I

I

When he dances of meeting Beatrice that first time,

当他跳起与贝亚特丽齐的初次相遇，

he is a youth, his body has no real language,

他还是一个青年，他的身体还没有实在的语言，

and his heart understands nothing of what has

他的心一点儿也不懂得是什么

started. Love like a summer rain after drought,

萌生了。爱像久旱后夏日的一场雨，

like the thin cry of a red-tailed hawk, like an angel

像红尾鹰的一声清唳，像天使

sinking his teeth into our throat. He has only

把牙齿沉入我们的喉咙。而他只有

beginner steps to tell of the sheen inside him.

初学者的舞步来讲述他内心的光辉。

The boy Dante sees her first with the absolute love

男孩但丁第一次看见她，那种绝对的爱

possible only when we are ignorant of each other.

只有当我们相互一无所知时才有可能，

Arm cross his face, he runs off. Years go by.

他用手臂挡着脸，跑开了。几年过去。

II

II

The next dance is about their meeting again. He does

第二支舞是关于他们的重逢。他绕着她

an enchaînement around her. Beatrice’s heavy hair is

跳一曲心醉神迷。贝特丽亚齐一头长发

dark and long. She watches with the occhi dolci.

又黑又密。她注视着，用甜蜜的眼神。

His jumps are a man’s jumps. His steps have become

他的跳是一个男人的跳。他舞步的动作

The moves of a dancer who understands the dance.

显示他是一个理解那舞蹈的舞者。

A man who recognizes the body’s greed. She is deep

一个认识到身体的渴望的男人。她沉浸于

In her body’s heart. He is splendid. She is lost

她身体的内心之中。他光芒四射。她神魂若失

And is led away by the aunt. Her family is careful

被姑妈领走。她的家人从此以后

After that. She goes by in a carriage. He rises,

小心翼翼。她坐马车扬尘而去。他

On his toes, port de bras, his eyes desperate.

掂起脚尖，舞动手臂，眼睛里满是绝望。

Then she is at an upstairs window of the palace.

后来她趴在宫殿里一个楼梯的窗口。

He dances his sadness brilliantly in the moonlight

他跳着他的忧伤，在月光里，光彩炫目，

below on the empty piazza, concentrating. She moves

在下面空荡荡的广场上，恍若无人。她

the curtain a little to the side, and he is happy.

把窗帘往旁边推开一点点，他感到幸福。

It is a dream we all know, the perfection of love

这是一个我们都熟悉的梦，爱的完美

That is not real. There is a fountain behind him.

并不真实。在他身后有一个喷泉。

III

III

It is a few years later and they are finally

几年之后，他们终于在一起了

in his simple room. His long dance of afterward

在他的简陋房间里。此后他长久的舞蹈

is a declaration of joy and of gratitude and devotion.

是喜悦、感恩和挚爱的宣言。

She dances strangely, putting on her clothes.

但她跳得奇怪，穿上衣服，

A delicate goodbye. Her soul is free now from that

一声微弱的再见。此刻她的灵魂

Kind of love. He stands motionless, bewildered,

从那种爱情里脱身了。他站着一动不动，惶然不解，

Watching her go. Then dances his grief wonderfully.

看着她离去。然后就跳他的悲伤，精彩之极。

IV

IV

We see Dante as an old man. He is a dancer who can

我们看到但丁像一个老人。他是一个舞者

manage only the simple steps of the beginning.

但只能跳好开头那些简单的步子。

He dances the romance lost, the love that never was,

他跳那失去的罗曼司，那从不曾是的爱，

And the great love missed because of dreaming.

和因梦想而错失的伟大的爱。

First position, entrechat, and the smallest jumps.

第一位，击足跳，和最小的跳。

The passionate quiet. The quieter and strongest.

安静但充满激情。更安静，更强烈的激情。

The special sorrow of a happy, imperfect heart

那特别的悲伤，属于一颗快乐、不完美的心

That finally knows well how to dance. But does not.

它终于谙熟了如何跳舞。但并不跳。