曹明伦译：爱伦·坡诗歌《乌鸦》

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曹明伦译：爱伦·坡诗歌《乌鸦》

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诗人简介

埃德加·爱伦·坡（1809-1849）是美国著名诗人、小说家、文学评论家，是美国浪漫主义时期的代表人物。他的文学生涯始于诗歌并终于诗歌，一生共出版了4本诗集，它们是《帖木儿及其他诗》（Tamerlane and Other Poems, 1827）、《阿尔阿拉夫、帖木儿及小诗》（Al Aaraaf,Tamerlane, and Minor Poems, 1829）、《诗集》（Poems, 1831）和《乌鸦及其他诗》（The Raven and Other Poems, 1845）。共创作了60余首诗加一出没写完的诗剧。其中，《乌鸦》是爱伦·坡诗歌理论乃至文学理念最全面的体现。

The Raven 《乌鸦》（双语版）

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping,suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping,rapping at my chamber door.

“’Tis some visiter,” I muttered,“tapping at my chamber door—

Only this, and nothing more.”

从前一个阴郁的子夜，我独自沉思，慵懒疲竭，

面对许多古怪而离奇、并早已被人遗忘的书卷；

当我开始打盹，几乎入睡，突然传来一阵轻擂，

仿佛有人在轻轻叩击——轻轻叩击我房间的门环。

“有客来也”，我轻声嘟囔，“正在叩击我的门环，

唯此而已，别无他般。”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;— vainly I had tried to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Nameless here for evermore.

哦，我清楚地记得那是在风凄雨冷的十二月，

每一团奄奄一息的余烬都形成阴影伏在地板。

我当时真盼望翌日——因为我已经枉费心机

想用书来消除伤悲，消除因失去丽诺尔的伤感，

因那位被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女，她美丽娇艳，

在此已抹去芳名，直至永远。

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me— filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

“’Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door—

Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

This it is, and nothing more.”

那柔软、暗淡、飒飒飘动的每一块紫色窗布

使我心中充满前所未有的恐惧，我毛骨悚然；

为平息我心儿的悸跳．我站起身反复念叨

“这是有客人想进屋，正在叩我房间的门环，

更深夜半有客人想进屋，正在叩我房间的门环，

唯此而已，别无他般。”

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—

Darkness there, and nothing more.

于是我的心变得坚强；不再犹疑，不再彷徨，

“先生”，我说，“或夫人，我求你多多包涵；

刚才我正睡意昏昏，而你敲门又敲得那么轻，

你敲门又敲得那么轻，轻轻叩我房间的门环，

我差点以为没听见你。”说着我打开门扇——

唯有黑夜，别无他般。

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore!”

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”

Merely this, and nothing more.

凝视着夜色幽幽，我站在门边惊惧良久，

疑惑中似乎梦见从前没人敢梦见的梦幻；

可那未被打破的寂静，没显示任何象征，

“丽诺尔？”便是我嗫嚅念叨的唯一字眼，

我念叨“丽诺尔”，回声把这名字轻轻送还；

唯此而已，别无他般。

Then into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon I heard again a tapping somewhat louder than before.

“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is,and this mystery explore—

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—

’Tis the wind, and nothing more!”

我转身回到房中，我的整个心烧灼般疼痛，

很快我又听到叩击声，比刚才听起来明显。

“肯定”，我说，“肯定有什么在我的窗棂；

让我瞧瞧是什么在那儿，去把那秘密发现，

让我的心先镇静一会儿，去把那秘密发现；

那不过是风，别无他般！”

Open here I flung the shutter, when,with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; no tan instant stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

然后我推开了窗户，随着翅膀的一阵猛扑，

一只神圣往昔的乌鸦庄重地走进我房间；

它既没向我致意问候，也没有片刻的停留，

而是以绅士淑女的风度栖到我房门的上面，

栖在我房门上方一尊帕拉斯半身雕像上面；

栖息在那儿，仅如此这般。

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore—

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”

Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”

于是这只黑鸟把我悲伤的幻觉哄骗成微笑，

以它那老成持重一本正经温文尔雅的容颜，

“冠毛虽被剪除”，我说，“但你显然不是懦夫，

你这幽灵般可怕的古鸦，漂泊来自夜的彼岸，

请告诉我你尊姓大名，在黑沉沉的夜之彼岸！”

乌鸦答曰“永不复焉”。

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no sublunary being

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as “Nevermore.”

