文学丨今天,我们一起来读英语“诗词”
这几天复旦附中一位才女红了,小小年纪的她,竟然会背诵那么多古诗词。“熟读唐诗三百首,不会吟诗也会吟”,看来这位女孩自己做起诗来,也并非难事。小编是英语专业的,想到这里,不觉灵机一动:那么如果背几首英文诗歌,岂不是能促进英语学习?而且如果有个类似的机会,小编搞不好也能当回网红呢!小编奉上一首英国诗人约翰·济慈的名诗《希腊古瓮颂》,和亲们一起背,一起当网红。
Ode on a Grecian Urn --by John Keats 1. THOU still unravish'd bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of silence and slow time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fring'd legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady? What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy? 2. Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd, Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone: Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare; Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve; She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair! 3. Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu; And, happy melodist, unwearied, For ever piping songs for ever new; More happy love! more happy, happy love! For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd, For ever panting, and for ever young; All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue. 4. Who are these coming to the sacrifice? To what green altar, O mysterious priest, Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies, And all her silken flanks with garlands drest? What little town by river or sea shore, Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel, Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn? And, little town, thy streets for evermore Will silent be; and not a soul to tell Why thou art desolate, can e'er return. 5. O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,"—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. 希腊古瓮颂 ——约翰·济慈 1. 你委身“寂静”的、完美的处子, 受过了“沉默”和“悠久”的抚育, 呵,田园的史家,你竟能铺叙 一个如花的故事,比诗还瑰丽: 在你的形体上,岂非缭绕着 古老的传说,以绿叶为其边缘; 讲着人,或神,敦陂或阿卡狄? 呵,是怎样的人,或神!在舞乐前 多热烈的追求!少女怎样地逃躲! 怎样的风笛和鼓谣!怎样的狂喜! 2. 听见的乐声虽好,但若听不见 却更美;所以,吹吧,柔情的风笛; 不是奏给耳朵听,而是更甜, 它给灵魂奏出无声的乐曲; 树下的美少年呵,你无法中断 你的歌,那树木也落不了叶子; 鲁莽的恋人,你永远、永远吻不上, 虽然够接近了--但不必心酸; 她不会老,虽然你不能如愿以偿, 你将永远爱下去,她也永远秀丽! 3. 呵,幸福的树木!你的枝叶 不会剥落,从不曾离开春天; 幸福的吹笛人也不会停歇, 他的歌曲永远是那么新鲜; 呵,更为幸福的、幸福的爱! 永远热烈,正等待情人宴飨, 永远热情地心跳,永远年轻; 幸福的是这一切超凡的情态: 它不会使心灵餍足和悲伤, 没有炽热的头脑,焦渴的嘴唇。 4. 这些人是谁呵,都去赶祭祀? 这作牺牲的小牛,对天鸣叫, 你要牵它到哪儿,神秘的祭司? 花环缀满着它光滑的身腰。 是从哪个傍河傍海的小镇, 或哪个静静的堡寨山村, 来了这些人,在这敬神的清早? 呵,小镇,你的街道永远恬静; 再也不可能回来一个灵魂 告诉人你何以是这么寂寥。 5. 哦,希腊的形状!唯美的观照! 上面缀有石雕的男人和女人, 还有林木,和践踏过的青草; 沉默的形体呵,你象是“永恒” 使人超越思想:呵,冰冷的牧歌! 等暮年使这一世代都凋落, 只有你如旧;在另外的一些 忧伤中,你会抚慰后人说: “美即是真,真即是美,”这就包括 你们所知道、和该知道的一切。
诗歌赏析 《希腊古瓮颂》体现了浪漫主义作家对古希腊文化的兴趣,诗人在此使用了古老的“图说”(ekphrasis,或译“读画诗”)手法,再现古瓮上的雕刻画面,以诗歌语言召唤出一尊“想象之瓮”。颂歌开篇将古瓮称为“委身‘寂静的’、完美的处子”和“田园的史家”,作为一件静默的艺术品,古瓮讲述的是“如花的故事”。接下来,诗人细笔描摹了古瓮雕画的两幅场景,一是牧羊人与少女相恋的田园牧歌场景,一是小镇上村民以小牛献祭的画面,从牧歌到献祭,诗歌的调子也从田园的安宁静谧转为荒凉寂寥,诗歌主题在一系列精心营造的悖论中逐渐浮现。在召唤或再现这一“想象之瓮”的过程中,济慈援引了西方古老的田园牧歌文学传统(the pastoral),这类诗歌大多召唤出一种遥不可及的黄金时代幻象,描写其中理想化的田园生活以及牧羊人的生活和爱情。田园牧歌和作为艺术品象征的希腊古瓮将时间、永恒、变化、静止、生命、死亡、艺术、人生等母题糅合起来,诗人在一系列的对立和悖论拓展出丰富的哲思。比如,画面里的牧羊人在静止的古瓮上得以超越时间,获得永生,他们的爱情也随之不朽:“你永远、永远吻不上,/虽然够接近了……但不必心酸/她不会老,虽然你不能如愿以偿”,画中人的激情和爱恋处于被永远延迟的状态中,不朽也同时意味着处于时间之外的静止或因凝固于时间之内的死亡。最后一节诗人直接对古瓮发话,将读者从超验的、艺术的领域带回到现实世界中,提醒读者古瓮是一件永恒的艺术品,启发读者思考艺术的力量及其局限:“希腊的形状!唯美的观照……/沉默的形体呵,你像是‘永恒’,“等暮年使这一世代都凋落,/只有你如旧”,虽然这牧歌又是“冰冷的”。