美文欣赏：Mending Wall 修墙

2012-04-06 00:00:00来源：爱思英语

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
有一样东西它不喜欢墙，
That sends the frozen ground-swell under it,
冻胀了墙下的基础土壤，
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
太阳一晒，墙上石块跌落在两旁；
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
墙体开裂，双人并肩而过像穿堂。
The work of hunters is another thing:
猎人的行为则是另一番景象：
I have come after them and made repair
我要紧随其后修补不停的忙，
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
他们拆掉石块却不放回原位上，
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
而是把兔子赶出让它们难躲藏，
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
惹得猎狗叫汪汪。我所说的裂缝
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
没有谁见过其开裂听过其声响，
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
但到春天来修补，眼前已是百孔千疮。
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
我通知了山那边的邻居街坊，
And on a day we meet to walk the line
约好了一天沿着墙巡查一趟，
And set the wall between us once again.
重新垒起我们之间的这堵墙。
We keep the wall between us as we go.
我们沿着墙各自走在各一方，
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
将各自一侧的石块收拾妥当。
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
有些石块成块状，有些近乎于球状，
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
我们不得不口念咒语确保其稳当：
‘Stay where you are until our backs are turned!’
“请呆在那儿不要晃，等我们折回来查访！”
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
我们搬弄石块，手指被磨得粗糙无光。
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
啊，这种户外游戏只不过别于它样，
One on a side. It comes to little more:
玩家各站各一方。这让我若有所想：
There where it is we do not need the wall:
我们在这里并不需要修建这堵墙：
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
那边种松木这边种苹果树隔墙相望。
My apple trees will never get across
我的苹果树永远不会越过这一屏障：
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
跑到他松树下去把松果尝，我对他讲。
He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
他只好说，“好篱笆会促成好街坊。”
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
春天让我好心伤，我想知道
If I could put a notion in his head:
我是否能让他这样去思量：
‘Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
好篱笆何以能促成好街坊？难道说
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
这是养牛的地方？但这纯粹是说谎。
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
以前修建这堵墙，我就该好好想一想
What I was walling in or walling out,
我要把什么东西来设防，
And to whom I was like to give offense.
我是否有冒犯谁的地方。
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
有样东西它的确不喜欢墙，
That wants it down.’ I could say ‘Elves’ to him,
就像妖鬼想让它倒塌一样，我这样讲。
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
但准确地说这不是妖鬼，我宁愿
He said it for himself. I see him there
他自己说出来是啥名堂。我见他
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
用双手将石块上端牢牢抓住不放，
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
就像石器时代武装的野蛮人一样。
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
我认为他似乎已坠入黑暗感到迷茫，
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
这黑暗不只是来自树林和树的影像。
He will not go behind his father's saying,
他不去琢磨父辈曾如何对他讲，
And he likes having thought of it so well
倒是认为父辈所说的话非常棒，
He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
他接着又说，“好篱笆会促成好街坊。”