双语诗歌·爱情对学问

爱情对学问

Love versus Learning

康斯坦丝·内登

Constance C. W. Naden

康斯坦丝·内登（Constance C. W. Naden，1858-1889），英国女诗人。她早年曾学习植物学，相信以“科学打开诗歌”的信念，认为自然与物质世界为诗人提供了道德与诗之真实的新源泉。她对达尔文的进化论深感兴趣，诗作幽默地传播达尔文主义对人间事件的洞察力。她从达尔文的精神中不仅找到了对传统宗教信仰的挑战，找到了唯物主义的信条，而且还找到了一种诗歌语言。这种非正统的诗歌声音打破了维多利亚女性诗歌的抒情模式。

啊！倒下了，我的傲慢！

Alas, for the blight of my fancies !

啊，枯萎了，我的幻想！

Alas, for the fall of my pride!

凭着少女的满脑子浪漫，

I planned, in my girlish romances,

我想做个哲学家的新娘。

To be a philosopher's bride.

我想象他既有学问又风趣，

I pictured him learned and witty ,

贤哲和爱人统一在一身，

The sage and the lover combined,

不会不屑于称赞我美丽，

Not scorning to say I was pretty,

不仅仅爱慕我有的智性。

Nor only adoring my mind.

不是戴眼镜的良师、老人家，

No elderly, spectacled Mentor,

但是会敬神，还会求婚；

But one who would worship and woo;

也许我可以找个发明家，

Perhaps I might take an inventor,

或者找一位诗人也行。

Or even a poet would do.

温柔，热情洋溢，有天赋，

And tender and gay and well-favoured,

命运终于把我追赶上：

My fate overtook me at last:

我见了，听到了，我犹疑踌躇，

I saw, and I heard, and I wavered,

我笑了，自由已离开我身旁。

I smiled, and my freedom was past.

他保证爱我永远不变心，

He promised to love me for ever,

他求我，我能有什么说辞？

He pleaded, and what could I say?

我想他必定是非常聪明，

I thought he must surely be clever,

因为他是个牛津的硕士。

For he is an Oxford M. A.

可是现在，我开始发现

But now, I begin to discover

我的憧憬被致命地毁损；

My visions are fatally marred;

把情郎视作至美和至善——

Perfection itself as a lover,

他既非贤哲也不是诗人。

He's neither a sage nor a bard.

他已经掌握通常的知识，

He's mastered the usual knowledge,

又说这是可怕的麻烦事；

And says it's a terrible bore;

他在大学里拥有了学识，

He formed his opinions at college,

此外还需要思考什么事？

Then why should he think any more?

我讲的道理他一概藐视，

My logic he sets at defiance ,

声称我学习拉丁文没用处。

Declares that my Latin's no use,

一旦我讲起科学知识，

And when I begin to talk Science

他称我是头乖乖小笨猪。

He calls me a dear little goose.

他说道我的嘴唇红艳艳，

He says that my lips are too rosy

不宜让僵死的语言出口，

To speak in a language that's dead,

一切沉闷又乏味的破烂

And all that is dismal and prosy

必须从明智的头脑里赶走。

Should fly from so sunny a head.

他讥笑各种正经的工作，

He scoffs at each grave occupation,

他用双关语把一切回避；

Turns everything off with a pun;

他心中计算的唯一一件活，

And says that his sole calculation

就是怎样把二变成一。

Is how to make two into one.

他说数学的运算没定准，

He says Mathematics may vary,

又说几何学已不再可靠。

Geometry cease to be true,

只是笑一笑轻微的奇想，

But scorning the slightest vagary

他继续求婚，不屈又不挠。

He still will continue to woo.

他说太阳的运行会停下来，

He says that the sun may stop action,

但他不扭转太阳的轨道；

But he will not swerve from his course;

因为他引力的法则是爱，

For love is his law of attraction,

而他的向心力则是微笑。

A smile his centripetal force.

他这样变化多端真可怕，

His levity's truly terrific,

我时常考虑我们得分手，

And often I think we must part,

可甜言蜜语是如此科学，

But compliments so scientific

又把我慌张的魂儿抓走。

Recapture my fluttering heart.

不过爱情和学问的冲突

Yet sometimes 'tis very confusing,

有时候真能把人搞糊涂——

This conflict of love and of lore—

可是听！我只好停止思索，

But hark! I must cease from my musing,

因为他又在敲我的门户！

For that is his knock at the door!