Time present and time past

一

Are both perhaps present in time future,

And time future contained in time past.

现在的时间和过去的时间

If all time is eternally present

也许都存在于未来的时间，

All time is unredeemable.

而未来的时间又包容于过去的时间。

What might have been is an abstraction

假若全部时间永远存在

Remaining a perpetual possibility

全部时间就再也都无法挽回。

Only in a world of speculation.

过去可能存在的是一种抽象

What might have been and what has been

只是在一个猜测的世界中，

Point to one end, which is always present.

保持着一种恒久的可能性。

Footfalls echo in the memory

过去可能存在和已经存在的

Down the passage which we did not take

都指向一个始终存在的终点。

Towards the door we never opened

足音在记忆中回响

Into the rose-garden. My words echo

沿着那条我们从未走过的甬道

Thus, in your mind.

飘向那重我们从未打开的门

                              But to what purpose

进入玫瑰园。我的话就和这样

Disturbing the dust on a bowl of rose-leaves

在你的心中回响。

I do not know.

　　　　　　　但是为了什么

                        Other echoes

更在一缸玫瑰花瓣上搅起尘埃

Inhabit the garden. Shall we follow?

我却不知道。

Quick, said the bird, find them, find them,

　　　　　还有一些回声

Round the corner. Through the first gate,

栖身在花园里。我们要不要去追蹑？

Into our first world, shall we follow

快，鸟儿说，快去寻找它们，去寻找它们

The deception of the thrush? Into our first world.

在花园角落里。穿过第一道门，

There they were, dignified, invisible,

走进我们的第一个世界，我们要不要听从

Moving without pressure, over the dead leaves,

画眉的欺骗？进入我们的第一个世界。

In the autumn heat, through the vibrant air,

它们就在那儿，神态庄严而不可窥见，

And the bird called, in response to

在秋天的燠热里，穿过颤动的空气，

The unheard music hidden in the shrubbery,

从容不迫地越过满地枯叶，

And the unseen eyebeam crossed, for the roses

鸟儿在呼唤，于那隐藏在灌木丛中

Had the look of flowers that are looked at.

不可闻见的音乐相应和，

There they were as our guests, accepted and accepting.

那没有被人看见的眼光转过去了，因为玫瑰

So we moved, and they, in a formal pattern,

露出了花容美姿已被人窥见的神色。

Along the empty alley, into the box circle,

它们在那儿仿佛是我们的客人

To look down into the drained pool.

受到我们的接待也在接待我们。

Dry the pool, dry concrete, brown edged,

它们彬彬有礼地伫立在空寂的小径旁。

And the pool was filled with water out of sunlight,

于是我们继续前行，走进黄杨木的圆形树丛，

And the lotos rose, quietly, quietly,

俯身观看那干涸的水池。

The surface glittered out of heart of light,

干涸的水池、干涸的混凝土、围着褐色的边，

And they were behind us, reflected in the pool.

水池里注满了阳光变幻的水，

Then a cloud passed, and the pool was empty.

荷花升起了，悄悄地，悄悄地，

Go, said the bird, for the leaves were full of children,

池面从光芒的中心闪现，

Hidden excitedly, containing laughter.

而它们在我们身后，映照在池中。

Go, go, go, said the bird: human kind

接着云朵飘过，水池又变为空虚。

Cannot bear very much reality.

去吧，鸟儿说，因为树叶丛中躲满了孩子

Time past and time future

他们兴冲冲地藏在那儿，忍住了笑声。

What might have been and what has been

去吧，去吧，去吧，鸟儿说：人类

Point to one end, which is always present.

忍受不了太多的现实。

过去的时间和未来的时间

过去可能存在的和已经存在的

II

都指向一个始终存在在终点。

Garlic and sapphires in the mud

Clot the bedded axle-tree.

二

The trilling wire in the blood

Sings below inveterate scars

大蒜和蓝宝石陷在泥里

Appeasing long forgotten wars.

阻塞了装嵌的轮轴。

The dance along the artery

血液中发着颤音的弦

The circulation of the lymph

在永不消失的伤疤下歌唱

Are figured in the drift of stars

安抚那早已忘却的战争。

Ascend to summer in the tree

动脉里的舞蹈

We move above the moving tree

淋巴液的环流

In light upon the figured leaf

都表现为星辰的流驶

And hear upon the sodden floor

在树梢中升向夏天

Below, the boarhound and the boar

我们在摇动的树枝上空

Pursue their pattern as before

在那斑驳的树叶上闪耀的光华中

But reconciled among the stars.

