Elegy written in a Country Churchyard

写在乡村教堂墓畔的挽歌

文/ Thomas Gray (格雷)

译/ Yimusanfendi

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
宵禁为将逝去的白昼敲响丧钟
   The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea
    草原上的牧群慢慢地蜿蜒下行
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
在他回家路上耕夫的脚步沉重，
   And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
   将世界留给我，留给黑暗幽深。
Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
         5

现在眼前微茫的景色渐渐消退， 
  And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
   且所有的空气一片肃穆的静谧， 
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
只有那甲虫嘶嘶作响打转绕飞
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;
   昏睡的铃声使远处的栏圈麻痹。 

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r
只从遥远的常春藤覆盖的塔楼
  The moping owl does to the moon complain
  10
  一只烦闷的猫头鹰向月亮抱怨， 
Of such as, wand'ring near her secret bow'r,
譬如，在她私密的家附近闲游
Molest her ancient solitary reign.
  骚扰她统治下古老的孤独家园。

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade,
斑驳的榆树底下，那紫杉树荫， 
Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap,
   那儿草皮鼓出来许多土包环堆，
Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,
  15
每人在他狭窄的穴中永远躺平，

The rude Forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
   村里那些粗鲁的先父在此安睡。 
 
The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn,
微风呼叫呼吸芬芳香气的早晨。
The swallow twitt'ring from the straw-built shed,
   燕子自稻草建的棚里喳喳叽叽，
The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,
那公鸡的尖鸣，或嗽叭的回声
No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.                     20
   不再将他们从他们低床上唤起

For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
对他们再不会有火炉燃烧光芒耀闪， 
Or busy housewife ply her evening care:
    也无忙碌的主妇在夜间劳作中穿行；

No children run to lisp their sire's return,
没有孩子跑来咬舌他们父亲的回返
  Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
  或爬上他的双膝分享让人嫉妒之吻。 
Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,
  25
在他们的镰刀之下曾常常满了收获，

Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke:
  板结的泥地常被开垦出他们的沟垄；

How jocund did they drive their team afield!
驱赶他们的牲畜下地他们多么欢乐！

How bow'd the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
  林木如何在他们猛烈的撞击下鞠躬！ 

 Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
别让雄心嘲讽他们有用的劳作忙碌， 
  Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
  30
  他们家庭中的欢乐，和朦胧的运气； 

Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
也不让豪华带着蔑视的笑来听取
  The short and simple annals of the poor.
  那些穷人的又短又简单的生平故事。
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,
家族勋章的吹嘘，权势的炫耀夸口，
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
  财富曾带给的一切美，那一切美物，
Awaits alike th' inevitable hour:
  35
都等待着那相似的无法避免的时候： 
  The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
  众多光荣的路径都只是通向那坟墓。
Nor you, ye Proud, impute to These the fault,
你，骄傲的人，也莫谴责这些罪人，
If Memory o'er their Tomb no Trophies raise,
   若他们坟上的记忆没有耸立的碑石，
Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
在那里通过长长的过道和雕花拱顶
The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.
  40   洪亮的歌声充溢着称颂赞美的标志。

Can storied urn or animated bust
多层的坟塔或生动的半身塑像能否
  Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
    回到它豪华的住宅召唤短暂的吸呼？
Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,
荣耀的声音能否将静默的尘灰挑逗，
   Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of death?
   奉承话能否将死亡呆冷的耳朵安抚？

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
  45
也许在这个被人忽略的荒芜的地方
  Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
   安躺着某颗心它曾孕育天堂的火焰
 Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd,
一双手，或许已经挥动帝国的权杖
  Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre.
   或曾清醒痴迷弹拨生动的里拉琴弦。

But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page
但知识饱受时间溺爱，其浩大书页
  Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;
  50
  从未在他们的眼前打开让他们细瞅
Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,
寒冷的极贫压制住他们高贵的愤怒， 
  And froze the genial current of the soul.
  并且也曾经冻结那灵魂的温暖水流。 

Full many a gem of purest ray serene
那么多宝石安静地发出最纯的光线
  The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
    在海底那些黑暗的深不可测的洞穴
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
  55
那么多花朵生而红艳却不为人所见
  And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
  并在那荒漠的空中将它的芳甜浪费。 

Some village Hampden that with dauntless breast
某个乡村的汉普敦有着无畏的胸膛
  The little tyrant of his fields withstood,
  曾抵挡他田间的那个小暴君的洗劫
Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,
某个缄口无名的密尔顿或在此歇躺，
  Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood.
  60
   某位克伦威尔无愧他的国家的鲜血。

Th' applause of list'ning senates to command,
让听讲的参议员们用掌声热烈鼓舞
  The threats of pain and ruin to despise,
    对那痛苦和毁灭的威胁，全都鄙视
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
将富庶和丰富洒遍一个微笑的国土
  And read their history in a nation's eyes,
   并通过国家的眼睛阅读他们的历史，
Their lot forbade: nor circumscribed alone
  65
但他们的命运禁止：不仅禁止那些
  Their glowing virtues, but their crimes confined;
    他们闪光的美德，也禁他们的罪行
Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,
禁止通过屠杀而跋涉险水登上王位，
  And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,
  从而对人类关闭上怜悯仁慈的众门，
The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,
禁止隐藏认识到真理后挣扎的痛苦，
  To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
  70
  熄灭无辜的羞耻带来的羞红的脸庞，
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
或者堆积起奢华和骄傲的神圣殿宇
  With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.
   在那里用那诗神的火焰点燃了馨香。
 
Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
远离了这疯狂的人群中卑下的冲突， 
  Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
    他们清醒的愿望从未试着学习走迷;
Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
  75
沿着生活中那清凉的、僻静的山谷，
  They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
  他们持守他们的正途一路无声无息。
Yet ev'n these bones from insult to protect
然而甚至这些尸骨被保护免受污辱， 
  Some frail memorial still erected nigh,
    一些脆弱的墓碑仍然在那近旁树立， 
With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd,
用些粗俗的韵语和凌乱无章的雕刻， 
  Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.
  80
    恳求过往行人贡献一声哀婉的叹息。 

Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd muse,
文盲诗神拼写出他们的姓名和年岁
  The place of fame and elegy supply:
    刻在那本该由声名和挽歌所在之地
And many a holy text around she strews,
她并零散洒了许多圣经经文在周围，
  That teach the rustic moralist to die.
  用来教训那乡村道德家死亡的真意。 
 
For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,
  85
因为谁给沉默哑口的遗忘提供猎物，
  This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,
    这个欢乐又忧心的生命曾无奈承受，
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
离开这欢乐的日子这些温暖的区域，
  Nor cast one longing ling'ring look behind?
   而不将渴望的缠绵的一瞥留在身后？
On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
那离别的灵魂靠在某个钟情的乳房， 
  Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
  90
   那渐闭的眼睛需要一些虔诚的泪滴，
Ev'n from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
即便从坟墓里大自然的声音在哭嚷
  Ev'n in our Ashes live their wonted Fires.
   即便在我们灰中他们的旧火仍燃起。 

For thee, who, mindful of th' unhonour'd dead,
对你，这人，挂念这些无名的死人，
  Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;
   用这些诗句将他们朴实的故事讲述， 
If chance, by lonely contemplation led,
  95
假如机缘，被孤独的沉思带领指引， 
  Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,
   某位类似的灵魂将询问你命运结局，

Haply some hoary-headed Swain may say,
或许某个白发苍苍的农夫如此说诉，
  'Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn
   “我们常常已经看见他，当黎明初现， 
Brushing with hasty steps the dews away
用匆促的脚步刷去那些早晨的露珠
  To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.
 100   去到那高处的青草地上与太阳会面。
'There at the foot of yonder nodding beech
 “在远处那棵摇曳的山毛榉树的脚下， 
   That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,
    它古老的树根盘绕得如此高如此妙奇，
His listless length at noontide would he stretch,
中午时在那里他懒散地将腰身伸拉， 
  And pore upon the brook that babbles by.
    认真观看身旁那条潺潺流过的小溪。 
 
'Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,
 105
今微笑若嘲弄，依傍在远处的树林，
  Mutt'ring his wayward fancies he would rove,
    他将漫步，喃喃低语他梦中的幻境，
 Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,
今垂着头，悲伤孱弱，像无望的人，
  Or crazed with care, or cross'd in hopeless love.
   或因关心而疯，或在无望的爱中穿行。

'One morn I miss'd him on the custom'd hill,
一天早上我没遇见他在惯常的小山， 
  Along the heath and near his fav'rite tree;
   沿着灌木丛并靠近他最爱的那棵树，
Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
另外一次来；不见他在那条小溪边， 
 110
  Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;
   他不在高草地上，也不在树林深处。
 
'The next with dirges due in sad array
下一次见到的是唱挽歌的送葬队伍， 
  Slow through the church-way path we saw him borne.
    我们见他慢慢被抬过教堂路的方向
Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay
 115
上前来并且读这篇挽歌（因为你会读）
  Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn:'
   刻在那边老荆棘丛下的那块碑石上：”
 
THE EPITAPH.
墓志铭

Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth
在这里他的头在大地的怀抱中安歇
  A Youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
    一位青年，对富贵对名声不为所知；

Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth,
公正的科学未对他卑微的出生皱眉
  And Melancholy mark'd him for her own.
 120
    且忧郁她据他为己有给他贴上标志
Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,
他慷慨大方好施舍，且他的灵真诚：
  Heav'n did a recompense as largely send:
    天堂大大地送来赏赐作为对他的报酬：

He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a tear,
他把他的一切给了苦痛，一滴泪痕，
  He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.
    从天堂他得一友（那是他全部的企求）
 
No farther seek his merits to disclose,
 125
不用更多地找寻他的美德使之彰显， 
  Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,
    或找出他的软弱从他们可怕的住宅
(There they alike in trembling hope repose,)
（它们都类似，在颤抖的希望中安眠）， 
  The bosom of his Father and his God.
   那里是他的天父和他的上帝的胸怀