进,未敢横行
担心伤害小鸟,所以你开始 趋利避害,何以相帮
植草结障,还它们一片阴凉。 尔结青障,还其阴凉
我们关爱毕现,可为什么要这样? 关怀毕见,因自何缘
难道再无话可讲?我们还有事要忙。 更谈不待,任事无闲
我丝毫不记得—果真忘记— 此作云烟, 岂乃真言
曾经故地重访, 故地重返,殷殷相探
探望初夜小鸟可曾平安, 置新初夜,是否安详
终于学会展翅飞翔? 往昔绒翅,可堪翱翔
(香格里拉译)
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本诗之难不仅在于作品的理解,还包括诗歌拷贝上传及网络传播过程中出现的版本纰误。为寻找正版,遍搜网络,不见原作,最后只能按照个人理解进行勘误。自认所改应该没有问题,如有失误本人自负。
附诗歌粘贴版:
The Exposed Next
By Robert Frost
You were forever finding some new play.
So when I saw you down on hands and knees I the meadow, busy with the new-cut hay, Trying, I thought, to set it up on end, I went to show you how to make it stay, If that was your idea, against the breeze, And, if you asked me, even help pretend To make it root again and grow afresh. But 'twas no make-believe with you today, Nor was the grass itself your real concern, Though I found your hand full of wilted fern, Steel-bright June-grass, and blackening heads of clovers. 'Twas a nest full of young birds on the ground The cutter-bar had just gone champing over (Miraculously without tasking flesh) And left defenseless to the heat and light. You wanted to restore them to their right Of something interposed between their sight And too much world at once--could means be found. The way the nest-full every time we stirred Stood up to us as to a mother-bird Whose coming home has been too long deferred, Made me ask would the mother-bird return And care for them in such a change of scene And might out meddling make her more afraid. That was a thing we could not wait to learn. We saw the risk we took in doing good, But dared not spare to do the best we could Though harm should come of it; so built the screen You had begun, and gave them back their shade. All this to prove we cared. Why is there then No more to tell? We turned to other things. I haven't any memory-—have you?— Of ever coming to the place again To see if the birds lived the first night through, And so at last to learn to use their wings.
蓝字 1 Next 改为 Nest(巢穴)。意见主贴标题:曝光的鸟巢。
蓝字 2 I 改为 In。In the meadow 意为“在草地里”。
蓝字 3 'twas 改为 it was。But it was no make-believe with you today 意为:但是今天它都无法为你装模作样(假装重新扎根生长)。
蓝字 4 'Twas 改为 It was。It was a nest full of young birds on the ground 意为:(你真正关心的是)地上栖满幼雏的鸟巢。
蓝字 5 out 改为 our。And might our meddling make her more afraid 意为:我们的干预可能使她更加害怕。
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诗歌第一行 You were forever finding some new play 使用的不是普通的过去进行时,be forever / always doing 是表达说话人赞叹,厌烦或责备语气的一种特有结构,意为“永远 / 总是…”。该句表达了诗人对女儿小小年纪却懂得救助小鸟的意外表现的赞叹。意为:你玩耍永远能找到新花样。
诗歌前八行整体上是一句话。第四行的 I thought 是插入语,为便于句子理解,可以将其忽略,本行剩下的 Trying to set it up on end 作的是上一行的 busy 的方式状语。
诗歌第9-12行
But it was no make-believe with you today,
Nor was the grass itself your real concern,
Though I found your hand full of wilted fern,
Steel-bright June-grass, and blackening heads of clovers.
整体为一句话,意为:可是今天它都无法为你装模作样,尽管我发现你手里握满了枯萎的蕨菜,散发着金属般亮晶晶光泽的六月草和焦尖的三叶草,可是这些草本身并不是你的关注所在。那么“你”真正关心的是什么呢?紧接着的诗歌第13-16行
It was a nest full of young birds on the ground
The cutter-bar had just gone champing over
(Miraculously without tasking flesh)
And left defenseless to the heat and light.
给出了答案。这四行整体为一个句子,其中 It 代指第十行的 your real concern(你真正的牵挂)。
具体分析如下:
It was a nest full of young birds on the ground (which) the cutter-bar had just gone
主 句 定 语
(省略了的关系代词,
代替先行词 a nest,在从
句中作champing 的宾语)
champing over and left defenseless to the heat and light.
从 句
意为:你真正关心的是地上刚刚被切割杆轰鸣而过,毫无保护地暴露在阳光和酷暑下的装满幼雏的鸟巢。
诗歌第20-25行
The way the nest-full every time we stirred
Stood up to us as to a mother-bird
Whose coming home has been too long deferred,
Made me ask would the mother-bird return
And care for them in such a change of scene
And might our meddling make her more afraid.