移步前行，耳听得下面湿润的土地上

捕捉野猪的猎犬和野猪一如既往

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;

在继续他们追逐的模式

Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,

但在群星中又归于和解。

But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,

Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,

在转动不息的世界的静止点上，既无生灵也无精魂；

Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,

但是不止也无动。在这静止点上，只有舞蹈，

There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

不停止也不移动。可别把它叫做固定不移。

I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.

过去和未来就在这里回合。无去无从，

And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.

无升无降。只有这个点，这个静止点，

The inner freedom from the practical desire,

这里原不会有舞蹈，但这里有的只是舞蹈。

The release from action and suffering, release from the inner

我只能说，我们曾在那儿呆过，但我说不出是哪儿。

And the outer compulsion, yet surrounded

我也说不出呆了多久，因为这样就把它纳入时间。

By a grace of sense, a white light still and moving,

Erhebung without motion, concentration

内心超脱了显示的欲求，

Without elimination, both a new world

解脱了行动和苦痛，也解脱了内心

And the old made explicit, understood

和身外的逼迫，而被围拥在

In the completion of its partial ecstasy,

一种恩宠之感，一道静静的白光之中，

The resolution of its partial horror.

徐徐上升而有凝然不动，集中

Yet the enchainment of past and future

在它部分的狂喜

Woven in the weakness of the changing body,

达到圆满的过程中，才领悟到

Protects mankind from heaven and damnation

它那部分的恐惧已经消失。

Which flesh cannot endure.

但是过去和未来的羁绊

                                          Time past and time future

交织在变化着的软弱的躯体中，

Allow but a little consciousness.

卫护着人类既不飞升天国也不堕入地狱

To be conscious is not to be in time

这两者都非血肉之躯所能忍受。

But only in time can the moment in the rose-garden,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　过去的时间和未来的时间

The moment in the arbour where the rain beat,

只容许有少许的意识。

The moment in the draughty church at smokefall

能意识到就不在时间之内

Be remembered; involved with past and future.

但是只有在时间之内，那在玫瑰园中的瞬间，

Only through time time is conquered.

那雨声沥沥的凉亭里的瞬间，

当烟雾降落在通风的教堂里的瞬间，

才能忆起；才能与过去和未来相及。

III

只有通过时间才被征服时间。

Here is a place of disaffection

Time before and time after

三

In a dim light: neither daylight

Investing form with lucid stillness

这是愤怼不满的地方

Turning shadow into transient beauty

以前的时间和以后的时间

With slow rotation suggesting permanence

都沉浸于一片朦胧的光影里：既没有日光

Nor darkness to purify the soul

赋予形体以明澈和静穆

Emptying the sensual with deprivation

把暗淡的阴影化为疏忽易逝的美

Cleansing affection from the temporal.

以暖地旋转暗示人生悠悠，

Neither plenitude nor vacancy. Only a flicker

也没有黑暗使灵魂净化

Over the strained time-ridden faces

剥夺一切去消感官的享乐

Distracted from distraction by distraction

洗涤情感以摈绝尘世短暂的情爱。

Filled with fancies and empty of meaning

既非充实也非空虚。只有一抹微光

Tumid apathy with no concentration

闪摇在一张张紧张的饱经忧患的脸上

Men and bits of paper, whirled by the cold wind

都因为心烦意乱而毫无意义

That blows before and after time,

神情无所专注而极度冷漠

Wind in and out of unwholesome lungs

冷风劲吹在时间之前和时间之后

Time before and time after.

人和纸片都在风中回旋，

Eructation of unhealthy souls

孱弱的肺叶呼吸出入

Into the faded air, the torpid

不健康的灵魂把嗳出的麻木

Driven on the wind that sweeps the gloomy hills of London,

吐入枯萎的空气，被风卷带着掠过

Hampstead and Clerkenwell, Campden and Putney,

伦敦的阴沉的山岗，掠过汉姆斯蒂德

Highgate, Primrose and Ludgate. Not here

和克拉肯韦尔、坎普顿和普特尼，

Not here the darkness, in this twittering world.

