本帖最后由 香格里拉 于 2016-1-5 12:15 编辑
Christmas Trees 圣 诞 树
By Robert Frost 罗伯特·弗罗斯特
(A Christmas Circular Letter) (一封圣诞来函)
The city had withdrawn into itself 城市没入自我
And left at last the country to the country; 乡间一路掠过
When between whirls of snow not come to lie 阵雪飘旋不息
And whirls of foliage not yet laid, there drove 簇叶拥飞未已,庭院赶来
A stranger to our yard, who looked the city, 陌生来客,城市模样
Yet did in country fashion in that there 乡村做派
He sat and waited till he drew us out 静坐那里一直等到我们
A- buttoning coats to ask him who he was. 打开衣扣严谨的外套问他是谁
He proved to be the city come again 他再次表明城市光临
To look for something it had left behind 寻找遗落的东西
And could not do without and keep its Christmas. 没有它无法筹备圣诞
He asked if I would sell my Christmas trees; 他询问我是否愿意出售圣诞树
My woods—the young fir balsams like a place 我的嘉树—年轻的冷杉宛如
Where houses all are churches and have spires. 房屋,座座都是塔顶的教堂
I hadn’t thought of them as Christmas Trees. 我从未视它们为圣诞树
I doubt if I was tempted for a moment 怀疑自己一时受到诱惑
To sell them off their feet to go in cars 齐根斩断它们装到车上售出
And leave the slope behind the house all bare 留下房后坡地一片光秃
Where the sun shines now no warmer than the moon. 此时那里阳光仿佛月光没有温暖
I’d hate to have them know it if I was 我不愿它们知晓,倘若果真动摇
Yet more I’d hate to hold my trees except 更不愿固守我的冷杉超出生长期
As others hold theirs or refuse for them, 拒绝它们接受
Beyond the time of profitable growth, 所有事物必经的行情检验
The trial by market everything must come to. 除非别人坚守
I dallied so much with the thought of selling. 我这般迟疑是否出售
Then whether from mistken courtesy 然后不管因为滥施好意
And fear of seeming short of speech, or whether 担心不善表达,还是
From hope of hearing good of what was mine, 希望我的嘉树卖个好价
I said, “There aren’t enough to be worth while.” 我说:“树不够卖。”
“I could soon tell how many they would cut. “一会儿我知道砍多少,
You let me look them over.” 你先让我看看树。”
“You could look. “你可以看,
But don’t expect I’m going to let you have them.” 不过不要指望我会卖给你。”
Pasture they spring in, some in clumps too close 它们矗立在牧场,有些扎堆挤在一处
That lop each other of boughs, but not a few 相互约束,然而很多
Quite solitary and having equal boughs 形只影单缀满匀称的青枝
All round and round. The latter he nodded “Yes” to, 环环相托。他面对孤杉颔首
Or paused to say beneath some lovelier one, 或者停在更美的树下
With a buyer’s moderation, “That would do.” 以买主口气平和地说:“这样就行。”
I thought so too, but wasn’t there to say so. 我也赞同,只是在那没有说出
We climbed the pasture on the south, crossed over, 越过南侧牧场,我们一路横穿
And came down on the north. 来到北面
He said, “A thousand.” 他说:“一千棵。”
“A thousand Christmas trees!—at what apiece?” “一千棵圣诞树!— 多少钱一棵?”
He felt some need of softening that to me, 他觉得语气需要和缓:
“A thousand trees would come to thirty dollars.” “一千棵三十美元。”
Then I was certain I had never meant 我再也不想
To let him have them. Never show surprise! 卖给他。别惊奇
But thirty dollars seemed so small beside 三十美元与这片我要砍光的牧场相比
The extent of pasture I should strip, three cents 显得少得可怜,三美分
(For that was all they figured out apiece), (那就是他们计算的每棵价钱)
Three cents so small beside the dollar friends 比之美元朋友,三美分少得可怜
I should be writing to within the hour 不出一小时我就致信他们
Would pay in cities for good trees like those, 城里能买到这样
Regular vestry-trees whole Sunday Schools 整个主日学校祈祷室
Could hang enough on to pick off enough. 尽情绽放更新的好树?
A thousand Christmas trees I didn’t know I had! 想不到我有一千棵圣诞树
Worth three cents more to give away than sell, 值三美分不如赠送
As may be shown by a simple calculation. 简单计算就能明了
Too bad I couldn’t lay one in a letter 真糟糕信里装不下
I can’t help wishing I could send you one, 多希望能送你一棵
In wishing you herewith a Merry Christmas. 顺便祝你圣诞快乐
(香格里拉译)
|