听见如此直率的回答，我对这丑鸟感到惊讶，

尽管它的回答不着边际——与提问几乎无关；

因为我们不得不承认，从来没有活着的世人

曾如此有幸地看见一只鸟栖在他房门的上面，

看见鸟或兽栖在他房门上方的半身雕像上面，

而且名叫“永不复焉”。

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing farther then he uttered— not a feather then he fluttered—

Till I scarcely more than muttered,“Other friends have flown before—

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.”

Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”

但那只栖于肃穆的半身雕像上的乌鸦只说了

这一句话，仿佛它倾泻灵魂就用那一个字眼。

然后它便一声不吭——也不把它的羽毛拍动，

直到我几乎在喃喃自语“其他朋友早已离散，

明晨它也将离我而去，如同我的希望已消散。”

这时乌鸦说“永不复焉”。

Wondering at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster—so, when Hope he would adjure,

Stern Despair returned, instead of the sweet Hope he dared adjure—

That sad answer, “Nevermore!”

惊异于屋里的寂静被如此恰当的回话打破，

“肯定”，我说，“此话是它惟一会说的人言，

从它不幸的主人口中学来。一连串横祸飞灾

曾接踵而至，直到它主人的歌中有了这字眼，

直到他希望的挽歌中有了这个忧郁的字眼——

永不复焉，永不复焉。”

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust, and door;

Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

但那只乌鸦仍然在骗我悲伤的灵魂露出微笑，

我即刻拖了张软椅到门边雕像下那乌鸦跟前；

然后坐在天鹅绒椅垫上，我开始产生联想，

浮想连着浮想，猜度这不祥的古鸟何出此言，

这只狰狞丑陋可怕不吉不祥的古鸟何出此言，

为何对我说“永不复焉”。

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o’er,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o’er,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

我坐着猜想那意思，但没对乌鸦说片语只言，

此时，它炯炯发光的眼睛已燃烧进我的心坎；

我依然坐在那儿猜度，把我的头靠得很舒服，

舒舒服服地靠着在灯光凝视下的天鹅绒椅垫，

但在这灯光凝视着的紫色的天鹅绒椅垫上面，

她还会靠么？啊，永不复焉！

Then, me thought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by angels whose faint foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee— by these angels he hath sent thee Respite—respite and Nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!

Let me quaff this kind Nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”

Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”

接着我觉得空气变得稠密，被无形香炉熏香，

提香炉的撒拉弗的脚步声响在有簇饰的地板。

“可怜的人”，我叹道，“是上帝派天使为你送药，

这忘忧药能终止你对失去的丽诺尔的思念；

喝吧，喝吧，忘掉你对失去的丽诺尔的思念！”

这时乌鸦说“永不复焉”。

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—

On this home by Horror haunted— tell me truly, I implore—

Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me— tell me, I implore!”

Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”

“先知！”我说“恶魔！还是先知，不管是鸟是魔！

是不是撒旦派你，或是暴风雨抛你，来到此岸，

来到这片妖惑鬼祟但却不惧怕魔鬼的荒原——

来到这恐怖的小屋——告诉我真话，求你可怜！

基列有香膏吗？ 告诉我，告诉我，求你可怜！”

乌鸦说“永不复焉”。

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”

Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”

“先知！”我说“恶魔！还是先知，不管是鸟是魔！

凭着我们都崇拜的上帝——凭着我们头顶的苍天，

请告诉这充满悲伤的灵魂。它能否在遥远的仙境

拥抱一位被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女，她纤尘不染，

拥抱一位被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女，她美丽娇艳。”

乌鸦说“永不复焉”。

“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—

“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken— quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”

Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”

“让这话做我们的告别辞，鸟或魔！”我起身吼道，

“回你的暴风雨中去吧，回你黑沉沉的夜之彼岸！

别留下你黑色的羽毛作为你灵魂撒过谎的象征！

留给我完整的孤独！快从我门上的雕像上滚蛋！

让你的嘴离开我的心；让你的身子离开我房间！”

乌鸦答曰“永不复焉”。

And the raven, never flitting, stillis sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,

And the lamp- light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow thatlies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted— nevermore!