海盖特、普林姆罗斯和拉德格特。

不是这里，不是这里的黑暗一片

    Descend lower, descend only

不在这颤抖的世界里。

Into the world of perpetual solitude,

World not world, but that which is not world,

再往下去，只是往下进入

Internal darkness, deprivation

永远与外世隔绝的世界，

And destitution of all property,

是世界又非世界，非世界的世界，

Desiccation of the world of sense,

内部黑暗，剥夺了一切

Evacuation of the world of fancy,

赤贫如洗，一无所有，

Inoperancy of the world of spirit;

感觉已枯竭的世界，

This is the one way, and the other

幻想已远走高飞的世界，

Is the same, not in movement

精神已失去作用的世界；

But abstention from movement; while the world moves

这是一条路，另外一条路

In appetency, on its metalled ways

也是一样，不在运动之中

Of time past and time future.

而是避开运动；但是世界却怀着渴望

在过去的时间和未来的时间的

碎石路上前进。

IV

Time and the bell have buried the day,

四

The black cloud carries the sun away.

Will the sunflower turn to us, will the clematis

时间和晚钟埋葬了白天，

Stray down, bend to us; tendril and spray

乌云卷走了太阳。

Clutch and cling?

向日葵会转向我们吗，铁线莲？

会纷披下来俯向我们吗；卷须的小花枝头

    Chill

会抓住我们，缠住我们吗？

Fingers of yew be curled

冷冽的

Down on us? After the kingfisher's wing

紫杉的手指会弯到

Has answered light to light, and is silent, the light is still

我们身上吗？当翠鸟的翅膀

At the still point of the turning world.

以光明回答光明以后

现在已悄然无声，光明凝然不动

在这转动不息的世界的静止点上。

V

Words move, music moves

五

Only in time; but that which is only living

Can only die. Words, after speech, reach

语言，音乐，都只能

Into the silence. Only by the form, the pattern,

在时间中行进；但是唯有生者

Can words or music reach

才能死灭。语言，一旦说过，就归于

The stillness, as a Chinese jar still

静寂。只有通过形式，模式，

Moves perpetually in its stillness.

语言或音乐才能达到

Not the stillness of the violin, while the note lasts,

静止，正如一只中国的瓷瓶

Not that only, but the co-existence,

静止不动而仍然在时间中不断前进。

Or say that the end precedes the beginning,

当乐曲余音袅袅，那不是提琴的静止，

And the end and the beginning were always there

不只如此，而是两者共存，

Before the beginning and after the end.

或者说结束于开始，

And all is always now. Words strain,

结束和开始永远在那儿

Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,

在开始之前和结束之后。

Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,

万物永远存在于现在。语言

Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,

在重负之下，损伤，迸裂，有时甚至破碎，

Will not stay still. Shrieking voices

而在压力之下，要跌落，溜走，消失，

Scolding, mocking, or merely chattering,

或者因为措辞不当而腐朽，不会在原处停留，

Always assail them. The Word in the desert

不会停留不动。尖厉刺耳的声音

Is most attacked by voices of temptation,

叱责、嘲笑或者只是絮叨

The crying shadow in the funeral dance,

受到的攻击总是试探的声音，

The loud lament of the disconsolate chimera.

是葬仪舞蹈中哀声哭喊的影子，

是郁郁不乐的凯米艾拉的高声悲号。

    The detail of the pattern is movement,

As in the figure of the ten stairs.

模式的细节是运动，

Desire itself is movement

正如以十级阶梯的形状表现的那样。

Not in itself desirable;

欲望本身就是运动

Love is itself unmoving,

而不在与它值得想望的本身，

Only the cause and end of movement,

爱本身是静止不动的，

Timeless, and undesiring

只是运动的原因和目的，

Except in the aspect of time

无始无终，也无所企求

Caught in the form of limitation

除非在时间方面

Between un-being and being.

被纳入了限制的形式

Sudden in a shaft of sunlight

介于存在和不存在之间。

Even while the dust moves

猛然间，在一道阳光中

There rises the hidden laughter

即使此时有尘灰飞扬

Of children in the foliage

在绿叶丛中扬起了

Quick now, here, now, always—

孩子们吃吃的笑声

Ridiculous the waste sad time

迅疾的现在，这里，现在，永远——

Stretching before and after.

荒唐可笑的是那虚度的悲苦的时间

伸展在这之前和之后。