读点好英文:Death, Be Not Proud 死神，休得狂妄

Death, Be Not Proud 死神，休得狂妄

John Donne

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so；

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be，

Much pleasure；then from thee much more must flow，

And soonest our best men with thee do go，

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men，

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dweII，

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke；why swell'st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more；Death, thou shalt die.

死神，休得狂妄

约翰·邓恩

死神，你休得狂妄，尽管有人说你

如何强大，如何可怕，你并不是这样；

你以为你把谁打倒了，其实，

可怜的死神，他们没死；你现在也还杀不死我。

休息、睡眠，这些不过是你的写照，

既能给人享受，那你本人提供的一定更多；

我们最美好的人随你去得越早，

越能早日获得身体的休息，灵魂的解脱。

你是命运、机会、君主、亡命徒的奴隶，

你和毒药、战争、疾病同住在一起，

鸦片和咒符和你的打击相比，同样，

甚至更能催我入睡；那你何必趾高气扬呢？

睡了一小觉之后，我们便永远觉醒了，

再也不会有死亡，你死神也将死去。

实战提升

背景知识

约翰·邓恩（John Donne），英国著名诗人、牧师。他的作品中显示出了现实和感性的风格，包括十四行诗、爱情诗、宗教诗、警句、挽歌、歌曲、讽刺和说教。

这首诗选自约翰·邓恩的《神圣十四行诗》。死亡对诗人来说仅仅意味着休憩和睡眠，意味着灵魂的解脱。在他的心中，死神是“命运、机会、君主和亡命徒的奴隶”，死神和罪恶同居在一起，死神也总有死亡的那一天。所以，诗人对死神极为蔑视，也表达了自己对死亡毫不畏惧的心态。

单词注解

thou[θau]【古】汝，尔，你

desperate['despərit]危急的；绝望的

dweII[dwel]居住，住

名句诵读

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so；For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure；then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

One short sleep past, we wake eternally And death shall be no more；Death, thou shalt die.