英汉对照|王尔德诗选：沉思录

Theoretikos

This mighty empire hath but feet of clay:

Of all its ancient chivalry and might

Our little island is forsaken quite:

Some enemy hath stolen its crown of bay,

And from its hills that voice hath passed away

Which spake of Freedom: O come out of it,

Come out of it, my Soul, thou art not fit

For this vile traffic-house, where day by day

Wisdom and reverence are sold at mart,

And the rude people rage with ignorant cries

Against an heritage of centuries.

It mars my calm: wherefore in dreams of Art

And loftiest culture I would stand apart,

Neither for God, nor for his enemies.

沉思录

支撑这强大帝国的只是一对泥足：

它不再有古老的骑士精神和强力，

我们小小的岛屿已被全然抛弃：

某个敌人盗走了它港湾的王冠，

在山峦之间呼吁自由的嗓音

已经消逝：哦，摆脱掉它吧，

摆脱掉它，我的灵魂，你并不适合

这卑鄙的交易所，智慧与尊严

日复一日在那里被标上价格拍卖，

粗鄙的民众怒气冲冲，愚昧地叫嚷

反对一份世代相传的祖宗遗产。

这破坏了我的平静：因而关于艺术

关于高雅文化的梦想，我遗世独立，

既不拥戴上帝，也不支持他的敌人。