It little profits that an idle king,
这太无谓——当一个闲散的君主
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
安居家中，在这个嶙峋的岛国．
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
我与年老的妻子相匹，颁布着
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
不公的法律，治理野蛮的种族，——
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
他们吃、睡、收藏，而不理解我。
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
我不能停歇我的跋涉；我决心
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd
饮尽生命之杯。我一生都在
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
体验巨大的痛苦、巨大的欢乐，
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
有时与爱我的狄伴一起，有时却
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
独自一个；不论在岸上或海上，
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
当带来雨季的毕宿星团催动
For always roaming with a hungry heart
激流滚滚，扬起灰暗的海波。
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
我已经变成这样一个名字，—一
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
由于我如饥似渴地漂泊不止，
Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;
我已见识了许多民族的城
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
及其风气、习俗、枢密院、政府，
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
而我在他们之中最负盛名；
I am a part of all that I have met;
在遥远而多风的特洛亚战场，
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
我曾陶醉于与敌手作战的欢欣。
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
我自己是我全部经历的一部分；
For ever and forever when I move.
而全部经验，也只是一座拱门，
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
尚未游历的世界在门外闪光，
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
而随着我一步一步的前进，
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
它的边界也不断向后退让。
Were all too little, and of one to me
最单调最沉闷的是停留，是终止，
Little remains: but every hour is saved
是蒙尘生锈而不在使用中发亮！
From that eternal silence, something more,
难道说呼吸就能算是生活？
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
几次生命堆起来尚嫌太少，
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
何况我唯一的生命已余年无多。
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
唯有从永恒的沉寂之中抢救
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
每个小时，让每个小时带来
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
一点新的收获。最可厌的是
把自己长期封存、贮藏起来，
This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
让我灰色的灵魂徒然渴望
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—
在人类思想最远的边界之外
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
追求知识．像追求沉没的星星。
This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees
这是我的儿子忒勒玛科斯，
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
我给他留下我的岛国和王杖，
Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere
他是我所爱的，他有胆有识，
Of common duties, decent not to fail
能胜任这一工作；谨慎耐心地
In offices of tenderness, and pay
教化粗野的民族，用温和的步骤
Meet adoration to my household gods,
驯化他们，使他们善良而有用。
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.
他是无可指责的，他虽年少，
在我离去后他会担起重任，
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
并对我家的佑护神表示崇敬。
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
他和我，将各做各的工作。
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—
That ever with a frolic welcome took
海港就在那边，船儿已经扬帆，
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
大海黑暗一片。我的水手们——
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
与我同辛劳、同工作、同思想的人，
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
对雷电和阳光永远同等欢迎．
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
并用自由的心与头颅来抗争，——
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
你们和我都已老了，但老年
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
仍有老年的荣誉、老年的辛劳；
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
死亡终结一切，但在终点前
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
我们还能做一番崇高的事业，
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
使我们配称为与神斗争的人。
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
礁石上的灯标开始闪光了，
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
长昼将尽，月亮缓缓攀登，
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
大海用无数音响在周围呻唤。
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
来呀．朋友们，探寻更新的世界
Of all the western stars, until I die.
现在尚不是为时过晚。开船吧！
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
坐成排，划破这喧哗的海浪，
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
我决心驶向太阳沉没的彼方，
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
超越西方星斗的浴场，至死
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
方止。也许深渊会把我们吞噬，
We are not now that strength which in old days
也许我们将到达琼岛乐土，
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
与老朋友阿喀琉斯会晤。
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
尽管已达到的多，未知的也多啊，
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
虽然我们的力量已不如当初，
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
已远非昔日移天动地的雄姿，
但我们仍是我们，英雄的心
尽管被时间消磨，被命运削弱，
我们的意志坚强如故，坚持着
奋斗、探索、寻求，而不屈服。