美国语文6(英汉对照)
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第29章 The Snow Shower 洁白的雪

William Cullen Bryant, 1794-1878, was the son of Peter Bryant, a physician of Cummington, Massachusetts. Amid the beautiful scenery of this remote country town, the poet was born; and here he passed his early youth. At the age of sixteen, Bryant entered Williams College, but was honorably dismissed at the end of two years. He then entered on the study of law, and was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-one. He practiced his profession, with much success, for about nine years. In 1826, he removed to New York, and became connected with the "Evening Post, " a connection which continued to the time of his death. For more than thirty of the last years of his life, Mr. Bryant made his home near Roslyn, Long Island, where he occupied an "old-time mansion, " which he bought, fitted up, and surrounded in accordance with his excellent rural taste. A poem of his, written at the age of ten years, was published in the "County Gazette, " and two poems of considerable length were published in book form, when the author was only fourteen. "Thanatopsis, " perhaps the best known of all his poems, was written when he was but nineteen. But, notwithstanding his precocity, his powers continued to a remarkable age. His, excellent translations of the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey, "together with some of his best poems, were accomplished after the poet, had passed the age of seventy. Mr. Bryant visited Europe several times; and, in 1849, he continued his travels into Egypt and Syria. Abroad, he was received with many marks of distinction; and he added much to his extensive knowledge by studying the literature of the countries he visited.

All his poems exhibit a peculiar love, and a careful study, of nature; and his language, both in prose and poetry, is always chaste, elegant, and correct. His mind was well-balanced; and his personal character was one to be admired, loved, and imitated.

Stand here by my side and turn, I pray,

On the lake below thy gentle eyes;

The clouds hang over it, heavy and gray,

And dark and silent the water lies;

And out of that frozen mist the snow

In wavering flakes begins to flow;

Flake after flake

They sink in the dark and silent lake.

See how in a living swarm they come

From the chambers beyond that misty veil;

Some hover in air awhile, and some

Rush prone from the sky like summer hail.

All, dropping swiftly, or settling slow,

Meet, and are still in the depths below;

Flake after flake

Dissolved in the dark and silent lake.

Here delicate snow stars, out of the cloud,

Come floating downward in airy play,

Like spangles dropped from the glistening

crowd

That whiten by night the Milky Way;

There broader and burlier masses fall;

The sullen water buries them all, —

Flake after flake, —

All drowned in the dark and silent lake.

And some, as on tender wings they glide

From their chilly birth cloud, dim and gray.

Are joined in their fall, and, side by side,

Come clinging along their unsteady way;

As friend with friend, or husband with wife,

Makes hand in hand the passage of life;

Each mated flake

Soon sinks in the dark and silent lake.

Lo! while we are gazing, in swifter haste

Stream down the snows, till the air is

white,

As, myriads by myriads madly chased,

They fling themselves from their shadowy height.

The fair, frail creatures of middle sky,

What speed they make, with their grave so nigh;

Flake after flake

To lie in the dark and silent lake.

I see in thy gentle eyes a tear;

They turn to me in sorrowful thought;

Thou thinkest of friends, the good and dear,

Who were for a time, and now are not;

Like these fair children of cloud and frost,

That glisten a moment an then are lost,

Flake after flake, —

All lost in the dark and silent lake.

Yet look again, for the clouds divide;

A gleam of blue on the water lies;

And far away, on the mountain side,

A sunbeam falls from the opening skies.

But the hurrying host that flew between

The cloud and the water no more is seen;

Flake after flake

At rest in the dark and silent lake.

威廉姆·卡伦·布莱恩特(1794~1878年),马萨诸塞州库明顿医生彼得·布莱恩特的儿子。诗人出生在一个偏远但却拥有美丽景色的小镇。他在这里度过了美好的童年时光。布莱恩特16岁时考入威廉姆斯大学,但不幸的是,他只上了两年就被学校劝退。随后,他考取法学院,专门研修法律,在21岁当了律师。他在这个行当干了9年,而且干得很出色。1826年,他搬到纽约,在“晚间邮报”杂志社工作。在他晚年的时候,搬到长岛的罗斯林附近,在这里买了一套老式宅邸,并对房子进行了装修,完美地和周围乡间的美景融合在一起。他10岁的时候写了一首诗,发表在《郡公报》上。布莱恩特14岁时,出版了两部内容充实的诗集。他最受读者欢迎的作品是《死亡观》,他创作这部作品时只有19岁。虽然他比较早熟,但他晚年仍保持相当高的创作能力。他70岁之后,翻译了《伊利亚特》、《奥德赛》及其他优秀文学作品。布莱恩特曾数次去欧洲访问。1849年,他接连去埃及和叙利亚旅行。在国外,他获得了高度赞誉。他还通过在所旅行的国家学习文学来扩充自己的知识面。

他的诗歌处处彰显着特殊的爱,以及对自然的细致观察,他的语言,无论散文还是诗歌,用词都非常讲究、优雅而精确。布莱恩特通情达理,其性格特点广受人们仰慕、热爱甚至模仿。

我祈祷你站在我身边,转过身来,

站在我柔和目光下的湖泊上;

云朵高悬,灰暗而沉重,

湖水黑暗而平静;

伴有霜雾的雪花

开始摇曳飘舞;

雪花一片又一片,

沉入黑暗而平静的湖泊。

好大一群啊!它们来了,

从迷雾面纱遮盖下的云室走出来;

有的在空中盘旋,有的

像夏天的冰雹在空中急速下坠。

它们快速下落,或者慢慢扶摇,

相逢,仍旧在深不见底的下面,

雪花一片又一片,

悄悄地融化在黑暗而平静的湖泊。

纤弱雪白的星星逃出云朵,

在空中嬉戏,漂浮下落,

就像从闪亮的星星坠落的精灵,

银河在夜晚犹如白昼般明亮;

更宽大厚重的雪在这里飘落;

阴沉的水面将它们全都掩埋,

雪花一片又一片,

都被埋在黑暗而平静的湖泊。

雪花用纤细的翅膀在空中滑翔,

从寒冷的积雨云中冲出来。

它们手牵手,快乐地从空中坠下,

摇曳不定,相互依附;

就像朋友和朋友,丈夫和妻子手拉手,

为自己创造出生命的通道;

每一个结成伴侣的雪花,

很快就沉入黑暗而平静的湖泊。

看!我们仔细观察

倏忽即逝的雪花,直到天空一片苍白,

无数雪花在空中竞相追逐,

从朦胧的高空猛冲出来。

它们是天空漂亮而脆弱的生灵,

下落得这么快!距离坟墓也越来越近;

雪花一片又一片,

躺在黑暗而平静的湖泊。

我从你温柔的眼中看到了泪花;

它们让我陷入了忧伤的沉思;

你想起了朋友,善良和蔼的朋友,

他们都已成过往,踪影不再;

就像这些可爱云朵和冰霜的孩子,

闪耀一时稍纵即逝,

就像雪花一片又一片——

消失在黑暗而平静的湖泊。

你再看向天空,云朵已然分开;

一缕蓝光映照在湖泊水面之上;

而在远处的山峰那边,

从天际降落的阳光直射峰顶。

但是,我们再也看不到

那飘在云朵和湖泊之间的雪花;

雪花一片又一片,

在黑暗而平静的湖泊长眠。