那只乌鸦并没飞走，它仍然栖息，仍然栖息，

在房门上方那苍白的帕拉斯半身雕像上面；

它的眼光与正在做梦的魔鬼的眼光一模一样，

照在它身上的灯光把它的阴影投射在地板；

而我的灵魂，会从那团在地板上漂浮的阴影中

解脱么——永不复焉！

译者为著名翻译家曹明伦教授

《乌鸦》可谓爱伦·坡诗歌理论乃至文学理念最全面的体现。其主题是他认为最富诗意的“美女之夭亡和失美之哀伤”。为了效果的完整和统一，他写了108行，目的是为了既能够形成完整的效果，给读者留下足够深刻的印象，又能够让读者一口气读完，使诗歌的效果不被读者的世俗实务干扰。为了格律的独创性，他配置了一种前人未尝试过的诗节；他用“一长一短的两个音节组成音步，每小节第一行有八个这样的音步，第二行有七个半（实际上是七又三分之二），第三行有八个，第四行七个半，第五行七个半，第六行三个半”，并在其中灵活运用各种押韵方式，使《乌鸦》读起来富有韵律。为了情节的复杂性，他故意让主人公一开始把乌鸦翅膀拍窗的声音误认为是敲门声。为了艺术作品的暗示性，他设计了一个其字词不变，但其寓意却不断变化的叠句——永不复焉。按照他在《创作哲学》末段中的说法，读者读到全诗最后两节便会“开始把乌鸦视为一种象征，不过要到最后一节的最后一行，读者才能弄清这象征的确切含义——乌鸦所象征的是绵绵而无绝期的伤逝”。由此，爱伦·坡使《乌鸦》成为了有韵律的美之创造，他心中真正的诗。

曹教授的译文不仅忠实地传达了原诗的内容，而且兼顾了《乌鸦》形式上的特色。译文各节前5行长度都大致相等，控制在19个字左右，各节最后1行长度也相似，大约8个字。原诗韵律感十足，译文读起来也富有音乐美。如第1行，原诗为 “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,” 其中“dreary” 和 “weary” 形成行内韵，而译文“从前一个阴郁的子夜，我独自沉思，慵懒疲竭，”中的“夜”与“竭”也形成了行内韵。为体现原诗的韵律美，在忠实地表达原诗含义的前提下，曹教授并没有拘泥于原诗的句式，而是做出适当调整。如第2节

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;— vainly I had tried to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Nameless here for evermore.

哦，我清楚地记得那是在风凄雨冷的十二月，

每一团奄奄一息的余烬都形成阴影伏在地板。

我当时真盼望翌日——因为我已经枉费心机

想用书来消除伤悲，消除因失去丽诺尔的伤感，

因那位被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女，她美丽娇艳，

在此已抹去芳名，直至永远。

原诗第4，5行均以 “Lenore” 结尾，并与第2行结尾的 “floor”、第6行结尾的 “evermore” 形成尾韵，而译文则改变了第4，5行的句式，译为了“想用书来消除伤悲，消除因失去丽诺尔的伤感，// 因那位被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女，她美丽娇艳，”使末尾的“感”、“艳”与第2行的“板”和第6行的“远”形成尾韵。曹教授做出这样的调整，在传达原诗含义的同时兼顾音韵美，展现出深厚的语言功底，这一点，值得广大翻译工作者学习。

参考文献

《爱伦·坡诗集》，（美）埃德加·爱伦·坡 (Edgar Allan Poe) 著，（法）坎德蒙·杜拉克 (Edmund Dulac)图，曹明伦译. 长沙：湖南文艺出版社，2018.