The Pearl乔治·赫伯特

珍珠[1]何功杰 译

MATTHEW xiii


I know the ways of learning; both the head
我知道“学识”的途径:是头脑
And pipes that feed the press, and make it run;
和输管给压机添料,并使它运行;[2]
What reason hath from nature borrowed,
什么法则是理性从大自然中借到,
Or of itself, like a good huswife, spun
或理性,如同织女,把自己织成
In laws and policy; what the stars conspire,
法律和政令;什么是星宿商定,
What willing nature speaks, what forc'd by fire;
什么是大自然自愿提供,[3]什么是烈火炼成;
Both th'old discoveries and the new-found seas,
旧发现的事物和新发现的大海,
The stock and surplus, cause and history;
贮存和富余,历史和原因,——
All these stand open, or I have the keys:
所有大门都向我敞着,或者我有钥匙打开:
Yet I love thee.
     然而我只爱你,别的门不进。

I know the ways of honour; what maintains
我知道“荣名”的途径:怎样才能
The quick returns of courtesy and wit;
使礼貌和才智获得迅速的回报;
In vies of favours whether party gains
在竞宠中哪一方有希望取胜;
When glory swells the heart and moldeth it
当雄心在心中滋长,怎样经过一番塑造
To all expressions both of hand and eye,
再通过眼睛和双手表露出来,
Which on the world a true-love-knot may tie,
这可能会使你在世界上结下忠贞的爱,
And bear the bundle wheresoe'er it goes;
无论走到哪里,肩上的背包总不离;
How many drams of spirit there must be
需要花多少酒钱才可能结交一位朋友,
To sell my life unto my friends or foes:
或者因此反而树立了一个仇敌:
Yet I love thee.
     然而我只爱你,别的我不追求。

I know the ways of pleasure; the sweet strains
我知道“欢乐”的途径:悦耳的歌声,
The lullings and the relishes of it;
催眠般的曲调,使人魂销神醉;
The propositions of hot blood and brains;
怎样使头脑发热,叫热血沸腾;
What mirth and music mean; what love and wit
欢笑和音乐意味着什么;爱和智慧
Have done these twenty hundred years and more;
两千多年来干了什么,我也知道;
I know the projects of unbridled store;
我还知道无限制地攒钱生财之道:
My stuff is flesh, not brass; my senses live,
我是血肉身躯,非铜铸偶像;我五官充满活力,
And grumble oft that they have more in me
并且常常抱怨我身上的情感比他多,[4]
Than he that curbs them, being but one to five:
他把情感抑制着,我与他是五比一:
Yet I love thee.
    然而我只爱你,别的我都淡漠。

I know all these and have them in my hand;
这一切我都知道,而且都掌握在手中:
Therefore not seeled but with open eyes
所以我,不是蒙住[5]、而是睁着眼睛
I fly to thee, and fully understand
飞向你,因为你卖的货物我全懂,
Both the main sale and the commodities;
什么是你主要出售的,还有什么别的品名;
And at what rate and price I have thy love,
我要付出多大代价才能买到你的爱,
With all the circumstances that may move.
以及什么情况才能感动你爱的心怀:
Yet through the labyrinths, not my grovelling wit,
但在迷津中,不是我卑劣的智慧,
But thy silk twist let down from heav'n to me
而是你在天上朝我放下的纱巾
Did both conduct and teach me how by it
给我指引,教我随着它高飞
To climb to thee.
    登上天国,听取福音。


译注:
[1] “珍珠”这个典故出自《圣经·新约·马太福音》十三章:一天,耶稣和他的门徒来到海边,见有许多人围拢来,他就借机用各种比喻向他们讲了关于天国的许多道理,其中有一个比喻说:“天国好像一位买卖人,他到处寻找好珠子;一天,他遇见有人卖一颗贵重的珍珠,于是他变卖了一切财产,将这颗珍珠买了下来。”
[2] 这行的大概含义是:耶稣的训诫得以起作用靠的是人们的信仰和宣扬,正如印刷机和榨酒机一样,需要人们给它们输送原料。“压机”和“输管”代表印刷机和榨酒机,象征着耶稣基督。
[3] 指大自然中存在着的、人们可以找得到的自然产物。
[4] 这行与下行中的“他”都是指上行中的“铜铸偶像”:“铜铸偶像”把“情感抑制着”,是死的,而且只有雕刻它所表现出来的那么一种表情;而“我”则五情俱全,且充满活力,所以诗人说,“我与他是五比一”。
[5] 这里借用的是猎人在训练幼鹰时用头罩把鹰的眼睛蒙住的意象。


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