双语诗歌·叹息之桥

叹息之桥

The Bridge of Sighs

托玛斯·胡德

Thomas Hood

托玛斯·胡德（Thomas Hood，1799-1845），英国诗人、幽默作家。他一生多病，生活贫困，这使他接触到下层人民，对劳动者和社会地位低下的人们产生同情。《衬衫之歌》、《叹息之桥》、《劳动者之歌》等是他的代表作，对英国资本主义社会可怕的不公正状况进行了严肃的抗议。《叹息之桥》写一个沉沦风尘的少女被社会逼得走投无路，终至跳河自杀。胡德在诗中对她充满人道主义的同情，对社会进行悲愤的控诉，诗中感情真挚而深沉，韵律凄切动人。

又一个人呵，不幸的，

One more Unfortunate

厌倦了呼吸，

Weary of breath,

轻率而又任性地

Rashly importunate,

走向灭寂！

Gone to her death!

轻轻地抬她上来，

Take her up tenderly,

小心地把她举起；

Lift her with care;

这样窈窕的身材，

Fashion'd so slenderly ,

又这样年轻，美丽！

Young, and so fair!

瞧她那一身衣服

Look at her garments

紧贴着身体像尸布；

Clinging like cerements ,

而河水在不断地

Whilst the wave constantly

从她的衣服上滴下；

Drips from her clothing;

该立刻把她抬起，

Take her up instantly,

爱护她，不要嫌弃她。

Loving, not loathing .

不要轻蔑地碰到她；

Touch her not scornfully;

应该悲切地念叨她，

Think of her mournfully ,

温和地，有人性地；

Gently and humanly;

别想到她的罪孽，

Not of the stains of her—

留在她身上的一切

All that remains of her

现在都纯然是女性的。

Now is pure womanly.

不要去刻意深究

Make no deep scrutiny

她的叛逆而又

Into her mutiny

不守本分的行为：

Rash and undutiful :

洗去了一切羞耻，

Past all dishonour ,

在她的身上，死

Death has left on her

留下的只有美。

Only the beautiful.

不管她有多少过错，

Still, for all slips of hers,

她仍然是夏娃的后人——

One of Eve's family—

请揩干她那可怜的

Wipe those poor lips of hers

滴着黏水的嘴唇。

Oozing so clammily .

把她的鬈发扎起来，

Loop up her tresses

那滑出梳子的鬈发，

Escaped from the comb,

美丽的褐色头发；

Her fair auburn tresses;

而惊奇的人们在猜：

Whilst wonderment guesses

哪儿是她的家？

Where was her home?

谁是她的父亲？

Who was her father?

她的母亲是谁？

Who was her mother?

她有没有弟兄？

Had she a sister?

她有没有姊妹？

Had she a brother?

她有没有一个人

Or was there a dearer one

比一切别人都更可亲，

Still, and a nearer one

都更可贵？

Yet, than all other?

唉！基督的慈善

Alas! for the rarity

可真稀罕，

Of Christian charity

在太阳底下！

Under the sun!

哦！这太可怜了：

O! it was pitiful !

全城都填满了，

Near a whole city full,

她却没有家！

Home she had none.

姊妹的、弟兄的、

Sisterly, brotherly,

父亲的、母亲的

Fatherly, motherly

感情都已经改变：

Feelings had changed:

爱神，分明得可惊地，

Love, by harsh evidence ,

已经从高位上被赶走；

Thrown from its eminence,

仿佛连上帝的护佑

Even God's providence

也已经离得远远。

Seeming estranged .

远远地在河上

Where the lamps quiver

灯火闪动的地方，

So far in the river,

散出多少光辉——

With many a light

从窗槅和窗棂，

From window and casement ,

从地室到楼顶；

From garret to basement ,

而她站着，迷乱又心惊，

She stood, with amazement ,

夜深了，无家可归。

Houseless by night.

不是阴暗的桥拱，

The bleak wind of March

也不是漆黑的河流，

Made her tremble and shiver ;

而是三月的凄风

But not the dark arch,

使她战栗震抖：

Or the black flowing river:

一生的遭际使她疯癫，

Mad from life's history,

死的神秘引她狂欢，

Glad to death's mystery

迅速地纵身向前——

Swift to be hurl'd—

随便哪儿，随便哪儿，

Any where, any where

只要离开这人间！

Out of the world!

她勇敢地纵身，

In she plunged boldly,

不管有多么寒冷，

No matter how coldly

那汹涌的河流——

The rough river ran,

去河边桥头，

Over the brink of it, —

做一番想象、思索吧，

Picture it, think of it,

不道德的男人呵！然后，

Dissolute Man!

用这河水洗澡、解渴吧，

Lave in it, drink of it

要是你能够！

Then, if you can!

轻轻地抬她上来，

Take her up tenderly,

小心地把她举起；

Lift her with care;

这样窈窕的身材，

Fashion 'd so slenderly,

又这样年轻，美丽！

Young, and so fair!

趁她的手脚还不曾

Ere her limbs frigidly

冷得太僵硬，

Stiffen too rigidly,

请合乎礼节地，和善地

Decently, kindly,

把她的四肢舒展，放平；

Smooth and compose them;

请合拢她那茫然地

And her eyes, close them,

睁着的眼睛！

Staring so blindly!

目光刺透了泥污，

Dreadfully staring

严峻地，她睁着眼珠，

Thro' muddy impurity ,

仿佛在绝望的时候，

As when with the daring

用最后大胆的凝眸

Last look of despairing

向未来盯住。

Fix'd on futurity.

悲惨地灭亡：

Perishing gloomily,

被迫于侮辱，

Spurr'd by contumely ,

非人的冷酷

Cold inhumanity,

和燃烧的疯狂，

Burning insanity ,

去奔赴安眠。——

Into her rest.

请把她的手谦逊地、

—Cross her hands humbly,

像做无言的祈祷似地、

As if praying dumbly,

交叉在胸前！

Over her breast!

承认她的弱点，

Owning her weakness,

她的失检的行为，

Her evil behaviour ,

然后，温和地让上天

And leaving, with meekness,

来评判她的罪！

Her sins to her Saviour !