整体是一个复合句。其中 every time we stirred 为时间状语从句,修饰 the nest-full stood up to us,作该句的时间状语,本应位于该句之前或之后,即:every time we stirred the nest-full stood up to us as to a mother-bird whose coming home has been too long deferred 或 the nest-full stood up to us as to a mother-bird whose coming home has been too long deferred every time we stirred,因 we stirred the nest-full 为定语从句,需紧跟其所修饰的先行词 the way, 故不宜将 every
time we stirred 状语从句放在主句 the nest-full stood up to us as to a mother-bird whose coming home has been too long deferred 之前;另一方面,主句 the nest-full stood up to us as to a mother-bird whose coming home has been too long deferred 中所包含的作状语的介词短语 as toa mother-bird whose coming home has been too long deferred 过长,比该主句中作状语的 every time we stirred 从句还长,如果将同为状语的短语和从句并列,根据语法常规,顺序应为短语+从句。因为本句短语比从句更长,二者如按规则并列,就会显得头重脚轻,即前长后短,故该 every time we stirred 从句也不宜位于句末,因此,将该从句插入到主句的主语 the nest-full 之后。这样,该部分的前四行押相同的尾韵。
The way made me ask would the mother-bird return and care for them in such a change of sceneand might our meddling make her more afraid 为整个复合句的主句。该主句部分又包含了两个省略并倒装的宾语从句,即:would the mother-bird return and care for them in such a change of scene和 might our meddling make her more afraid,它们的正常形式分别为:if the mother-bird would return and care for them in such a change of scene 和 if our meddling might make her more
afraid,也就是英语中常见的间接引语形式。因诗歌该部分之前之后都有 if 出现,为避免该词使用过频,所以此处省略,将两个从句变为直接引语,即诗中的形式。
上述句子具体分析如下:
as to a mother-bird whose coming home has been too long deferred
介词 介 宾 (定 语) 从 句
(修饰先行词a mother-bird)
状 语
意为:至于母鸟,长久地被拖延了还家(的时间)。
the nest-full (birds) every time we stirred stood up to us as to a mother-bird whose coming
主 (时间状语从句) 句
home has been too long deferred
意为:我们每一次触碰(鸟窝),满窝的小鸟都起身向我们(抗议),至于母鸟,长久地拖延了
还家(的时间)
The way (that)the nest-full every time we stirred stood up to us as to a mother-bird whose
主 (定 语) 从
(修饰先行词 the way)
coming home has been too long deferred made me ask would the mother-bird return and care
句 句
for them in such a change of scene and might our meddling make her more afraid.
意为:我们每一次触碰(鸟窝),满窝的小鸟都起身向我们(抗议),至于母鸟,长久地拖延了还家(的时间),这种情况使我叩问鸟妈妈是否会回还,在这样变化的环境中照顾小鸟,以及我们的干预是否会令它更加惊恐。
诗歌倒数第 6--10 行
We saw the risk we took in doing good,
But dared not spare to do the best we could
Though harm should come of it; so built the screen
You had begun, and gave them back their shade.
整体为一个句子。其中第一行 We saw the risk we took in doing good 里 we took in doing good 为定语从句,修饰主句的 the risk,该行意为:我们看到做好事所冒的风险。这里的风险指的是诗歌第20-21行
the nest-full every time we stirred
Stood up to us as to a mother-bird
Whose coming home has been too long deferred,
中所说的每次触碰鸟窝,雏鸟都竞相起身向我们抗议,以及母鸟盘旋难落,迟迟不能回还的情况。该部分第三行 Though harm should come of it 未让步状语从句,其中的 it 指代的就是第一行中的the risk,此从句意为:尽管危害应该是由我们帮助小鸟的风险造成的。即我们本来想要帮助小鸟,结果却适得其反,进一步干扰和惊吓了雏鸟和母鸟。
诗歌倒数第六行 Why is there then 为省略句,省略了主语 the screen(立草而成的屏障),见诗歌倒数第八行,故本句完整形式应为: Why is there the screen ? 意为:为什么会出现茅障呢?
诗歌最后四行
I haven't any memory--have you?--
Of ever coming to the place again
To see if the birds lived the first night through,
And so at last to learn to use their wings.
整体为一个句子。其中的第一行实际上是个反义疑问句,即:I haven't any memory,have you?该行以下直到诗歌结束都是由 of … 引出的介词短语作后置定语,修饰反义疑问句中的 any memory,只是定语和中心词之间被反义疑问句的后半部分 have you 隔开。本句意为:我丝毫不记得了,真的不记得了吗?(不记得自己)曾再次回到这个地方,察看小鸟是否安度第一个夜晚,最终学会展翅飞翔?
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